The northwest Gulf of Mexico is home to 3,954 oil and gas platforms (see Map of Platforms). They produce one of the most prolific ecosystems, by area, on the planet. Stanley and Wilson (2000) reported that 10,000-30,000 adult fish reside around the platform in an area about half the size of a football field.  Many blue-water platforms create complex coral reef ecosystems, comprised of Caribbean flora and fauna that would otherwise not exist on thousands of square miles of generally featureless and silty continental shelf. These platforms clearly produce fish rather than merely attract fish. Over 50 species of federally managed fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates settle and forage around the offshore structures. Thousands of structures have already been removed, 744 platforms are idle and scheduled to be removed. Most of the remaining structures are scheduled for removal by 2020.