FAU HBOI faculty including Drs. Joshua Voss, Dennis Hanisak, John Reed, and Cris Diaz attended the 2018 Trinational Initiative workshop on April 25-27 in Mérida, Yucatán, México. Over 80 participants from the U.S., México, and Cuba representing government agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions attended the workshop hosted by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The Trinational Initiative advances collaboration and conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean among the three countries. In addition to a presentation on the 2017 CIOERT expedition in Cuba delivered by Dra. Patricia Gonzalez and John Reed, the HBOI CIOERT team worked with Mexican and Cuba scientists to develop plans for expanding mesophotic coral reef research and student opportunities, agreed to participate in creating a health status report for coral reefs in the GOM, and continued preparations for the forthcoming 2018 Cuba expedition. Special thanks to Fernando Bretos and Katie Thompson of CubaMar for coordinating the workshop and inviting us to participate!
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