by David Guggenheim
HRI Advisory Council member

On November 1-2, a group of 15 Cubans and 15 Americans met in Cancún, Mexico, in a historic meeting co-organized and led by the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy and the Harte Research Institute (HRI). The meeting's goal was to take joint marine research and conservation activities between the U.S. and Cuba to a new level.

Because of the decades-old U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, collaboration between U.S. and Cuban scientists has been difficult. Even though research is a permitted activity and U.S. scientists are allowed to travel to Cuba, the harsh logistical and political realities have prevented all but a few U.S. institutions from successful collaborative projects in Cuba.

Recognizing the critical need for more scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean – and the key role that Cuban waters play in the ecosystem – the Cancún meeting brought together major institutions from both countries to establish research priorities and to chart a way forward toward stronger and more comprehensive collaborative activities.

At the end of the two-day meeting, the framework for a plan of action was established with the following priorities:

• Research and conservation of coral reefs, sharks, sea turtles and dolphins
• Research, conservation and management of fish resources
• Strengthening of marine protected areas

support these priorities and to reach out to involve other organizations in the endeavor. Recognizing that better international communications are essential to the effort’s success, a committee was also formed to address Internet and telecommunications issues. The group agreed to meet again in six months to one year and to invite Mexico to participate in the meeting.

From its inception, HRI was conceived as a tri-national institution, recognizing that it would require strong collaboration among the three countries bordering the Gulf of Mexico (Cuba, Mexico and the U.S.) to advance the Institute’s goals of discovery, understanding and conservation of the Gulf. Reflecting this approach, the HRI Advisory Council includes members from Cuba and Mexico as well as the U.S. HRI is one of only a handful of U.S. institutions currently engaged in research activities in Cuba. Over the past few years, HRI and its partner, University of Havana’s Centro de Investigaciones Marinas (Center for Marine Research), have conducted a number of research expeditions and related research efforts along

The Cuban delegation was led by Jorge Luis Fernández Chamero, director of International Collaboration at Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA).

HRI was well-represented at the meeting. Advisory Council member Admiral Alberto Mariano Vázquez de la Cerda of Mexico worked closely with the Mexican government to make the meeting possible. Dr. David E. Guggenheim, Advisory Council member and manager of HRI’s Cuba Program, organized and led the meeting along with Dr. Wayne Smith of the Center for International Policy. Advisory Council chair Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, Associate Director Dr. Wes Tunnell, and Research Associate Dr. Jorge Brenner participated in the meeting, along with Advisory Council members Dr. Gullermo García Montero (head of Cuba’s National Aquarium in Havana) and Dr. Kumar Mahadevan who heads Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida.