; (F) serve as the liaison with, and provide information to, the Mexican members of the Gulf of Mexico States Accord and Mexican counterparts; and (G) focus the efforts and resources of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance on activities that will result in measurable improvements to water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem by coordinating protection and restoration programs to minimize duplication and maximize leveraging opportunities. (c) Grants (1) In general The Gulf of Mexico Alliance may provide grants to nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, colleges, universities, interstate agencies, and individuals to carry out this section for use in— (A) monitoring the water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (B) researching the effects of natural and human-induced environmental changes on the water quality and living resources of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (C) developing and executing cooperative strategies that address the water quality, coastal resilience, and living resource needs in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; (D) developing and implementing locally based protection and restoration programs or projects within a watershed that complement such strategies, including the creation, restoration, protection, or enhancement of habitat associated with the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem