History of Gulf of Mexico in Timeline
The Gulf of Mexico is an oceanic basin and marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean bordered primarily by North America. Specifically, it is bounded by the Gulf Coast of the United States to the northeast, north, and northwest; by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo to the southwest and south; and by Cuba to the southeast. The coastal areas along the Southern U.S. states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are often called the "Gulf Coast".
July 30, 1942: SS Robert E. Lee torpedoed by German submarine U-166
On July 30, 1942, the SS Robert E. Lee was torpedoed by the German submarine U-166 en route to New Orleans, resulting in the loss of lives. U-166 was sunk by USS PC-566 after the attack.
1952: Earthquake tremors felt in Florida
In 1952, earthquake tremors were last felt in Florida in Quincy, 32 km northwest of Tallahassee.
November 1970: Treaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary
In November 1970, Mexico and the United States signed a treaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary.
1970: Surface temperatures begin to rise in the Gulf of Mexico
From 1970 to 2020, surface temperatures warmed at about twice the rate observed for the global ocean surface.
1973: EPA prohibits dumping of undiluted chemical waste
In 1973, the United States Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the dumping of undiluted chemical waste by manufacturing and sediment interests into the gulf, and the military confessed to similar behavior in waters off Horn Island.
1975: Offshore drilling rigs host temporary population of workers
By 1975, 400 offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico hosted a temporary population of more than 10,000 workers on any given day, who were rotated on a weekly staggered schedule.
July 1976: Exchange of notes constituting an agreement on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone of Mexico in the sector adjacent to Cuban maritime areas.
In July 1976, Cuba and Mexico exchanged notes constituting an agreement on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone of Mexico in the sector adjacent to Cuban maritime areas.
December 1977: Maritime boundary agreement between the United States and Cuba
In December 1977, the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba signed a maritime boundary agreement.
May 1978: Treaty on maritime boundaries between the United States of America and the United Mexican States (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean)
In May 1978, Mexico and the United States signed a treaty on maritime boundaries between the United States of America and the United Mexican States (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean).
June 1979: Ixtoc I oil platform suffers a blowout and explosion
In June 1979, the Ixtoc I oil platform in the Bay of Campeche suffered a blowout and a catastrophic explosion, leading to the gulf's largest oil spill to date, which lasted until the well was capped in April 1980.
1979: Specimens deposited in the national collections of the National Museum of Natural History
Since 1979, the specimens collected by the former Minerals Management Service (renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement) have been deposited in the national collections of the National Museum of Natural History.
April 1980: Ixtoc I oil well capped
In April 1980, the Ixtoc I oil well, which had been spewing oil since June 1979, was finally capped.
1985: Area of the Gulf's hypoxic dead zone begins to be tracked
Researchers begin tracking the area of the Gulf of Mexico's hypoxic dead zone. Between 1985 and 2008, it roughly doubled in size.
June 2000: Treaty on the delimitation of the continental shelf in the western Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 nautical miles
In June 2000, Mexico and the United States signed a treaty on the delimitation of the continental shelf in the western Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 nautical miles.
2001: Wrecks of U-166 and Robert E. Lee found
In 2001, the wrecks of U-166 and Robert E. Lee were found during the C & C Marine survey. The submarine was found in 5,000 feet of water, about three km from where it had attacked the liner.
2002: Discovery of shipwreck (Mardi Gras)
In 2002, a ship, later called the Mardi Gras, was discovered by an oilfield inspection crew working for the Okeanos Gas Gathering Company (OGGC). It sank around the early 19th century about 56 km off the coast of Louisiana in 1,200 m of water.
2005: Hurricane Katrina
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a powerful, deadly, and destructive Atlantic hurricane, was fed by the Gulf's warm sea surface temperatures.
September 10, 2006: Magnitude 6.0 earthquake felt from Louisiana to Florida
On September 10, 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center reported that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred about 400 km west-southwest of Anna Maria, Florida, and was felt from Louisiana to Florida. There were no reports of damage or injuries, but items were knocked from shelves and seiches were observed in swimming pools in parts of Florida.
December 2007: Mexico submits information to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
In December 2007, Mexico submitted information to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) regarding the extension of Mexico's continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
2007: Study of the Atlantic croaker found a disproportioned sex ratio in hypoxic sites.
A 2007 study of the Atlantic croaker found a disproportioned sex ratio of 61% males to 39% females in hypoxic sites. This was compared with a 52% to 48% male-female ratio found in reference sites, showing impaired reproductive output for fish populations inhabiting hypoxic coastal zones.
2007: Expedition launched to study the Mardi Gras shipwreck
In 2007, an expedition led by Texas A&M University and funded by OGGC was launched to undertake the deepest scientific archaeological excavation to study the Mardi Gras shipwreck site on the seafloor and recover artifacts for public display in the Louisiana State Museum. Videos and a documentary about the project, Mystery Mardi Gras Shipwreck, was made by Nautilus Productions with help from BOEM, Texas A&M University, the Florida Public Archaeology Network and Veolia Environmental.
July 2008: Researchers report that the Gulf's hypoxic dead zone roughly doubled in size
In July 2008, researchers reported that between 1985 and 2008, the area of the hypoxic dead zone roughly doubled in size.
March 2009: CLCS accepts Mexico's arguments for extending its continental shelf
In March 2009, the CLCS accepted Mexico's arguments for extending its continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles into the Western Polygon.
April 20, 2010: Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP, suffered a catastrophic explosion and later sank, causing a massive oil spill that threatened marine life and coastal wetlands.
2014: Discovery of brine pool on the sea floor
In 2014, a brine pool was discovered on the sea floor at a depth of 3,300 feet with a circumference of 100 feet and depth of 12 feet, which is four to five times saltier than the surrounding water. The pool, dubbed the "Jacuzzi of Despair", can't sustain most life forms, other than bacteria, mussels with a symbiotic relationship, tube worms, and certain kinds of shrimp.
2015: BP had spent $54 billion on Deepwater Horizon cleanup, penalties, and to repair environmental and economic damage
As of 2015, BP had spent $54 billion on cleanup, penalties, and to repair environmental and economic damage resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
May 12, 2016: Oil spill from Shell's Brutus oil rig
On May 12, 2016, oil from subsea infrastructure on Shell's Brutus oil rig released 2,100 barrels of oil, creating an oil slick in the sea about 156 km south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
2017: The hypoxic dead zone records its largest size ever.
In 2017, the hypoxic dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico was recorded at 22,730 km, the largest ever.
2020: Surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico have risen
From 1970 to 2020, surface temperatures warmed at about twice the rate observed for the global ocean surface.
January 20, 2025: Executive order directing federal agencies to adopt the name Gulf of America
On January 20, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to adopt the name 'Gulf of America' for the gulf waters bounded by the U.S., sparking a naming dispute.
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