Collaboration

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was built on a foundation of collaboration. From the interdisciplinary expertise of the Research Board, who guided the scientific direction of the program, to the emphasis on cross-disciplinary research teams in the funded Research Consortia, much of GoMRI’s success can be attributed to collaboration.

In addition to collaborations within the research community, including the Hydrocarbon Intercalibration Experiment conducted in 2014 and 2015, GoMRI harnessed the power of partnerships to reach its goals, specifically in the area of public education and outreach. GoMRI’s partnership with the four Sea Grant programs in the Gulf of Mexico, which created the Sea Grant oil spill science outreach program, allowed for the sharing of oil spill science directly with coastal residents and people whose livelihoods depend on the Gulf of Mexico. To reach people beyond the Gulf of Mexico region, GoMRI partnered with the Smithsonian Ocean Portal, the online complement to the Sant Ocean Hall in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and Screenscope, Inc., documentary film producers who created the award-winning television series Journey to Planet Earth. Both of these partnerships reach members of the science-interested public, through a variety of medias and resources.