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A Scientific Forum on the Gulf of Mexico:
The Islands in the Stream Concept
Kim B. Ritchie1, Brian D. Keller2
1Center for Coral Reef Research, Mote Marine Laboratory
2SE Regional Science Coordinator, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
The Scientific Forum on the Gulf of Mexico: The Islands in the Stream Concept took place in
January 2008 in Sarasota, Florida. 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 in 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.
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