Increasingly, as we look out across the glinting sea, we are also gazing out across a networked system of ocean observing, prediction, and management.
The new systems predict the tsunamis and plate tectonic shifts, measure temperatures and currents, and map the ocean floor. Biomass measurements taken by plankton trawls now can be done with automated underwater vehicles and surface drones. Scientists are studying algae blooms and climate change, reassessing cost benefits of desalinization and trying to understand and protect the fisheries.
This research drives markets and innovation in technology industries — electronics, seals and gaskets, specialized optics, precision machining, high pressure materials, and sophisticated computer technology — companies with talents like Bomco, Varian, Gloucester Engineering, Anchor Seal, and Rose's Marine.
The City of Gloucester hosted a Maritime Summit last November in collaboration with both state and federal agencies which brought our economic development work into a whole new field. I encourage you to visit the Harbor Planning and Development webpage on the city site where you can see these presentations.
Read the complete opinion piece from The Gloucester Times