The Yucatan Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico is a wide and shallow microtidal region. It supports one of the largest octopus fisheries in the world, it also hosts one of the largest mangrove areas in Latin America and one of the largest aggregations of feeding whale-sharks in the world; these ecologically important features and the beauty of the coast results in a growing tourist industry in the region. The basis of the food chain in this region is the nutrients supplied primarily from a bottom Ekman-driven upwelling. As the coastal urban population and industrial farming have grown, input from underground water nutrients has become more relevant. In some cases, the nutrients in this region produce Harmful Algal Blooms. So, we need to have a coupled observing-forecasting system to serve as an early warning system not only for these events but also for the coastal impacts of the tropical and winter storms in the region. This system can help inform us of possible impacts on the economic and human activities in the area. DOSYS is the first step in building this system.