MTS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2024 OCEAN SCIENCES MEETING AND BEYOND: ACHIEVEMENTS, COLLABORATIONS, AND FUTURE INITIATIVES
A handful of MTS staff and board members have just returned from New Orleans after an exciting and engaging 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting at the Morial Convention Center. MTS has not traditionally had a large presence at this meeting, but with our growing membership and expanding programs, we were excited to both exhibit and host a handful of sessions as an integral part of the official program.
We had the good fortune to visit and connect in person with leadership for the Ocean Exploration, Dynamic Positioning, Offshore Renewable Energy, and ROV Committees, as well as dozens of members, including many of our member companies that were exhibiting and presenting. Being centrally located on the Gulf Coast also allowed us to spend quality time discussing plans and opportunities for the upcoming year with our Gulf Coast and Houston Section leadership.
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), we hosted a special session to share with the community and solicit feedback on the MTS Microcredential framework we are developing with partners at Rutgers University and Northwestern Michigan College. Also, with NSF support, we facilitated a robust panel and discussion on strategies to support development of the future ocean technical workforce.
In partnership with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, our team lead a Wikipedia Workshop and hosted an Edit-a-thon to empower volunteers to expand the representation of women and non-binary individuals in ocean science by increasing their online presence on Wikipedia. A second virtual workshop is planned for March 8.
On Tuesday of last week, former MTS President and NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad joined us for an all-day event to kick off the Ocean-based Climate Resilience Accelerator program. This program, part of a $100 million investment from NOAA, is being supported by our own Ocean Enterprise Initiative. We will work closely with the 16 accelerators NOAA has selected to advance emerging technologies that support offshore energy, coastal resilience, ecosystem services, and carbon sequestration.
As we look forward to the boreal Spring, we have a handful of events coming up and hope to see you there! Please join us at Oceanology International (March) or the UN Decade Conference (April) to participate in Ocean Enterprise programming and to see exhibits showcasing the latest developments in marine technology. For folks in Houston, we look forward to seeing you at the 24th Annual Sporting Clays Tournament.
Finally, we are delighted to announce that the application windows have opened for our 2024 Scholarships, Summer Workshops, and the EMERGE Program. We look forward to giving out tens of thousands of dollars in awards to our student members later this summer and to welcoming a new cohort of EMERGE participants in an expanded full-year experience kicking off at OCEANS Halifax in September!
MTS continues to thrive because of the commitment you make to our society, our partners, and our community. Thank you for your dedication, and if we can ever be of service, please just let us know.
Chris
