The Gulf of Mexico, Sunbathing on sandy beaches, swimming and surfing, deepsea fishing, red snapper, reefs and oil platforms, SCUBA diving shrimp dinners. These are a few of the word associations and mental images that come to mind with the mention of this natural resource. Many are aware that this Habitat supports the Nation's most valuable commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as provides nearly 95 percent of the Nation's total offshore petroleum .