On June 17, former MTS Past President Rick Spinrad was confirmed as the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Nominated by President Biden on April 22, Spinrad has four decades of experience as an ocean scientist, including previously serving as Chief Scientist, Assistant Administrator for Research, and Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management at NOAA. Prior to his time at NOAA, Spinrad served in the U.S. Navy in the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy and the Office of Naval Research. He was also the Executive Director for Research and Education at the non-profit Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education.

The May/June 2021 MTS Journal is available online through Ingenta.

On June 8 to celebrate World Oceans Day, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission announced the first Actions officially endorsed as part of the Ocean Decade.

The Ocean Exchange™ and MTS offer a joint webinar series – Engaging with the Blue Economy

Edie Widder, Ph.D., a oceanographer, a marine biologist, and the co-founder, CEO, senior scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association and the first recipient of the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration given by MTS and SUT, recently released a new book about her exploration and discoveries in the deep sea, Below the Edge of Darkness, a Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea. For Currents, Edie discussed her new book with MTS.

FEATURED JOBS AVAILABLE NOW!

 U.S. Navy RDML Ron Piret, commander of the Naval Meteorology Oceanography Command at Stennis Space Center, will give the keynote address at the Oceans In Action/Port Security Summit on September 1, 2021. RDML Piret, who assumed command of the Naval Meteorology Oceanography Command on June 25, will provide details on this year’s Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX), with an emphasis on the increased importance of unmanned systems in Navy Oceanography. His talk will also include plans for the future for his command. Results of ANTX tests conducted from 2020-2021 will also be presented. 

On June 9, the MTS Early Career Ocean Professionals section elected its first officers. Joshua Baghdady will serve as MTS ECOPs Chairperson; Camille Pagniello as Vice Chair; and Hannah Toerner will serve as Outreach Coordinator. We congratulate them and look forward to their leadership of the ECOPs section.

This year, the OCEANS 2021 San Diego and OCEANS 2021 Porto conferences have combined and are thrilled to welcome you to the hybrid event, OCEANS 2021: San Diego – Porto. We look forward to seeing everyone in San Diego! REGISTER HERE!

OTC where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Join us for this hybrid conference, 16-19 August, Houston, TX. Registration open now! https://2021.otcnet.org/register

OTC is now accepting paper proposals for the 2022 event! Abstracts are due 14 September 2021 and must be submitted online. https://2021.otcnet.org/technical-program/2022-call-for-papers.  The program committee is seeking abstracts on all topics related to the offshore sector, with a focus on the enhanced role of digital solutions, the energy transition, best practices in lowering carbon footprint in operations, and new areas of opportunity.

TECHNOMELA-2021, June 4 & 5