Gulf of Mexico 1979, the "Ixtoc I" oil platform in the Bay of Campeche suffered a blowout leading to a catastrophic explosion, which resulted in a massive oil spill that continued for nine months before the well was finally capped. This was ranked as the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico until the "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill in 2010. On April 20, 2010, the "Deepwater Horizon" oil platform, located in the Mississippi Canyon about off the Louisiana coast, suffered a catastrophic explosion; it sank a day-and-a-half later. It was in the process of being sealed with cement for temporary abandonment, to
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