Gulf Coast of the United States Pensacola, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and increasingly, Sarasota. All are the centers of their respective metropolitan areas and contain large ports. (Baton Rouge is relatively far from the Gulf of Mexico; its port is on the Mississippi River, as is the port of New Orleans.) The Gulf Coast is made of many inlets, bays, and lagoons. The coast is also intersected by numerous rivers, the largest of which is the Mississippi River. Much of the land along the Gulf Coast is, or was, marshland. Ringing the Gulf Coast is the Gulf Coastal Plain which reaches from Southern Texas to the western
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies three countries in addressing the environmental and economic challenges facing the Gulf of Mexico. Inspired by the travels of Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca whose trail of discovery followed the Gulf Coast, the wind-filled sails symbolize moving into the future. The wave at the bottom represents the Gulf, while the circle symbolizes the rising sun, emphasizing the dawn of a new era in the Gulf and at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The HRI was scheduled to host the first State of the Gulf of Mexico Summit in November 2005. However, the unprecedented event had to be postponed after