The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative DEEPEND (Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico) consortium’s objectives include the characterization of biophysical variability in the water column. Observational and multi-model approaches are used to increase understanding of the dynamics of deeppelagic (0-1500 m) fish assemblages at multiple temporal and spatial scales. The first two DEEPEND cruise campaigns, conducted during the summer of 2015, collected bio-physical data in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. During this time, the Northern Gulf exhibited vigorous mesoscale regimes that were dominated by a large anti-cyclonic eddy intermittently shedding off the loop current; a similar condition that occurred in 2011. A 1/25° horizontal-resolution HYCOM ocean model, running in near real time to support the DEEPEND cruise campaigns, captures these features and illustrates the eddy formation and shedding events that transpired during the summer of 2015. The structure of these eddy regimes is examined at the surface and through the water column using the model results and evaluated against cruise and other observational data from NDBC and NASA.