Tulane Engineering Forum

James D. Giattina

Jim is currently the Director of the Gulf of Mexico Program Office, located at the Stennis Space Center, MS. The Gulf Program is a consortium of government agencies (State, local, and federal), non-government organizations (business/industry, agriculture, and environmental), and citizens dedicated to protecting the Gulf of Mexico in ways that are consistent with and support the economic well being of the region.

Jim received a Master of Science degree in aquatic ecology from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Alabama. He has 15 years of experience in both regulatory and non-regulatory programs with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Before becoming the Director of the Gulf Program Office in 1996, Jim served as the Deputy Director of the Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago, Illinois. Jim and his wife, Christine, have three children -- Matthew, Mary, and Emily.

Presentation Topic: The Role of Information Technology in Large Marine Ecosystem Management for the Gulf of Mexico

By James D. Giattina

Summary

Effective use of information (i.e., its collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and presentation) is essential to efforts to understand, predict, and respond to trends in critical environmental indicators. This is especially true and challenging for an ecological system as large and diverse as the Gulf of Mexico -- the ninth largest body of water in the world. This presentation will provide an overview of current efforts underway to effectively use information and information technology in order to address key environmental problems affecting the Gulf of Mexico, as well as, efforts to provide the scientific foundation for a better understanding of how this magnificent and dynamic system functions.