Page 35: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jul/Aug 2025)

34 36

Since 2018, the National Acad- emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has been conduct- ing the Understanding Gulf Ocean

Systems (UGOS) initiative, a long- term research campaign to im- prove understanding and predic- tion of the Gulf of America Loop

Current System. The overarch- ing goal of UGOS is to improve forecasting of the Gulf’s oceano- graphic conditions at spatial and temporal scales relevant to key stakeholders, particularly in re- ducing risks for offshore energy exploration and production. This is achieved through cost-effective ocean observations, advanced data assimilation techniques, and improvements to forecast mod- els. More than 100 researchers from 30 organizations (including

US and Mexican academic institu- tions, federal agencies, and pri- vate industry) are contributing to this critical effort.

By Jan van Smirren,

UNDERSTANDING THE DEEP

Technical Coordinator of

National Academies of

CURRENTS OF THE GULF OF AMERICA

Sciences, Engineering, and

Medicine’s Understanding Gulf

Ocean Systems initiative

JULY/AUGUST 2025 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 35