HLS 20RS-850 ENGROSSED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 64
BY REPRESENTATIVE ZERINGUE
WATERWAYS: To express support for the annual Gulf Hypoxia Mapping Cruise
conducted by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and to memorialize
congress to provide continued funding
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To express support for the annual Gulf Hypoxia Mapping Cruise conducted by the Louisiana
3 Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), as well as support for continued
4 funding for this important effort, and to recognize the important role the cruise plays
5 in understanding and conserving our coastal resources by memorializing the United
6 States Congress and the Louisiana congressional delegation to authorize continued
7 funding for this most important endeavor.
8 WHEREAS, the growth of a large area of low-oxygen off Louisiana's coast, known
9as the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone or "Dead Zone", has been a long-standing issue of
10concern for the state because of the risks it poses for our commercial and recreational fishing
11and seafood industries, and its wider impacts on marine life in the Gulf; and
12 WHEREAS, the summer cruises to map the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone,
13conducted by scientists at the LUMCON in Cocodrie, Louisiana, have been carried out each
14year since 1985, providing a consistent and long-term baseline and record of data on the
15annual extent and formation of the zone, which has in turn aided the development of models
16to predict its yearly size and future growth; and
17 WHEREAS, these cruises, utilizing Louisiana scientists, researchers, graduate and
18undergraduate students, and cooperating universities and other partners, are the primary
19means of measuring the size of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone and its growth or
20reduction, as well as the progress of efforts to reduce it, including the efforts of the
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HCR NO. 64
1state-federal Gulf Hypoxia Task Force with which the state of Louisiana has been a
2participant since 1997; and
3 WHEREAS, the LUMCON mapping cruises have been largely funded through the
4federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reflecting the importance of the
5Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone and Louisiana's coastal fishery and waters as resources of
6national concern; and
7 WHEREAS, because this federal funding is at risk of discontinuation, and the annual
8LUMCON summer mapping cruise was cancelled in 2016 for only the second time in thirty-
9one years, the continuation of this vital work is itself at risk.
10 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
11express its support for the annual Gulf Hypoxia Mapping Cruise conducted by the Louisiana
12Universities Marine Consortium, in recognition of the important role it plays in the
13understanding and conserving of our coastal resources, as well as its support for continued
14funding for this important effort by memorializing the United States Congress and the
15Louisiana congressional delegation to authorize continued funding for this most important
16endeavor.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the
18officers of both houses of the United States Congress and each member of the Louisiana
19congressional delegation.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 64 Engrossed 2020 Regular Session Zeringue
Expresses support for the annual Gulf Hypoxia Mapping Cruise conducted by the La.
Universities Marine Consortium, as well as support for continued funding for this important
effort, and recognizes the important role the cruise plays in understanding and conserving
our coastal resources by memorializing the U.S. Congress and the La. congressional
delegation to authorize continued funding for this most important endeavor.
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