These spotlights provide information about GCOOS partners and data providers working throughout the Gulf of Mexico. 

Research Consortium for the Gulf of Mexico (CIGOM)

The Research Consortium for the Gulf of Mexico (CIGOM) is an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional Mexican project funded by the Ministry of Energy (SENER) and the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) Hydrocarbon Fund created in 2015.

The broad objective of the project was to provide sound and cutting-edge scientific knowledge of the Gulf of Mexico’s ecosystem in support of oil spill preparedness in Mexican waters, with a particular emphasis on the needs of PEMEX. More than 300 researchers in top Mexican institutions and abroad participated and contributed to an unprecedented accrual of understanding of Mexican waters and the entire Gulf. (Page down for links to summary articles.)

• Some of the project’s achievements were highlighted during the GCOOS Spring Webinar Series in 2022 and can be found here.

The CIGOM project funded by SENER-CONACYT ends this August (2023) and is entering its second phase (called CIGOM2). A collaborative agreement signed by top academic institutions in Mexico will be led by Dr. Leopoldina Aguirre of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV Merida). Additional participating institutions include the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Center for Engineering and Industrial Development (CIDESI), the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), the College of the Southern Border (ECOSUR), the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), and the National School for Higher Education – Mérida Unit (ENES Mérida, an UNAM entity).

The Technological and Scientific Committee for CIGOM (CCCyT), integrated by the representatives of the participating institutions, recently met to establish the strategic areas that CIGOM2 will develop during the coming years. They include marine biotechnology, marine technology and data management, ecosystem vulnerability and socio-environmental risk assessment, atmospheric and oceanographic modeling and responses of marine ecosystems to natural and environmental stressors. Ad hoc workgroups will develop these strategic areas considering existing research and service capacities, national and private sector needs, and funding opportunities.

In addition, CIGOM will continue to collaborate with GCOOS to promote and facilitate data exchange and strengthen the network of ocean observing platforms within the Gulf.

Contacts

• Dr. Leopoldina Aguirre, CINVESTAV (leopoldina.aguirre@cinvestav.mx)
• Dr. Clarissa Galindo, CICESE (galindo@cicese.mx)
• Dr. Sharon Herzka, CICESE (sherzka@cicese.mx)

CIGOM Research Highlights

• Herguera, J. C., Peters, E. M., Sheinbaum, J., Pérez-Brunius, P., Herzka, S. Z., Licea-Navarro, A., Ocampo-Torres, F., Aguirre-Macedo, M. L., Vidal-Martínez, V. M., García-Nava, H., Salgado, T., Romero-Centeno, R., Zavala-Hidalgo, J., Pardo-López, L., & Gracia, A. (2023). Ocean monitoring, observation network and modelling of the Gulf of Mexico by CIGOM. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1091372
• Herguera, J.C., E.M. Peters, J. Sheinbaum, P. Pérez-Brunius, V. Magar, E. Pallàs-Sanz,S. Estrada Allis, M.L. Aguirre-Macedo, V.M. Vidal-Martinez, C. Enriquez, I. Mariño Tapia, H. García Nava, X. Flores Vidal, T. Salgado, R. Romero-Centeno, J. Zavala-Hidalgo,
  E.A. Cuevas Flores, A. Uribe Martínez, and L. Carrillo. 2023. Ocean monitoring and prediction network for the sustainable development of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In Frontiers in Ocean Observing: Emerging Technologies for Understanding and Managing a Changing Ocean. E.S. Kappel, V. Cullen, M.J. Costello, L. Galgani, C. Gordó-Vilaseca, A. Govindarajan, S. Kouhi, C. Lavin, L. McCartin, J.D. Müller, B. Pirenne, T. Tanhua, Q. Zhao, and S. Zhao, eds, Oceanography 36(Supplement 1), https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.s1.18.

Other Helpful Links

• CIGOM
• CIGOM publications
• Baseline Atlas of the Gulf of Mexico (searchable with English keywords) coordinated by Sharon Z. Herzka (CICESE), Rigel Zaragoza Álvarez (CIGOM), Edward M Peters (CIGOM), Gilberto Hernández-Cárdenas (UAM).
• Online book collection. Regions, species and ecosystems vulnerable to large-scale spill scenarios in the Gulf of Mexico. Coordinated by Paula Pérez-Brunius (CICESE) and Leopoldia Aguirre-Macdeo (CINVESTAV).
• Frontiers in Marine Science Research Topic: Novel Insights into the Circulation, Biogeochemistry, and Ecosystem Function of the Gulf of Mexico: A Perspective from Mexican Waters in Support of Oil Spill Preparedness. Guest editors: M. Josefina Olascoaga (Univ. of Miami), Sharon Z. Herzka (CICESE), M. Leopoldina Aguirre-Macedo (CINEVSTAV) and Francisco Delgadillo-Hinojosa (IIO-UABC).
• Online Meteorological Atlas of the Gulf of Mexico
• Oceanographic Expedition Management System (SGEO)