Expedition to Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico: Preparations Underway

HAVANA, CUBA - Final preparations are now underway for an August expedition to explore and map one of the least known areas of the Gulf of Mexico — Cuba’s northwestern coastal waters, including Cuba’s spectacular Los Colorados barrier reef. A joint effort of the University of Havana’s Centro de Investigaciones Marinas (Center for Marine Research) and the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, this, the fourth expedition in a multiyear project entitled, Proyecto Costa Noroccidental (Project of the Northwest Coast). (See Exploring, Studying Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico for details on this important effort.) The fourth expedition will concentrate study on Los Colorados, an area with remarkably healthy  coral reefs, despite the alarming decline in the health of coral reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean. This research is providing the most comprehensive biological picture yet of this little-explored region, and Cuba’s healthy corals may offer important clues for protecting and restoring corals elsewhere. (See Can Cuba’s Mysteries Help Save the World’s Coral Reefs? in OceanDoctor’s Blog.) Read more

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The State of Cuba’s Coral Reefs

Initial results of joint Cuba-U.S. study to be presented at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Ft. Lauderdale, July 7-11, 2008

The world’s major coral reef science meeting, the International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS), returns to the United States July 7-11, 2008, to be held in Ft. Lauderdale. Dr. Gaspar González Sansón, Titular Professor at the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas [CIM]) is scheduled to be the lead presenter of a paper entitled, Present Condition of Coral Reefs and Associated Ecosystems in the Northwest Region of Cuba. Read more

Press Room

In the News…

Upcoming and recent articles, radio/TV interviews, and event appearances featuring 1planet1ocean and/or Dr. David E. Guggenheim:

May 7: David Guggenheim to be Featured Speaker at 15th Anniversary Potomac Cruise for the Marine Fish Conservation Network. .Download Invitation (PDF)

April 20: “The New Green is Blue”- David Guggenheim featured on “Philadelphia Agenda,” WOGL/CBS Radio: 1planet1ocean president David E. Guggenheim was featured on “Philadelphia Agenda” with Brad Segall in a 30-minute interview about ocean conservation during Earth Month Listen Now!

Outside Magazine: Red is the New Green: Cuba’s Environmental Record by Patrick Symmes (March 2008)

Associated Press: “Mightier than the pen?: Fish farms on land are future… by Vicki Smith (March 2, 2008) Appears in the following (under various titles):

• The Charlston Gazette (Charlson, West Virginia)
• 8 News (Richmond, Virginia)
• The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Florida)
• Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
• Penn Live (Pennsylvania)
• Star News (Wilmington, North Carolina)
• The Times West Virginian
• The Tuscaloosa News (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
• Williamson Daily News (Williamson, West Virginia)
• WAVY TV 10 (Norfolk, Virginia)

MSNBC: Traveling in a Post-Fidel Cuba by Christopher Elliot (February 21, 2008)

Copley News Service: Ecotourism Tips: How to make your next vacation a green getaway by Chandra Orr (February 2008) [PDF]

The New York Times: Conserving Cuba, After the Embargo by Cornelia Dean (December 25, 2007)

National Geographic’s Green Guide: Fish Out of Ocean Water by Emily Main (July/August 2007 #121)

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Media Advisory

Media Contact: David E. Guggenheim, president, 1planet1ocean

Contact Information

For Immediate Release: April 1, 2008

Dr. David E. Guggenheim, president of 1planet1ocean, will be available for interviews for these upcoming ocean-related dates:

June 5, 2008: World Environment Day (United Nations Environment Programme)
Suggested topic: The New Green is Blue: What the Oceans are Telling Us and Why it Matters.

June 8, 2008: World Ocean Day (Created in 1992 at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro)
Suggested topic: The New Green is Blue: What the Oceans are Telling Us and Why it Matters.

Broadcast quality (including HD) b-roll and high-resolution photos are available

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Press Kit

Media Contact: David E. Guggenheim, president, 1planet1ocean

Contact Information

Download a press kit (PDF)

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Speaking Engagements

Dr. David E. Guggenheim is an accomplished public speaker and is available to deliver keynote addresses to large audiences or informal talks to smaller groups.

Historic Meeting Unites Cuba and the U.S., Taking Collaboration on Ocean Research & Conservation to a New Level

Cubans and Americans display the flags of both nations following a historic 2-day meeting in Cancún, México on collaboration in marine science & conservation

CANCÚN, México — In a historic meeting co-organized and led by the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy and the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi,a group of 15 Cubans and 15 Americans met in Cancún, Mexico to develop a plan for taking joint marine research and conservation activities between the U.S. and Cuba to a new level. Collaboration between U.S. and Cuban scientists has been exceedingly difficult because of the decades-old U.S. embargo, even though research is a permitted activity and U.S. scientists are allowed to travel to Cuba. Complicated logistics and ever-changing politics have prevented all but a few U.S. institutions from successful collaborative projects in Cuba. Read more

Exploring, Studying Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico

Proyecto Costa Noroccidental research team aboard Cuban research vessel Boca del Toro, second expedition

The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (CIM) [Centro de Investigaciones Marinas] are leading a collaborative effort, Proyecto Costa Noroccidental [Project of the Northwest Coast], a comprehensive multi-year research and conservation program for Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico coast. Dr. David E. Guggenheim, president of 1planet1ocean, is a member of HRI’s Advisory Council and also serves as HRI’s Cuba Programs Manager and is co-principal investigator of the project with Dr. Gaspar González Sansón of CIM. Read more

About

1planet1ocean is a nonprofit organization, founded to explore, restore and sustain the oceans through strong international partnerships, offering solutions to the problems our oceans face.

The ocean once stood as a forbidding, impenetrable divide that held civilizations apart for centuries. With the advent of paddle, sail, then steam, the seas began to unite the world through exploration and trade. Today, we understand that the ocean doesn’t divide us – it unites us. Ocean currents forge critical ecological linkages across vast ocean stretches. International collaboration is essential to protect the waters that we share. The 21st century has opened with an unprecedented opportunity to make this the century of the ocean. In the United States, two separate commissions – the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission – offer a dire look at the state of U.S. marine ecosystems, but also a blueprint for their restoration and sustainability, and a once in a generation opportunity to create new laws and practices to ensure enduring protection. The momentum generated by these commission reports offers new opportunities for conservation, both domestically and internationally. There is a need to better engage the public, decision-makers and research institutions in this effort.

The name 1planet1ocean signifies the fact that the oceans no longer divide us, but indeed unite us, and a united effort — involving strong international collaboration — is needed to develop solutions that restore and sustain the world’s oceans. The name 1planet1ocean was inspired by the phrase “Un planeta, un oceano” [One planet, one ocean] written on the back of the official conference T-shirt of the 2003 MarCuba conference in Havana, Cuba.

Areas of Focus:

• Expeditionary research to identify and map important marine ecosystems, especially coral ecosystems, in order to inform strong conservation policies. Regions of interest include the Gulf of Mexico (with emphasis on Cuba’s northwest coast) and the Bering Sea.
• Sustainable aquaculture and the promotion of next-generation land-based recirculating aquaculture systems in order to reduce pressure on wild fish stocks and provide a sustainable alternative that supports local communities.
• Connecting people to the oceans through outreach, education, videography, photography and leading-edge Web technologies.

A young girl delights in her first experience sitting inside a submarine at “Dive into Ocean Careers 2006,” a project of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Naples, Florida. DeepWorker mockup courtesy of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER)

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Meet the President

Photo by Shari Sant-Plummer

Dr. David E. Guggenheim is president of 1planet1ocean as well as a consultant in conservation policy and science based in Washington, DC, providing services to clients in the nonprofit sector, governmental agencies, and private industry, including leading research and conservation efforts in Cuba, implementing the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission in coastal states, and advancing next-generation sustainable aquaculture practices as an alternative to fishing’s ongoing depletion of wild fish stocks and disruption of ocean ecosystems. Previously, he was vice president for conservation policy at The Ocean Conservancy. In addition, he led cooperative research and conservation programs in Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Guggenheim draws from nearly 25 years of multidisciplinary experience in environmental research, policy analysis, advocacy and environmental education. Before joining The Ocean Conservancy, Guggenheim served as President & CEO of The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and co-chair of the Everglades Coalition. Prior to that he was an environmental consultant in Washington, DC where he conducted research on global warming. He directed an international team of researchers in a study of Siberian forests. For 10 years, Guggenheim was vice president of EcoAnalysis, Inc. in California, where he directed numerous environmental projects. He also served as President of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park. Guggenheim holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University in Virginia. He holds Masters degrees in Population/Aquatic Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also received a Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies. Guggenheim is a member of the Advisory Council of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where he also serves as Cuba Programs Manager.