State of the Gulf of Mexico Summit 2017

Conference
Harte Research Institute
Starts
March 26, 2017
6:00 pm
Ends
March 28, 2017
5:00 pm
Venue
Omni Houston
4 Riverway
Houston, Texas 77056

The Gulf of Mexico will be the focal point for the largest restoration efforts ($20+ billion) ever conceived for the Gulf of Mexico. It will consume the northern (USA) Gulf’s coastal policy and politics, state and federal resource management, and conservation activities for at least fifteen years as the settlement agreement plays out. A key issue will be an effective adaptive management approach built on sound science and coordinated monitoring to learn from mistakes and build on successes of early restoration efforts.

The timing of this Summit provides unprecedented opportunity to effectively address some of the many issues we face in bringing the Gulf together in common cause. The Gulf has never before had the resources to address fundamental issues affecting its health and productivity. Gulf science has never been better positioned to support decision-makers and resource managers in addressing resource priorities and prepare for future ones. The potential of international cooperation between the USA, Mexico and Cuba to work together on a Gulfwide scale has never been so real.

The State of the Gulf Summit 2017 will address these challenges by focusing on the following questions:

  • How will we assess change at the broadest Gulf ecosystem level to both assess the efficacy of restoration actions and identify potential issues beyond restoration?
  • How do we begin to effectively link environmental health, human health, and economic health and well-being to assure a healthier and more sustainable future?
  • How do we effectively engage with our international partners, Mexico and Cuba, to address issues to assure the health and productivity of the Large Marine Ecosystem that is the Gulf of Mexico?