HARTE
RESEARCH INSTITUTE for Gulf of Mexico Studies est. 2000
HARTE’S HARTE’S
HISTORY HISTORY
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) was established in 2000 by the visionary philanthropist Ed Harte for the sole purpose of securing the Gulf of Mexico’s long-term vitality and resilience. Its mission of conservation is grounded in rigorous scientific inquiry and discovery that it readily transmits to all Gulf stakeholders – private industry, governments and non-governmental organizations, and citizens groups – in order to craft innovative and realistic transformations in the way we use, enjoy, and manage the Gulf. The Institute’s work revolves around three strategic areas of scientific research and community engagement in the Gulf region.
1
Coastal and Marine Resource Conservation
2
Resilient Communities and Economies
3
Science-Driven Management Solutions
All of HRI’s individual research and community-based efforts — ranging from fisheries and ocean health, marine policy and law, marine resource development, socioeconomics, biodiversity conservation, and other areas — are designed and integrated to support these strategic aims which, in turn, ensures focus, continuity, and progress over the long term.
THE
HRI MODEL
FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION Every significant challenge facing the Gulf is inherently multi-faceted and complex, involving interrelated precepts of biology, physics, mathematics, chemistry, economics, sociology, geography, geology, history, law and public policy. Understanding and addressing these challenges meaningfully therefore requires a comprehensive, holistic approach that reaches beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice. The Institute’s history of success is predicated precisely on its interdisciplinary organizational structure and scientific orientation, which is unique among Gulf of Mexico marine science organizations. HRI’s integrative framework allows for teams of investigators to share and synthesize information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and theories that allow them to explore and untangle complex natural and human system dynamics. This deeper understanding of problems promotes the development and implementation of the most effective conservation and resilience strategies. Because the HRI approach involves routine sharing of information, consideration of multiple perspectives, and collaboration of effort, the Institute can more naturally create sustained partnerships with community organizations, private businesses, and government entities for the purpose of addressing critical problems in the Gulf region. The HRI Model is, at its core, a problem-solving system, one aimed at promoting clear scientific understanding across sectors that inspire informed and effective action.
DEEP DEEP
HALLENGES CHALLENGES
of Mexico Thefaces Gulfunprecedented of Mexico faces threats unprecedented to its ability threats to anchor to its the ability to anchor the atural and region’s human natural systems. andOverfishing, human systems. pollution, Overfishing, climate pollution, change, climate change, abitat degradation marine habitat and degradation destruction, loss andofdestruction, freshwater loss inflows of freshwater to coastal inflows to coastal ocean bays, acidification and ocean are combining acidification to are unravel combining the essential to unravel fabric theofessential fabric of ystems. As Gulfwe ecosystems. know, this As region we know, is not just this aregion natural is habitat not just for a natural a habitat for a coastal variety and marine of coastal plantsand andmarine animals, plants but and also animals, one that includes but also one that includes human economic extensive human and social economic systemsand thatsocial are populated systems that with aremillions populated with millions and thousands of people of and commercial thousands businesses of commercial – manybusinesses of which are – many heavily of which are heavily t on thedependent health andon vitality the health of thisand unique vitality ecosystem. of this unique ecosystem.
of Mexico, Thealong Gulf of with Mexico, the restalong of thewith world’s the rest oceans, of theare world’s now oceans, in a stateare now in a state a redoubled, that only sustained a redoubled, effort onsustained the part effort of scientists, on the business part of scientists, people, business people, icymakers, public andpolicymakers, the general citizenry and the general can meaningfully citizenry can address. meaningfully address.
M O V I N G F O R WA R D :
ENHANCE
YOUR
GULF CAMPAIGN
Challenges to the Gulf’s environmental and economic resilience continue to increase and become more complex. To ensure success in addressing this growing set of challenges and fulfill its mission to restore and enhance the vitality of the Gulf region, HRI will need additional resources to expand its reach, capacity and impact.
To meet those needs, HRI is launching the Enhance Your Gulf capital campaign.
M O V I N G F O R WA R D :
ENHANCE YOUR GULF
CAMPAIGN
HRI’s highest campaign priority is developing support to recruit and retain additional top scientific leadership that can not only bring clear understanding of the key problems facing our marine ecosystems and coastal communities, but can also summon the political and human will to implement solutions to coastal and oceanic problems. Leaders of this caliber are rare and expensive to acquire, therefore funds to establish new endowed chair and research scientist positions are crucial to the HRI conservation enterprise going forward. Within the broad category of new scientific leadership, HRI will seek scientists with scholarly and programmatic focus on biodiversity and conservation and fisheries and ocean health. HRI will also seek funding for an endowed chair in conservation leadership, which will be held by HRI’s Senior Executive Director.
The second key priority of the campaign will involve developing support for HRI’s graduate students whose work is vital to all of HRI’s programmatic initiatives. Competition for top graduate students is fierce and so ample support for their time at HRI will determine our success rate in recruiting these students. Trained and mentored under the HRI model of interdisciplinary scientific inquiry and collaborative, multi-sector problem solving, these students will comprise the next generation of dedicated scientists who fill out the ranks in universities, private businesses, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations, and so will underpin the foundations of the conservation effort in the coming decades.
P L EAS E
JOIN US
Your financial support will enable Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies to expand its work here at home and throughout the Gulf. You can direct your support to any of the priority areas we have outlined or designate your gift as unrestricted, allowing us to respond nimbly to current and unanticipated opportunities. Matching funds may be available to make your gift go further in support of our research and conservation efforts. These matching contributions could help extend the impact of your philanthropic support of HRI.
Thank you for your commitment to the health of the Gulf
David Yoskowitz, Ph.D. Senior Executive Director
For more information contact: Joe Youngblood Director of Development joe.youngblood@tamucc.edu (361) 825-2552
@HarteResearch
www.harte.org