Naomi Cooper
A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has revealed that the number of U.S. businesses providing autonomous surface and underwater vehicles for marine observations and measurements rose 60 percent over a five-year period.
The U.S. Ocean Enterprise Report showed there were a total of 814 companies offering critical ocean data and information in the U.S. in 2020, compared with 410 businesses located in 36 states in 2015.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said the $8 billion sector produces observational technology and equipment necessary to support ocean measurement, observation and forecasting. Ocean enterprise businesses also take advantage of NOAA’s publicly available data to inform product development and service delivery.
The new report builds on a 2017 research that highlights the critical role ocean information plays in supporting a range of sectors, including the scientific research community and the entire marine industry. Coastal communities also rely on ocean data to predict natural hazards such as storms and coastal flooding.
“To thrive in the decades ahead, we are going to need a robust Ocean Enterprise to innovate and problem-solve along the way. Our report and study results will help us understand and work with Ocean Enterprise companies to advance innovation more quickly and comprehensively,” said Carl Gouldman, director of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office at NOAA.
