What this upheaval means for the Blue Economy, at the time of writing at least, is yet to be seen. A few things seem almost certain, though: investment dollars for advancing maritime defense and security capabilities will continue to flow; as will offshore oil and gas E&P activities, with renewed Federal backing; and marine scientific research goals, more than ever, will need to demonstrate a scalable return on investment as heightened fiscal scrutiny is inevitable.
A pilot marine carbon dioxide removal project (mCDR) carried out by Ebb Carbon received a first-of-its-kind National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, setting a hopeful precedent for future mCDR operations.
The Government of Canada, through Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan, invested $125 million to support Indigenous communities in hiring marine coordinators and to advance marine safety, environmental monitoring, and protection.
Across the pond, the UNESCO-IOC signed an MoU enabling the creation of the Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM)—solidifying a transformative effort to enhance integrated ocean governance in the wider Caribbean region.
Globally, applied marine science practitioners will feel mounting pressure to balance technical developments, commercial success, and sustainability goals.
Spaces we’re watching: marine and ocean policy; funding pipelines; offshore energy
You’ll find news and insights on all the above in “the water column”—an exclusive editorial dedicated to giving our readers an alternate, bird’s eye view of the most significant happenings across the marine science, industry, and policy space. To keep abreast of all the latest developments, access the water column in print editions of eco magazine, nestled among the pages of Environmental Policy news, and in a monthly circulating digital edition found on LinkedIn and our website.
