History of Gulf of Mexico in Timeline
The Gulf of Mexico is an oceanic basin and marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, primarily bordered by North America. It's enclosed by the Gulf Coast of the United States to the northeast, north, and northwest, and by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo to the southwest and south. Cuba bounds it on the southeast. The coastal region spanning Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida along the northern Gulf is often called the "Third Coast" or more commonly, "the Gulf Coast".
July 1942: Sinking of the SS Robert E. Lee
On 30 July 1942, the SS Robert E. Lee was torpedoed by the German submarine U-166 en route to New Orleans. The attack resulted in the loss of 25 lives and the sinking of both vessels. The passengers aboard Robert E. Lee were primarily survivors of previous torpedo attacks by German U-boats.
1952: Earthquake Tremors Felt in Florida
Earthquake tremors were last felt in Florida in 1952, recorded in Quincy, 32 km northwest of Tallahassee.
1970: Surface Temperatures Rise
From 1970 to 2020, surface temperatures warmed at about twice the rate observed for the global ocean surface.
1973: EPA Prohibits Chemical Waste Dumping
In 1973, the United States Environmental Protection Agency prohibited the dumping of undiluted chemical waste into the Gulf of Mexico by manufacturing interests, and the military confessed to similar behavior off Horn Island.
1975: Offshore Drilling Boom
By 1975, there were 400 offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, supporting a temporary population of over 10,000 workers rotated weekly.
December 1977: US and Cuba Maritime Boundary Agreement
In December 1977, the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba established a maritime boundary agreement.
May 1978: Treaty on Maritime Boundaries
In May 1978, the United States of America and the United Mexican States signed a treaty on maritime boundaries in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
June 1979: Ixtoc I Oil Spill Begins
In June 1979, the Ixtoc I oil platform in the Bay of Campeche suffered a blowout and catastrophic explosion, leading to the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to date.
1979: Smithsonian Gulf of Mexico Holdings
Since 1979, the former Minerals Management Service started depositing specimens collected into the national collections of the National Museum of Natural History.
April 1980: Ixtoc I Well Capped
In April 1980, the Ixtoc I oil well was finally capped, ending the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico's history, which began in June 1979.
1985: Expansion of Hypoxic Dead Zone Begins
The area of hypoxic dead zone roughly started doubling in size since 1985, researchers reported in July 2008.
June 2000: Treaty on Continental Shelf Delimitation
In June 2000, a treaty was signed between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, delimiting the continental shelf in the western Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 nautical miles.
2001: Discovery of Wrecks of U-166 and Robert E. Lee
In 2001, the wrecks of the U-166 and the Robert E. Lee were discovered during a marine survey in the Gulf of Mexico. The submarine was found approximately three kilometers from the wreck of the liner.
2002: Discovery of Mardi Gras Shipwreck
In 2002, an oilfield inspection crew discovered the wreck of a ship, now called the Mardi Gras, which sank in the early 19th century, off the coast of Louisiana.
2005: Hurricane Katrina
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a powerful and destructive Atlantic hurricane, was fed by the warm sea surface temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico.
December 2007: Mexico's Submission to CLCS
In December 2007, Mexico submitted information to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) regarding the extension of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
2007: Study of Atlantic Croaker Sex Ratio
A 2007 study of the Atlantic croaker found a disproportionate sex ratio in hypoxic sites, indicating impaired reproductive output for fish populations.
2007: Mardi Gras Shipwreck Expedition
In 2007, an expedition led by Texas A&M University was launched to excavate and study the Mardi Gras shipwreck site, recovering artifacts for public display.
July 2008: Hypoxic Dead Zone Doubled
In July 2008, researchers reported that the hypoxic dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico roughly doubled in size between 1985 and 2008.
March 2009: CLCS Accepts Mexico's Arguments
In March 2009, the CLCS accepted Mexico's arguments for extending its continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles into the Western Polygon.
April 2010: Deepwater Horizon Explosion
On 20 April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, located in the Mississippi Canyon, suffered a catastrophic explosion and sank, leading to a major oil spill that threatened marine life and coastal wetlands.
2014: Discovery of Brine Pool
In 2014, Erik Cordes and others discovered a brine pool 3,300 feet below the Gulf of Mexico's surface. This pool, significantly saltier and warmer than the surrounding water, was dubbed the "Jacuzzi of Despair" due to its inability to sustain most life forms.
2015: BP Spent $54 Billion on Deepwater Horizon
As of 2015, BP had spent $54 billion on cleanup efforts, penalties, and to repair environmental and economic damage resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
2015: Exploration of the "Jacuzzi of Despair"
In 2015, a team explored the brine pool, also known as the "Jacuzzi of Despair", using the deep-submergence vehicle Alvin, following an initial unmanned exploration. This confirmed its unique ecosystem supporting only specialized life forms.
May 2016: Shell's Brutus Oil Rig Leak
On 12 May 2016, a leak from subsea infrastructure on Shell's Brutus oil rig released 2,100 barrels of oil, creating a significant oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.
2017: Largest Hypoxic Dead Zone
In 2017, the hypoxic dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico measured 22,730 km, which was the largest ever recorded.
2020: Surface Temperatures Rise
From 1970 to 2020, surface temperatures warmed at about twice the rate observed for the global ocean surface.
January 20, 2025: Executive Order 14172: "Gulf of America" Name Change
On January 20, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14172, directing federal agencies to adopt the name "Gulf of America" for the Gulf of Mexico. This action sparked a naming dispute, especially with objections from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
