Shaped as an oval and bounded by the United
States and Mexico,
the Gulf of Mexico covers an area of some 1,550,000 square kilometers
(600,000 square miles). The gulf serves as a major source of food,
minerals and energy sources for region. The Gulf of Mexico contains
a diversity of wildlife -- from marine mammals to migrating whooping
cranes, roseate spoonbills, sea turtles, whale sharks and alligators
