For the past several years, much effort has been placed on advancing understanding and forecasting of physical dynamics of the open Gulf of Mexico. One such effort is the National Academies’ Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems initiative, which focuses on improving forecasts of the physical dynamics of the open Gulf of Mexico in space and time scales useful for the reduction of risks to offshore energy exploration and production, as well as for other challenges such as forecasting hurricane intensification and managing fisheries. What has been learned from these and other activities? How can this scientific progress be incorporated into operational models? What are the remaining gaps impeding improvements to the skill of sustained continuous operational forecasts and associated physical understanding? This session’s goals are to discuss the most recent advances in understanding and predicting the Gulf of Mexico ocean dynamics and the application of those advances for broad societal benefits.