Marine Technology Society Privacy Statement

The Marine Technology Society (MTS), including our Ocean Enterprise Initiative, Ocean Exchange, and MATE programs, are committed to protecting your privacy and we honor your right to make choices about the information you share with us. We want you to be familiar with how we collect, use and disclose information. This Privacy Statement describes MTS practices in connection with information that we collect through our websites and other company owned digital assets from which you are accessing this Privacy Statement (respectively, the “Site”, “Social”, “Email”, and “App”, of which will be referred to as “digital assets”) in accordance with applicable privacy laws including, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation EU 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and other European data privacy laws and applicable US privacy laws. Only digital assets under MTS brands and owned by MTS, including third party providers and those specifically used to market MTS, its services and value, are subject to this online privacy statement. Our digital assets may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external sites.

By using the digital assets and providing Personal Information to MTS, you agree to the terms and conditions of this Privacy Statement, as amended from time to time.

Data Collected and Method of Collection

MTS collects general and personal data from:

Users who provide details to MTS and our programs;
Participants who register for meetings and events organized by MTS;
Users of MTS’ websites; and
Third parties (such as online service provider or single sign on authority).

Personal Information that may be collected includes full name, email address, telephone or fax number, job title, employer, address, educational attainment, certifications, technical areas of interest, and other event-related demographic data. You may be asked to provide additional information, and have the option to decline to provide some, though not all, personal information, depending on the nature of your interaction with our digital assets.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our websites, we may collect certain non-personal information from you, including your Internet Protocol (IP) address, MAC address, browser type, operating system, device identifying information, the specific web pages visited during your connection, and the domain name from which you accessed the Site. In addition, we may collect information about your browsing behavior, such as the date and time you visit the Site, the areas or pages of the Site that you visit, the amount of time you spend viewing the Site, the number of times you return to the Site and other clickstream data. We may also use non-personal or aggregated information for statistical analysis, research, and other purposes. Depending on your interactions with MTS, we may also collect demographic and other information such as membership history, event attendance, payment records (processed securely by third-party processors), and your engagement with newsletters or online content.

Do Not Track

Do Not Track (DNT) is a privacy preference that users can set in some web browsers, allowing users to opt out of tracking by websites and online services. Because there is no consistent industry standard for responding to Do Not Track signals, we do not alter our data collection practices when we receive such a signal.

Cookies Policy

We use cookies on our digital assets. By continuing to browse our website or close the cookies banner, you consent to the use of cookies.

Our Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how we use cookies, how third parties we may partner with may use cookies on the Service, your choices regarding cookies, and further information about cookies.

A cookie is a small file placed onto your device by your web browser by a website you visit. A cookie file is stored in your web browser and allows the Service or a third-party to recognize you and make your next visit easier and the Service more useful to you. Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" cookies.

When you access our website, MTS and MTS third party service providers may collect data of a technical nature in a variety of ways. We use cookies for the following purposes:

to enable certain functions of the website
to provide analytics
to store your preferences and personalize the content
to improve the user experience
to enable advertisements delivery, including behavioral advertising
to share on social networks

We use both session and persistent cookies through our digital assets including: essential cookies used to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts and third-party cookies used to report usage statistics and deliver advertisements.

You have the right and ability to delete and reject cookies. Please note, however, that if you delete cookies or refuse to accept them, some features of MTS digital assets may not work properly, you may not be able to store your preferences, and some of our pages might not display properly.

We may use analytics tools such as Google Analytics. These tools may set cookies or other identifiers to help us understand traffic and usage patterns. You can learn how Google uses data at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Purpose of Data Collection

MTS collects your personal data to fulfil its contractual obligations, its statutory obligations and/or the legitimate interests of MTS and for other purposes for which MTS has a lawful basis under applicable laws and regulations. MTS uses the data collected to provide, maintain, protect and improve the overall quality of its services. Data collection is also meant to protect MTS and its users. MTS does not collect more data than is necessary to fulfil such purposes.

MTS uses your data for the following purposes and for which you give your consent:

To our third-party service providers who provide services such as website hosting, data analysis, infrastructure provision, IT services, customer service, email delivery services, and other similar services to enable them to provide services.

To third parties such as agents and distributers to facilitate the sale and distribution of MTS services which may include marketing communications.

To identify you to anyone to whom you send messages through the Site.

To a third party in the event of any reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or any portion of MTS business, assets or stock (including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings).

By you, when you participate in features on an MTS digital asset that provide the opportunity to interact with MTS and others (for example a blog, message board, messaging functionality, chat functionality, profile or other social media). When you use these features, you should be aware that any information you submit, including your name, location and e-mail address, may be publicly available to others. We are not responsible for any information you choose to submit through these features and we strongly discourage you from disclosing any sensitive Personal Information (such as health or credit card information) through these features. If you use these features, your Personal Information may remain on the digital asset even after you cease use of the digital asset.
With your consent, MTS may use your data to personalize your experience on the MTS website, to send you marketing communications that we believe may be of interest to you, including information about our services, case studies, thought leadership or whitepapers, blog updates, newsletters, membership renewal information etc. For example, MTS uses third party service providers to present services and offers tailored to the preferences and interests demonstrated by your online activity over time.

MTS may use your data as MTS believes to be necessary or appropriate: (a) under applicable law, including laws outside your country of residence; (b) to comply with legal process; (c) to respond to requests from public and government authorities including public and government authorities outside your country of residence; (d) to enforce MTS’s terms and conditions; (e) to protect MTS’s operations; (f) to protect MTS’s rights, privacy, safety or property, you or others; and (g) to allow MTS to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that MTS may sustain.

MTS will ask your consent before using data for a purpose other than those that are set out in this Statement subject to mandatory laws.

Duration of Storage

Personal Information that MTS maintains are stored in a cloud-based central database at a third-party provider’s location in the United States. We retain Personal Information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Statement, including to comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and our legal obligations.

Children

MTS is committed to protecting the privacy needs of children and we encourage parents and guardians to take an active role in their children’s online activities. Our digital assets are not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

Transfer and Communication of Data

Your Personal Information may be stored and processed in any country where we have facilities or where we have engaged a service provider, and by using the digital asset, you consent to the transfer of information to countries outside of your country of residence which may not have adequate data protection rules. When transferring Personal Information outside the EEA, including to the United States, we rely on lawful transfer mechanisms such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses. You hereby agree and give your consent to MTS to transfer and communicate your data as follows:

a) Transfers within the MTS group: Transfers are made throughout MTS and its subsidiaries to support its activities and/or services. Its subsidiaries, in turn, are not permitted to share your personal data with other non-affiliate entities, except as described herein or otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulation.

b) Regulatory transfers: MTS may be required by law to transfer data to governments and regulatory and/or supervisory authorities.

Electronic transfer of data

If you visit a MTS website your data will be transported via an open publicly accessible network. The data might therefore be transmitted across national borders even if you and MTS are located in the same country. This involves notably the risk that your data may be intercepted and read by third parties, allowing such third parties to infer an already existing or future business relationship between you and MTS.

Furthermore, you are notified that information you transmit or allow to be transmitted to you by MTS via an electronic medium, in particular via e-mail, SMS, contact forms, etc. are usually unencrypted and therefore neither confidential nor secure. Even in the event of an encrypted transmission, sender and recipient remain unencrypted in each case. Third parties may therefore be able to infer an existing or future business relationship between you and MTS.

If you provide MTS with personal information, your personal data may be transferred by MTS to countries whose data protection laws may be different from, and less stringent than, those in your country of residence as set forth above. Your personal data may in particular be transferred to the United States. You are hereby notified that your personal data might be accessed by governmental authorities in such countries (in particular by US authorities).

Security and Organizational Measures

To ensure the safety of your data on the MTS website and systems, we implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Personal Information. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Only authorized MTS staff, third party companies’ (i.e. service providers) staff or our clients' authorized staff (who have contractually agreed to keep all information secure) have access to your personal data. All MTS staff who have access to your personal data are required to adhere to the staff confidentiality regulations and all third-party employees who have access to your personal data have signed non-disclosure agreements. In addition, data transfer agreements are in place with third-party companies that have access to your personal data to make sure these data remain secure.

Your Rights

In accordance with applicable data protection laws and regulations, you have a right to request access to and/or deletion of your Data. Residents of certain U.S. states may have additional rights regarding access, correction, deletion, or restriction of their Personal Information. We will honor such rights as required by applicable law.

To contact MTS with questions or issues about MTS data processing, you should contact us at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

MTS gives you many choices regarding MTS use and disclosure of your personal data for marketing purposes. By contacting MTS at the above-mentioned e-mail address, you may at any time opt out from receiving future electronic marketing messages from MTS and request that we not share your personal data with unaffiliated third parties for their marketing purposes. MTS will comply with your request(s) in this respect. Please note that if you opt-out as described above, MTS will not be able to remove your personal data from the databases of unaffiliated third parties with which MTS has already shared your personal data (i.e., to which we have already provided your personal data as of the date that we implement your opt-out request). Please also note that if you do opt-out of receiving marketing-related messages from MTS, we may still send you important administrative messages, and you cannot opt-out from receiving administrative messages.

European Union privacy rights

If you are an individual protected by the GDPR you may have certain rights as a data subject under the GDPR relating to the personal information we hold to: (i) check whether we hold personal information about you and to access such data (in accordance with our policy); (ii) request the correction of personal information about you that is inaccurate; (iii) have a copy of the personal information we hold about you provided to you or another controller where technically feasible; (iv) request the erasure of your personal information; and (v) request the restriction of processing personal information concerning you.

To request information about or avail yourself of those rights, please send an email to [email protected] with "GDPR Request" in the subject line. In the email please describe, with specificity, the GDPR right you are requesting assistance with. Please note additional information may be requested prior to initiation of a request and that MTS reserves the right to charge a fee with respect to certain requests. Upon MTS’s completion of its review you will be notified if your request has been granted, denied, or exemptions apply.

You may make a complaint in accordance with applicable privacy laws to a supervisory authority.

California privacy rights

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83 (also known as S.B. 27), if you are a California resident and your business relationship with MTS is primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, you may request certain data regarding MTS’ disclosure, if any, of personal information to third parties for the third-parties’ direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to [email protected] with "Request for California Privacy Information" in the subject line. You may make such a request up to once per calendar year. If applicable, we will provide you, by email, a list of the categories of personal information disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing purposes during the immediately preceding calendar year, along with the third parties' names and addresses.

MTS does not sell Personal Information and does not share Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the California Consumer Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).

Sensitive Information

We ask that you not send MTS, and you not disclose, any sensitive Personal Information (e.g., information related to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion or other beliefs, health, criminal background or trade union membership) on or through our digital asset or otherwise to MTS.

Updates to this Privacy Statement

This Privacy Statement is a living document and is subject to change. Any changes to this Privacy Statement will become effective when we post the revised Privacy Statement on the digital asset. Your use of our digital assets following these changes means that you accept this and future revisions of the Privacy Statement.

Contacting MTS

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Statement or about the use of your personal information, please feel free to contact us by email at [email protected] or write to:

Marine Technology Society, Inc.
One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC, 20005

Last updated: November 20, 2025