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ABOUT THIS SITE

This part of our Homepage is dedicated to furthering knowledge about MMS and the Gulf of Mexico Region, science careers, and resources on general topics related to Minerals Management Service (MMS) activities. Don't forget to Bookmark our site before you leave!

lagniappe (lan-yap') n. something extra. Lagniappe is composed of the French la, "the," and a French adaptation of the Spanish napa, "a present made to a customer."

We hope this little lagniappe will help you understand and appreciate the sciences, the diversity of our people and their careers, the specialness of the Gulf Coast, and what we do here at the Minerals Management Service. For more information please contact us:

Public Affairs Office
Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394
Phone (504) 736-2595; Fax (504) 736-2432
To order educational products, please call 1-800-200-GULF

 

MMS Sponsors Computers for Learning
The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico Region, is continuing its support of metropolitan New Orleans schools by donating surplus computers to them through the Federal Computers for Learning Program.  Since 2000, MMS has donated more than 912 surplus computers to area schools and educational nonprofits, principally to those with the greatest needs.  Thus far in the current fiscal year, 162 surplus computers have been donated.

ABOUT THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

This link provides more information about the MMS's mission, organization, and about the Gulf of Mexico Region.

Archaeologists, Marine Biologists, Oceanographers, and more! Read about the diversity of careers and people in the Minerals Management Service.

Women in Engineering

Careers in Science Ten scientists from the MMS Gulf of Mexico Region talk about their chosen profession and share their experiences.
Career Opportunities for the Gulf of Mexico Region - provides information on student programs, current vacancies, job benefits, the hiring process, and recruiting dates.

Federal Job Opportunities -Office of Personnel Management Site This link accesses the Federal job website, where hundreds of job opportunities are listed.

Teaching materials and resources suitable for classroom activity and discussion.

Posters: Description and Ordering Information

Click on the thumbnail of each poster to view the larger image.

	"Chemosynthetic Communities in the Gulf of Mexico"
	"Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico"
	"Islands of Life"
	"Gulf of Mexico Offshore Oases"
	"Whales and Dolphins of the Gulf of Mexico"

Teacher's Companions for Posters: Description and Ordering Information

"Gulf of Mexico Offshore Oases"  The teacher's companion contains an astonishing colorful display and explanation of three topographic features.  Activities are designed for grades 6-12.  It is an instructional guide to accompany the poster of the same title. In this guide, you will find information that focuses on the various seafloor habitats and the geology that drives them, as well as the marine animals associated with these extraordinary systems.

"Historic Shipwrecks of the Gulf of Mexico"  A Teacher's Resource.  Instructional Resources for the Sidewheel Steamship Josephine. 

"Islands of Life" (PDF formatted file) The Gulf's offshore oil and gas platforms serve as artificial reef systems for marine life and provide recreational opportunities for SCUBA divers and sport fishermen. This 23-page guide has text, illustrations, photos, a quiz, and puzzles.

"Whales and Dolphins of the Gulf of Mexico" (PDF formatted file, 2.27 MB)  Did you know that the killer whale is one of the 28 whale and dolphin species known to exist in the Gulf of Mexico's waters? Read about all of the Gulf's whale and dolphin species in this teacher's companion, which has text, illustrations, and even a word-find puzzle. Click here to view the Table of Contents.

"Chemosynthetic Communities in the Gulf of Mexico" (PDF formatted file) This 24 page companion assists teachers in introducing the topic of chemosynthetic communities and other ecological concepts to middle and high school students.

"Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico"  This 20-page teacher's companion expands on topics introduced in the poster and relates basic chemical principles to the marine environment.  It includes four activities for grades 10-12 and references for additional information.

Classroom Activities

"Activity Sheets" (PDF formatted file) A collection of 2 page classroom activity sheets for elementary students that may be printed for distribution. These include:

• Ballast & Stability Lab Experiment
• What is Crude Oil
• Word Puzzle
• Offshore Oil & Gas Platform
• Maze
• Rigs as Reefs

"Drilling For Oil Game" (PDF formatted file, 6.63 Mb) Easy to follow instructions that show how to construct and conduct a classroom activity that allows students to "drill for oil."  This activity can be adopted for use at any age level, and in conjunction with lessons on geology, geography, the environmental sciences, and math. It can also be used as a fun activity for younger children. 

Feature Articles:

Educational Outreach MMS gets into the Science Symposium in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, with a splash!
Marine Mammals Whales and Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico--an MMS environmental study discusses some of its findings.
Chemosynthetic Communities Unusual tube worms that live in the Gulf's deep waters.
Flower Garden Banks A coral reef offshore Texas waters.
Rig Diving Photo story of SCUBA diving around the offshore platforms ("rigs") in the Gulf of Mexico . (This file may take a couple of minutes to load--6.70KB.)
Birds on the Wing A study of interactions between migrating birds and oil and gas structures off the Louisiana coast.

Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS): MMS-sponsored environmental research projects.

Look here to find common terms used in the oil and gas industry.

Try these sites for more information.

Kid's Corner, MMS Alaska	Kid's Playground, MMS Pacific
U.S. Department of the Interior	Kid's Pages, MMS Headquarters