Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Ocean Dynamics

Book excerpt: For the past several years, a number of research programs have funded significant efforts to advance understanding of and forecasting capabilities for the Gulf of Mexico circulation, including the Loop Current, its associated eddies, and abyssal dynamics. One such program is the National Academies’ Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems initiative, which focuses on improving forecasts of the physical dynamics of the open Gulf of Mexico in space and time scales useful for the reduction of risks to offshore energy exploration and production, as well as for other challenges such as forecasting hurricane intensification and managing fisheries. What has been learned, how can this scientific progress be incorporated into operational models, and what are the remaining gaps in knowledge impeding predictive skill?