Abstract

The Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies is a newly endowed and developing institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Its mission is lo support and advance Ihe long-term sustainable use and conservation of lhe Gulf of Mexico. HRI will encourage a tri-national responsibility and approach to understauding the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, including the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, and it will promote excellence and innovationin interdisciplinary scientific research, public policy initiatives, and education of the public. Cooperation and collaboration wilh Gulf and tri-national partners will be a hallmark of HRI activity. A $46 million endowment was given by Mr. Edward H. Harte, philantbropist and former publisher of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, and the State of Texas provided an additional $18 million to build a facility to house HRI. To date, a 19-member Advisory Council has been formed, planning meetings have been held in Corpus Christi, Houston, Havana, and Veracruz, and bnilding construction will start in spring 2003, wilh move-in slated for January 2005. Although wide-ranging activity and research are planned after HRI officially "opens", several early projects are already underway: Veracruz reef studies; biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico GIS, and, "GultBase", a Gulfwide research website.

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