Gulf of Mexico numerous bays and smaller inlets. A number of rivers empty into the gulf, most notably the Mississippi River and Rio Grande in the northern gulf, and the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers in the southern gulf. The land that forms the gulf's coast, including many long, narrow barrier islands, is almost uniformly low-lying and is characterized by marshes and swamps as well as stretches of sandy beach. The Gulf of Mexico is an excellent example of a passive margin. The continental shelf is quite wide at most points along the coast, most notably at the Florida and Yucatán Peninsulas. The shelf
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies already a number of excellent marine research institutes across the country, Furgason pointed out that none focused principally on the Gulf of Mexico, despite the fact that it is a vital part of the economies of the Southern United States, Mexico and Cuba. During the 2001 Texas Legislative Session, Dr. Furgason, with the assistance of State Rep. Robert A. Junell, obtained $15 million from the State of Texas to build a facility for the Harte Research Institute on the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi campus. An additional $3 million was added from other state building funds to allow for the construction of