First we would like to thank Pemex Exploration and Production for permission to publish this work, which is a by-product of various PEP-funded projects over a period of nine years. In particular, the permission of Adn Oviedo and Arturo Soto is gratefully acknowledged. Although this work is based on data from the Tampico and Veracruz offices of Pemex, many people in other Pemex offices have contributed in different ways to this work, through participation in projects, advice, and discussion at various times. Their names are too numerous to mention but this work is in many ways thanks to them and their generosity. Specifically, people who have helped us develop our regional understanding, in preparation of this manuscript, and in discussion of the topics within who require special thanks (but no blame for the contents or conclusions) are (in Mexico): Guillermo Prez-Cruz, Noemi Aguilera, Ulises Hernndez, Conrad Sabino, Jos Hernndez, Daniel Velez, Alfredo Mahrx, Jaime Patio, Juan Duran, Aurelio Garza, and Juan Rico. In the United Kingdom, we would like to thank Mike Simmons (Cambridge Arctic Shelf Project, now at Neftex Ltd.) for his opinion of critical biostratigraphic data, and in the United States, Steve Cossey for advice on characteristics of submarine canyon systems. Many of the concepts here resulted from original concepts discussed with Mark Shann in 1992–1996, for which the senior author would like to give due credit. Many thanks need to go to John Scott and Rowland Benbrook who drafted many of the figures, often at short notice. We would also like to thank James Lee Wilson and Charles Winker for thoughtful reviews of the manuscript, and lastly, to Neil Pickard for a final checking of the manuscript prior to publication.