A scientific forum on the Gulf of Mexico: the islands in the stream concept.

Abstract

This forum took place in January 2008 in Sarasota, Florida at the Keating Education Center at Mote Marine Laboratory. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together scientists and managers from around the Gulf of Mexico to discuss a range of topics on our knowledge of the Gulf of Mexico, from its geology to larger-scale connectivity to the Caribbean region, and their applications to the concept of a more integrated approach to area-based management. The forum included six panels of invited experts who spoke on the oceanographic and biological features in the Gulf of Mexico, including connections with Mexico, and the Mesoamerican barrier reef system, and the legal and regulatory structure currently taking place. The charge to the group was to share information, identify gaps in our knowledge, identify additional potential areas for protection, and discuss available science about connectivity and the potential value of establishing a marine protected area network in the Gulf of Mexico.