by Wes Tunnell
HRI Associate Director

At the second HRI Advisory Council Meeting in February 2002, I was requested to develop some early programs and projects to jump-start the new, developing Harte Research Institute before we opened our new building and hired our endowed chairs.

At that time nine items were developed to become part of a new initiative termed the Gulf of Mexico-Past, Present and Future. Of those nine, two of the earliest and most internationally engaging projects are the 50-year update of "Bulletin 89" and the Biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico Project. These two projects were envisioned by Sylvia Earle, Darryl Felder and me in late 2002 and early 2003 as a way to bring new focus and increased awareness on the Gulf of Mexico. A second goal was to draw attention to our new research institute as a tri-national cooperator, collaborator, and communicator. After moving from concept to reality they began in earnest in 2004 with scientists from around the Gulf and other parts of the world.

"Bulletin 89," as it is known and fondly remembered by past generations of Gulf of Mexico scientists, was first published in 1954 as Gulf of Mexico - Its Origins, Waters, and Marine Life by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. For decades it was the only comprehensive reference on the Gulf, but in recent years it has been primarily of only historical use. The vision was to update this highly-referenced volume at the beginning of a new century and to have HRI coordinate its development and release with partners in the US, Mexico, and Cuba. This state-of-the-art compilation of knowledge has now grown to seven volumes and will be published in the new TAMU-CC HRI Book Series by Texas A&M University Press.

The seven volumes include:
   • Economics
   • Biota
   • Geology
   • Ecosystem-based Management
   • Physical Oceanography
   • Chemical Oceanography
   • Human Issues

The Economics volume manuscript was received and submitted to TAMU Press in May 2007, the Biota and Geology volumes were received in September, and the Ecosystem-based Management volume will be received soon. The other three volumes are still underway and will be submitted in 2008-2009. Since it usually takes 12-18 months for books to be released once they are submitted, it will be late 2008 to early 2009 before the new Bulletin 89 books become available.

The Biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico Project has been developed in two phases: Phase I encompasses  compiling a complete inventory of all marine species living in the Gulf of Mexico and publishing it in book form, as described above in the 50-year update of Bulletin 89. Phase II  will be converting that list into a database and putting it on the Internet for widespread use and application.

This massive effort includes over 15,000 species listed by 138 authors from 71 institutions in 15 different countries within 77 chapters (all various groups of fauna and flora) in the book. Much more than just a list, the inventory includes for each species: habitat, depth range, distribution in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond, and pertinent references. It will represent, perhaps for the first time anywhere in the world, a total inventory of all species from a large marine ecosystem. It will also allow scientists, managers, and policy makers to better understand and care for the long-term sustainable use and conservation of the Gulf of Mexico, the mission of HRI. After reviewing the manuscript for Texas A&M University Press, one reviewer stated, “This volume may quickly become one of the most cited publications in the world.”

This project is an Affiliated Project with the Census of Marine Life program, a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans.