The Gulf of Mexico Student Workshop on International Marine Management (SWIMM)
The Gulf of Mexico Student Workshop on International Coastal and Marine Management (SWIMM) was developed in 2010 by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and supported through the Furgason Fellowship fund. Created as a series, workshops focus on addressing priority coastal and marine management issues in the Gulf of Mexico Region. The initiative brings together 18 graduate students from Mexico, Cuba, and the United States for peer-to-peer exchanges, shared learning, and intensive interactions with scientists, managers, and practitioners. Locations of the workshops rotate every two years between the three hosting countries, exposing participants to conservation issues, on-site educational activities, and the local realities of policy implementation. The next six workshops are anticipated to take place in Cuba (2018, 2019), Mexico (2020, 2021), and the US (2022, 2023).
Graduate students from Cuba, Mexico, and the US have traditionally found it very difficult to study in other Gulf nations’ universities. They face a variety of obstacles that range from economic restrictions to visa policies. Long-standing political tensions between the U.S. and Cuba make bilateral academic exchanges especially challenging. To secure equal participation, relevance, and continuity, HRI actively works with other organizations such as Universidad de La Habana (UH), Ecosur (CONACYT), and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Because of its history of conducting research in Cuba and Mexico, HRI is placed in a privileged position to further consolidate international scientific and education efforts.
Students and young scientists will be tomorrow’s Gulf leaders, advocates, and educators. At HRI we believe that the success of long-term restoration, conservation, and climate adaptation responses lies in building an integrated community of practitioners and researchers that works across scientific and political boundaries. The Gulf of Mexico Student Workshop is an initial platform to develop interconnections and synergies, and to catalyze a transfer of knowledge and experiences that will lead to lasting collaborations.
ABOUT THE 2023 WORKSHOP
The 7th edition of SWIMM was co-organized with the UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and took place initially in person over nine days in May 2023 in Quintana Roo, Mexico followed by virtual, online sessions. The program focused on developing an estimate of the economic value of recreational fisheries for the entire Gulf of Mexico using data collected from a survey of recreational anglers and service providers. Data collection ended in late May 2024, and the results are now being analyzed and will be distributed via several journal articles.
ABOUT THE 2021 WORKSHOP
The 6th edition of SWIMM was co-organized with the UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and took place virtually initially due to COVID-19 limitations, but then in person over eight days in May 2022 in Yucatán and Quintana Roo, Mexico. The program focused on the development of a socio-ecosystem report card for Arrecife Alacranes, and both English- and Spanish-language version of the final product are available at:
ABOUT THE 2020 WORKSHOP
The 5th edition of SWIMM was co-organized with the UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and took place from January 8-17, 2020 in coastal Yucatán and Campeche, Mexico. The program focused on the development of indicators for a preliminary Environmental Report Card for Coastal Campeche.
The preliminary Environmental Report Card for Coastal Campeche and supporting documentation are being finalized, and will be released shortly.
View videos from the 2020 workshop at the SWIMM YouTube channel:
ABOUT THE 2018 WORKSHOP
The 4th edition of SWIMM was co-organized with the Center for Marine Research at the University of Havana, and took place from October 7-16, 2018 in northern central Cuba (Yaguajay, Caguanes National Park, and Cayo Santa Maria). The program focused on the development of an environmental report card for northern central Cuba, in particular, to track the impact and subsequent recovery of Hurricane Irma (2017) on the natural and human ecosystems in the region.