Healthy Gulf

What Healthy Gulf does

Healthy Gulf is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It collaborates with coastal communities across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf of Mexico through research, communications, and coalition-building. The organization organizes its work around four programmatic pillars: Advance Climate Justice, Conserve Gulf Resources, Hold Industry Accountable, and Protect Clean Water. Its core constituencies are Gulf Coast residents and environmental advocates, with a secondary audience of partner organizations, legal allies, and aligned coalitions.

Healthy Gulf does not develop or sell technology products. Its deliverables consist of scientific monitoring reports, legal filings (as plaintiff or co-plaintiff), community organizing campaigns, action alerts, fellowship programming, and direct advocacy to influence permitting and policy decisions. Measurable recent outcomes include a successful federal court ruling on March 31, 2026 that stopped the East Grand Lake Project after 15+ years of advocacy, and multiple active lawsuits in 2026 challenging BP's Kaskida ultra-deepwater drilling project, the Trump Administration's Endangered Species Act exemption for Gulf oil and gas activities, and the Louisiana DEQ's fourth permit extension for Formosa Plastics' St. James Parish chemical complex. A new Urban Tree Canopy Initiative with Audubon Delta and the Lower Ninth Ward CSED adds climate-resilience programming to the portfolio.

Healthy Gulf operates as a membership-supported nonprofit funded through individual donations, foundation grants, and member contributions. It functions as a coalition-builder rather than a service vendor, working alongside legal counsel Earthjustice and Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, and partner organizations including Waterkeeper Alliance, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Center for Biological Diversity, and Habitat Recovery Project. Leadership includes Executive Director Martha Collins and Senior Policy Director Matt Rota.

Name

Healthy Gulf

Legal name

Healthy Gulf

Website

https://healthygulf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Healthy Gulf is a 501(c)-style environmental advocacy nonprofit, founded in 1994 and headquartered in New Orleans, that organizes Gulf Coast communities across five states to protect Gulf of Mexico waters and ecosystems through litigation, coalition-building, and direct action campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

Keywords

• Environmental advocacy
• Water protection
• Coastal conservation
• Climate justice
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Healthy Gulf is a nonprofit organization that funds its operations through donations, grants, and member support. No revenue is generated from product or service sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Healthy Gulf is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization that protects and restores the natural resources of the Gulf of Mexico through four campaign pillars: Advance Climate Justice, Conserve Gulf Resources, Hold Industry Accountable, and Protect Clean Water. The organization delivers its mission via scientific research, published reports, coalition-building, direct action campaigns, community organizing, and legal advocacy (including litigation against offshore drilling approvals and petrochemical permits). It funds these activities through member dues, individual donations, and foundation grants, and offers a fellowship program for emerging environmental leaders.

Product overview

Healthy Gulf is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization, not a product or technology company. Its 'offerings' consist of advocacy campaigns (Advance Climate Justice, Conserve Gulf Resources, Hold Industry Accountable, Protect Clean Water), action alerts for environmental issues, a fellowship program for developing environmental leaders, published reports on industrial pollution, and community engagement initiatives. The organization provides research, communications, and coalition-building tools to Gulf communities rather than a software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healthy Gulf Membership Program A tiered annual membership program that enrolls Gulf Coast residents and supporters as dues-paying members, providing access to action alerts, newsletters, event invitations, and ongoing advocacy updates in support of the organization's environmental mission.
• Environmental Advocacy Campaign Portfolio An integrated set of four advocacy campaigns — Advance Climate Justice, Conserve Gulf Resources, Hold Industry Accountable, and Protect Clean Water — delivered through research, communications, and coalition-building tools that Gulf Coast communities can use to push back against industrial pollution, offshore drilling, and climate impacts.
• Environmental Leadership Fellowship Program A fellowship program that develops emerging environmental advocates from Gulf South communities through leadership training, organizing experience, and partnership placements — including the Hazel M. Johnson Foundation Fellowship delivered in collaboration with Black Girl Environmentalists.
• Action Alert and Civic Engagement Service A direct-action civic engagement service that issues topic-specific action alerts — covering issues such as the Pearl River dam, Mississippi River restoration, Army Corps permitting, Florida algae pollution, and the Taylor Energy leak — and guides supporters in contacting policymakers and federal agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully stopped the East Grand Lake Project after 15+ years of advocacy through a favorable federal court ruling on March 31, 2026.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EarthjusticecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEarthjustice serves as legal counsel for Healthy Gulf and partner organizations in litigation against federal agencies and fossil fuel companies. Earthjustice has represented Healthy Gulf in lawsuits challenging the Endangered Species Act exemption for Gulf oil and gas activities and the BP Kaskida ultra-deepwater drilling project approval.
• Waterkeeper AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthy Gulf is a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance network. Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement uniting over 300 Waterkeeper Organizations, with Healthy Gulf collaborating on advocacy campaigns and litigation involving Gulf protection, including the Atchafalaya Basin lawsuit.
• Audubon DeltaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Urban Tree Canopy Initiative in New Orleans. Healthy Gulf and Audubon Delta collaborate with the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) to plant 300 climate-resilient trees in priority neighborhoods including New Aurora and Algiers.
• Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Urban Tree Canopy Initiative in New Orleans. CSED collaborates with Healthy Gulf and Audubon Delta to plant trees in Lower Ninth Ward and other priority neighborhoods as part of climate resilience building.
• Turtle Island Restoration NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in multiple lawsuits challenging federal offshore drilling approvals, including the Endangered Species Act exemption and BP Kaskida project. Joint advocacy for protection of Rice's whales and other Gulf endangered species.
• Sierra ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in litigation against the Endangered Species Act exemption for Gulf oil and gas activities, represented by Earthjustice. Collaborative advocacy on offshore drilling and climate justice campaigns.
• Friends of the Earth U.S.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's Endangered Species Act exemption for Gulf oil and gas activities. Partnered on advocacy and litigation to protect Gulf wildlife from offshore drilling impacts.
• Habitat Recovery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff with Healthy Gulf and other groups in challenging BP's Kaskida ultra-deepwater drilling project. Habitat Recovery Project represents fishing communities impacted by oil spills and advocates for Gulf ecosystem restoration.
• Center for Biological DiversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging BP's Kaskida project and Endangered Species Act protections. Center for Biological Diversity contributes legal expertise and scientific resources to protect Gulf marine species.
• Atchafalaya BasinkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in the successful lawsuit that stopped the East Grand Lake Project in the Atchafalaya Basin. Healthy Gulf was part of the coalition represented by Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, along with LCPA-West and Sierra Club Delta Chapter.
• Tulane Environmental Law CliniccoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel representing the coalition including Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, LCPA-West, Healthy Gulf, and Sierra Club Delta Chapter in successfully challenging the Army Corps permit for the East Grand Lake Project.
• Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-West (LCPA-West)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in the lawsuit that stopped the East Grand Lake Project. LCPA-West represents crawfishers and basin users who provided standing for the case and have been fighting sedimentation projects for nearly 30 years.
• Black Girl Environmentalists / Hazel M. Johnson Foundation FellowshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthy Gulf is expanding its fellowship program through a partnership with Black Girl Environmentalists via the Hazel M. Johnson Foundation Fellowship, welcoming additional fellows into leadership development programming for emerging environmental advocates.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Biological Diversity: Co-plaintiff with Healthy Gulf on the BP Kaskida and ESA exemption lawsuits. Focused on species and habitat protection, making it a natural litigation partner on Gulf marine wildlife issues.
• Gulf Restoration Network: Formerly a separate Gulf-focused environmental advocacy organization that merged into Healthy Gulf. Operates the same Gulf Coast remit with comparable issue areas (offshore drilling, coastal restoration, environmental justice).
• Friends of the Earth U.S. Co-plaintiff with Healthy Gulf on the ESA exemption lawsuit and broader fossil fuel opposition. International federation focused on environmental advocacy with overlapping Gulf climate and drilling campaigns.
• Waterkeeper Alliance: Global nonprofit network uniting over 300 Waterkeeper organizations to protect waterways. Healthy Gulf is a member Waterkeeper organization with directly overlapping goals (clean water, pollution accountability) and shared litigation strategies in the Gulf region.
• Turtle Island Restoration Network: Co-plaintiff with Healthy Gulf on offshore drilling and ESA litigation. Concentrates on marine species (sea turtles, marine mammals) but converges on Gulf ecosystem protection and against fossil fuel expansion.

Broad incumbents

• Environmental Defense Fund: Established national environmental nonprofit active on Gulf Coast issues including offshore drilling, marine ecosystem protection, and climate. Overlapping campaign priorities but with substantially larger resources and broader geographic scope.
• Natural Resources Defense Council: Major national environmental advocacy organization with policy, litigation, and scientific capacity. Shares clean water, climate, and fossil fuel opposition missions with Healthy Gulf at the federal policy level.
• Sierra Club: Large national environmental organization with co-plaintiff relationships on ESA exemption and Atchafalaya Basin litigation. Operates a much broader portfolio but converges with Healthy Gulf on Gulf offshore drilling and just transition advocacy.
• Ocean Conservancy: National nonprofit focused on ocean health with active Gulf of Mexico programs. Operates at a larger scale across marine debris, climate, and fisheries, but shares Healthy Gulf's Gulf protection and offshore drilling opposition themes.

Others

• Earthjustice: National environmental law firm that serves as Healthy Gulf's legal counsel and represents coalitions in federal litigation. Not a peer in the advocacy sense, but a critical capacity multiplier for Gulf nonprofit litigation strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/healthygulf
• Facebookfacebook.com/healthygulf
• Instagraminstagram.com/healthygulf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healthygulf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healthy Gulf