Environmental Intelligence News

Insights on technology advances with Rear Admiral John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.Rear Admiral Okon never started out to have a career in Oceanography, rather in Broadcast Meteorology. “At NY Maritime College, I studied both Meteorology and Oceanography and became equally passionate about Oceanography. Thanks to the U.S. Navy, we have a career field in both.”By its very nature, the U.S. Navy operates in one of the most discussed and disected environments on earth, the oceans.“The ocean is critical to National and Global Security.

North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) will hold its Environmental Intelligence in Shipping Conference on “Pathways to Sustainability” on Februar 5, 2016 at SeaRiver Maritime in Spring, Texas. The conference is designed to be a guide for navigating through the myriad of regulations leading to compliance. The maritime industry faces continual regulatory change as it strives to reduce its impact on the marine environment. NAMEPA members, in particular, are committed to “Save our Seas”, but this approach is not without its hurdles. Complex regulations require support to insure understanding and competence and to devise an appropriate strategy for each company. Discussion topics will include Global Projections for Shipping, Regulatory Outlook and Legal Hot Spots.

The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) is set to host an Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Seminar Series to focus on Port Waste Reception Facilities. The seminar, to be held in Norfolk, Virginia on April 16, will include speakers and discussion from regulators, industry and port interests. “MARPOL regulations include requirements for port waste receptions facilities. These facilities are often not available, not ‘affordable,’ or not operationally practical,” stated NAMEPA’s Executive Director, Carleen Lyden-Kluss.

Retired Coast Guard Vice Adm. Manson Brown was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by a voice vote of the U.S. Senate to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and deputy administrator for NOAA. Brown joins NOAA after 36 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. As deputy administrator, Brown will play a major role driving the Obama administration and NOAA priorities for weather and water services, climate science, plus the agency’s integrated mapping and Earth-observing capabilities.

NOAA officials announced today the World Magnetic Model (WMM), a representation of Earth’s large-scale magnetic field and an indispensable complement to GPS devices used by NATO, the United States and United Kingdom militaries, as well as civil applications ranging from mineral exploration to smartphone apps, has been updated. Changes in the Earth's outer core trigger unpredictable changes in its magnetic field, an invisible force that extends from Earth's interior to where it meets a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun.

Mapped size confirms NOAA forecast for an average-sized hypoxia zone this year. NOAA- and EPA-supported scientists have mapped the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, an area with low oxygen water, measuring 5,052 square miles this summer--approximately the size of the state of Connecticut. The measurements were taken during the 30th annual hypoxia survey cruise from July 27 to August 2. This area falls within the predicted range of 4,633 to 5,708 square miles forecast by a suite of NOAA-sponsored models…

Officials from NOAA, the Jacksonville Marine Transportation Exchange, and the Jacksonville Port Authority officially dedicated a new information system today which will increase safety for ships using the St. Johns River. The system, called Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS), provides real-time information on water levels, currents, meteorological conditions, and under-bridge clearance, giving users critical information when traveling through the river. The St. Johns River in Jacksonville will become the 23rd location to use the system and is the second largest PORTS ever established. “Our nation’s ports are critical cogs in our country’s economic engine,” said Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

A new NOAA National Ocean Service website will provide mariners near real-time coastal ocean surface current observations and tidal current predictions in coastal waters using high frequency (HF) radar, making marine navigation safer for mariners and commercial shippers. The web-based observations are now available for the Chesapeake and San Francisco Bays in areas vital for marine navigation, with additional locations to follow. The product was made possible by NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) using data from the NOAA-led U.S.

The White House yesterday awarded three NOAA scientists with Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. The award is the highest honor given by the federal government to outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. Laboratory. The NOAA scientists are part of a group of 102 scientists from across federal agencies that received the prestigious award. “NOAA is home to some of the world’s leading scientific research and our scientists strive each day to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our planet,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D. “Through their research on improving sustainable fisheries management…

With an eye to future resource extraction in Alaskan waters, Clay Maitland, Founding Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), has announced the program for its Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Senior Leadership Roundtable. The Leadership Roundtable will be held in Anchorage, Alaska on August 8th, 2013, at the Captain Cook Hotel. The caucus will begin at 1:30PM with a keynote delivered by Congressman Don Young and will focus on “Drilling Preparedness in the Arctic”. Recent attempts to proceed with drilling in the Arctic have been met with challenges. Federal agencies, as well as private industry, have been working to better understand and meet these challenges.

'Safety at Sea' focus of NAMEPA's National Maritime Day seminar at the Washington DC National Press Club. The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) will be offering a seminar “Environmental Intelligence in Maritime:  Safety at Sea", featuring shipboard safety, piracy, and an update on issues for seafarers. The seminar will take place on May 21st at the National Press Club in Washington DC commencing at 2:00pm. The seminar is intended to commemorate National Maritime Day, which is held on May 22nd to honor merchant mariners.

Clay Maitland, Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announces two major events. NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Conference, will feature “Greening the Marine Transportation System”, “The Arctic”, “Safety at Sea” and “Corporate Risk Management”. This conference, with NAMEPA's fifth anniversary in mind, will be held on 14, November 2012, and is to be followed by NAMEPA’s 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards honoring Maersk, NOAA, SUNY Maritime College, and the American Salvage Association (ASA).

Maersk, NOAA, SUNY Maritime College and the American Salvage Association winners of NAMEPA’s Marine Environment Protection Awards; 5th Anniversary Awards dinner on November 14th follows Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Conference. Clay Maitland, Founding Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announced the recipients of NAMEPA’s 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards. Maersk is the winner of the Corporate Award; NOAA for the Government Agency category…

NAMEPA’s May 21st Event features Shipboard Safety, Piracy and  Seafarer Issues. Just months after the Costa Concordia accident, and amid daily reports of piracy and needless accidents at sea, the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) will be offering a seminar “Environmental Intelligence in Maritime:  Safety at Sea, featuring shipboard safety, piracy, and an update on issues for seafarers. The seminar will take place on May 21st at the National Press Club in Washington DC commencing at 3:00pm.

What happens when Silicon Valley meets marine science? You have a robot that can operate independently for years at sea. Bill Vass, CEO of Liquid Robotics is to present a talk at NASA's Langley Research Center,  "Where The Cloud Meets the Ocean," discussing how seven megatrends are converging to change the way ocean research operations and data collection is done across the globe. Ocean operations and data collection has historically been done with expensive ships, buoys, and satellite systems.

NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime seminar held yesterday in Anchorage, Alaska was the forum for an examination of regulations surrounding resource extraction, and the readiness of response organizations and the government to address environmental challenges posed by this activity in Arctic regions. RADM Tom Ostebo, USCG District 17 Commander was joined by Marilyn Crockett of Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Mark Myers of the University of Alaska, Cam Toohey of Shell Oil Company, Larry Cotter of APICDA, RADM Duncan Smith of Blank Rome, Charles Parks of Tesoro and Ian Dutton of Alaska SeaLife Center. NAMEPA’s Founding Chairman, Clay Maitland, used the forum to issue a call for recognition of the critical opportunity presented by the Arctic, and the risks involved.

District 17 Commander RADM Tom Ostebo will be a keynote speaker at a “Resources and Readiness in Alaska” seminar to be presented by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) on August 18th in Anchorage at the Captain Cook. The seminar is part of NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Seminar series and will begin at 1:00PM with an introduction by NAMEPA Founding Chairman Clay Maitland. “NAMEPA is keenly interested in the readiness of industry to protect natural resources as resource extraction moves into sensitive and challenging areas,” stated Maitland. “We believe the companies and organizations involved in this extraction need to adequately protect the environment, particularly as the difficulty mounts.

April 25, 2011—The North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) will present its Environmental Intelligence in Shipping Seminar Series in Seattle on May 25th at the Bell Harbor Conference Center beginning at noon with lunch. The seminar will explore many of the environmental issues facing the Port of Seattle in its centennial year, including air emissions, storm water runoff, marine life habitats, and lessons from the Deepwater Horizon incident. “Seattle has been one of the most proactive ports in North America,” stated NAMEPA Co-Founder Clay Maitland.

The historic cruise liner Queen Mary, berthed in Long Beach, will be the site of a marine environment protection conference on February 23rd exploring issues and changes occurring on the West Coast and impacting shipping throughout the world. Hosted by NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association), the event will feature presentations on greening the waste stream, marine mammals, emissions, and oil spill response. The conference, entitled “The Winds of Change on the West Coast” is part of NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Shipping Series, and will be held aboard the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach, beginning at 0800hrs on February 23rd with coffee and registration. Invited to set the stage for the event is Richard D.

April 22, 2011- While Earth Day was being celebrated around the world, a young maritime industry led agency added to the festivities by announcing it now has over 100 members. The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) was officially launched in 2007 under the watchful eyes of  IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos and USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea . In keeping with the mission of MEPAs worldwide, this   industry-led initiative is dedicated…

Founding Chairman of NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association Clay Maitland unveiled plans to debut NAMEPA’s 2010 Seminar Series in San Francisco on March 9 at the Marines Memorial Club. The title of the seminar is “Environmental Intelligence in Shipping”. The seminar will kick off at 0800 with coffee and registration and end with a luncheon featuring an address by VADM Jody Breckenridge, USCG Commander Pacific Area. “The purpose of NAMEPA’s Seminar Series is to bring together stakeholders in the marine community to discuss concerns and actions that address marine environment protection” stated Mr. Maitland. Kevin Krick, Director of Environmental Affairs Global for APL Ltd. will lead the proceedings with an overview of industry best practices.