The Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States announced $3.9 million to the Marine Technology Society (MTS) to establish a multi-year framework to engage the Ocean Enterprise as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The Ocean Enterprise includes public, private, non-profit, tribal and academic entities that provide ocean observation, measurement and forecasting data or deliver operational ocean information products and services.
“Ocean data and information powers America’s robust marine economy,” said U.S Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, this investment will help accelerate growth and advance partnership opportunities within the ocean information sector as it works to develop solutions to pressing climate and resilience challenges.”
Funded by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in history — this project will support NOAA in defining Ocean Enterprise requirements and identifying new market opportunities to advance public-private partnerships in support of coastal and ocean climate resilience and workforce development. These partnerships provide critical services and support to many marine environmental management activities and economic sectors, including offshore energy, shipping and coastal resilience.
This project expands upon the Dialogues with Industry program launched in 2022 by MTS, NOAA, and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO). It marks the first effort within the MTS Ocean Enterprise Initiative, which will facilitate virtual dialogues, in-person gatherings, workshops and various other events within the community to enable sharing of requirements and market opportunities.
“The value of the Ocean Enterprise has increased rapidly in the last decade in response to changing environmental conditions and the expanding blue economy, and NOAA is proud to be a leader in this space,” said Sarah Kapnick, Ph.D., NOAA chief scientist. “By joining forces with the Marine Technology Society we will help identify Enterprise priorities into the future as this important sector continues to grow in response to societal needs.”
Key investment for global ocean observations
“The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and IOC/UNESCO are delighted to welcome the latest announcement from the Department of Commerce and NOAA, marking a $3.9 million investment in a multi-year Ocean Enterprise framework. This investment will support the implementation pathway of the recent Dialogues with Industry initiative, a joint initiative between GOOS, Marine Technology Society, NOAA and industry partners, with the aim of dismantling barriers and developing opportunities to strengthen the collaboration between the public and private sectors along the ocean information value chain, towards achieving a mature, vibrant ocean observing enterprise,” said Emma Heslop, Programme Specialist for ocean observations and services at UNESCO. This excellent news further underscores the significance of the United States’ rejoining UNESCO as a Member State, reinforcing global efforts to safeguard the ocean for the benefit of humanity.
Source: UNESCO
