HRI Releases Gulf 360º: State of the Gulf of Mexico
A yearlong effort has finally come to completion with the release of the booklet, Gulf 360º: State of the Gulf of Mexico. This project, which was made possible by a grant from the Shell Exploration and Production Company provides extensive data on the economic and ecological challenges facing the United States, Mexico and Cuba.
Lead authors are Dr. David Yoskowitz, HRI Endowed Chair in Socio-Economics; Dr. Jim Gibeaut, HRI Endowed Chair for Geospatial Sciences; and Dr. Cuauhtemoc Leon, Researcher at Centro de Especialistas en Gestion Ambiental in Mexico. "While bringing this report together, one thing that became evident is that natural environments are fragmented by human-made geopolitical regions," said Dr. Yoskowitz. Effectively managing the Gulf waters and coast is very difficult because countries, states, counties and municipios each have their own way of handling their resources. Ecosystems don't respond to artificial boundaries and when we manage them differently we can get perverse outcomes." Compiled in partnership with scientists and researchers from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Mexico's Centro de Especialistas en Gestion Ambiental and Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI), Gulf 360º takes a holistic approach to the Gulf of Mexico. It is designed to create a dialogue about the common interests the three countries have in protecting the Gulf's ecology and economy.
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Jim Gibeaut, David Yoskowitz and Cuauhtemoc Leon (left to right)
at the Gulf360°/Furgason Fellowship reception in Cancun, Mexico.
Photo credit: ©Carlota Santos |
"What we recognize is that the Gulf of Mexico is surrounded by three nations," said Dr. Larry McKinney, Executive Director of the HRI. "All of us are responsible for its health. This document reminds us all of just how closely we are all linked together." The idea for Gulf 360º was born in December at the 2011 State of the Gulf Summit in Houston, Texas, three months after Gulf at a Glance: A Second Glance was published by NOAA. The data compiled by NOAA in that document focused on the U.S. Gulf. HRI scientists realized that it was essential to replicate that effort on a Gulf-wide basis and, over the next year with financial support from Shell, they collected data and information from many sources then digitally created maps in GIS that includes Mexico and Cuba, the two other countries with a critical stake in assuring the Gulf's long-term sustainable use and conservation. The booklet has recently been 'rolled out' at the Center for Natural Resource Economics and Policy Conference in New Orleans and the AGU Meeting of the Americas and special reception in Cancun, Mexico, to great response.
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Brach Lupher and Carlota Santos working
the Gulf 360º booth at AGU: Meeting of the Americas
Photo credit: ©David Yoskowitz |
"This was a tremendous effort by a lot of people who worked long and hard to bring data and information together from many different sources. In fact, we like to say that we weren't comparing oranges to oranges, but oranges to limes to grapefruit. They are all citrus but just a little different," says Dr. Yoskowitz. "We hope this first edition of Gulf 360º begins to tell a story that will help citizens from around the Gulf of Mexico understand what is similar amongst the three nations, what is different, and what connects us."
The Gulf of Mexico Program recently announced that Harte Research Institute will receive a Second Place 2013 Gulf Guardian Award Bio-national Category for Gulf 360º. The award ceremony will be held on June 26, 2013, at the Tampa Bay Grand Hyatt. See other winners or learn more about EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program.
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