The “New Blue Economy” adds data analysis, synthesis and data product distribution to the “traditional” blue economy foundations of maritime construction, shipping, natural resource extraction and tourism. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA – has led scientific investigations of these relationships since its inception in 1970. NOAA Ocean Exploration plays a significant role in characterizing new habitats, enabling a better understanding of ocean physics, and enabling the testing and final development of new ocean sensing technologies. These discoveries in turn underpin the expansion of the maritime workforce through new jobs and new job types and increases operating efficiencies from ocean data synthesis. The talk will look ahead to technology investments NOAA Ocean Exploration is considering for future work, and the new blue economy jobs that will be necessary to make those investments worthwhile for the American taxpayer.
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will understand how NOAA Ocean Exploration plays a significant role in characterizing new habitats, enabling a better understanding of ocean physics, and enabling the testing and final development of new ocean sensing technologies. They will recognize how major activities of the Ocean Exploration program foster technology development with university and industry partners; and describe data syntheses and other data products created from at-sea exploration campaigns.