About Us
The Gulf Offshore Research Institute (GORI) is a not-for-profit corporation engaged in the research of offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and how they can be repurposed once they are no longer producing oil and gas. These platforms perform significant ecological services which can be maintained through conversion to artificial reefs or through repurposing to alternate marine-related uses. Through its subsidiary, MMEERSET L3C, we work with platform owners to identify the platform options, including managing the repurposed platforms.
A MMEERSET Station is an offshore platform that has been repurposed for Marine Monitoring, Energy and Environmental Research, Scientific Education and Training (MMEERSET). The platforms can also serve as infrastructure for offshore renewable energy (ORE), climate monitoring and mitigation, offshore aquaculture operations, eco-tourism, and recreational purposes.
MMEERSET Goals:
- Provide open access to the marine research community in the Gulf of Mexico, including state and Federal government, industry, academia, sport and conservation associations, and non-government organizations (NGOs);
- Enhance operational capability for offshore oil and gas exploration with real-time monitoring data (e.g., loop current monitoring);
- Enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico by providing access to oceanographic and environmental data in real or near-real time;
- Enhance the resilience and security of the Gulf of Mexico and its coastal region by providing inputs to meteorological and trajectory models and monitoring data;
- Provide education opportunities for students to experience an underwater environment in real time and to provide eco-tourism experiences (e.g., aquariums and working with marine scientists in the field); and
- Provide new life for retired oil and gas platforms to extend the ecosystem benefits and marine habitat for fisheries.
- Help build the Blue Economy in the Gulf Region.
Our Board
Member Emeritus
Patrick Murray
Acting Board Members
Robert Fondren, Founding Chairman
Dr. Greg Stunz
Tim Austin
Kent Satterlee, III*
* Also serves as GORI Executive Director