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Apply: HII Defense Internships
HII, a Fortune 500 company and the largest military shipbuilder in the U.S., is accepting applications for its 2026 summer internship program.
Interested students can apply online for internships at HII’s corporate office or its three divisions: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Mission Technologies and Newport News Shipbuilding.
Each year, HII hosts more than 350 interns from across the nation. During the paid summer internship, interns work full-time (40 hours a week) for 10 consecutive weeks. In addition to competitive pay and possible consideration for future employment, housing assistance and transportation may be available in select locations during the internship.
To qualify for HII internships, students must be 18 years or older; a U.S. citizen; have a minimum 2.5 or 3.0 grade point average (depending on division); and be enrolled in one of the following: a four-year college or university, 2+2 program, master’s degree, or doctorate degree program.
Early applications are advised, as positions are limited and highly competitive.
The deadline for applications varies based on the divisions, with the exception of applications for the Mission Technologies division—those positions are posted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Available internship positions, applications and specific deadlines for the different job postings can be found at: HII.com/careers/students.
Maritime Tech Startup Partners with Shipyard for Advanced USVs
A rendering of Blue Water Autonomy’s future unmanned surface vessel. (Courtesy of Blue Water Autonomy)
Blue Water Autonomy, a maritime tech startup, announced it is partnering with Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard to assemble the new company’s first class of autonomous ships.
“Conrad is a world-class shipbuilder with proven capability, and this partnership puts us in a position to deliver ships quickly, while demonstrating the expertise and scale of existing U.S. shipbuilding capacity,” said Rylan Hamilton, co-founder of Blue Water Autonomy.
The Boston-based startup, launched earlier this year, was founded by Navy veterans in 2024 and is focused on designing and building unmanned surface vessels en masse.
To date, Blue Water has raised $61 million in Series A funding and recruited senior executives from General Dynamics and Serco.
Conrad Shipyard, which has five facilities along the Gulf Coast, specializes in building steel and aluminum auxiliary ships such as offshore support vessels, tugs, ferries and barges.
“Blue Water Autonomy’s design reflects the kind of forward-looking innovation that U.S. shipbuilders are ready to deliver,” said Cecil Hernandez, president and CEO of Conrad Shipyard. “We’re proud to support this program and help bring autonomous naval capabilities to life with the speed, precision, and craftsmanship we’ve been trusted to deliver for over 75 years across commercial and military shipbuilding.”
Blue Water’s partnership is one in a series of fresh announcements from unmanned surface vessel producers since the Navy hosted the industry earlier this year to discuss its new Modular Attack Surface Craft program. That program aims to outfit the service’s future fleet with easy-to-produce autonomous surface vessels that can be equipped with a variety of payloads.
Since that industry day, companies such as Senesco Marine, BlackSea Technologies, and shipbuilding giant HII have all unveiled new unmanned vessels and partnership agreements, either ostensibly or explicitly aimed at capturing a piece of the Navy’s pending program of record.
Apply: Executive Director, Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research
The Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research seeks a visionary leader who can turn passion into impact. With proven success in fundraising and team building, this person will bring knowledge of environmental science, particularly water quality or plastic pollution, while inspiring funders, policymakers, researchers, and communities to action. The ideal candidate is someone with solid financial management experience and a deep commitment to environmental sustainability and people.
Plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental challenges of our time. Microplastics are now found everywhere, from ocean depths to drinking water. By joining the Moore Institute, you’ll be at the forefront of research shaping scientific understanding and equipping communities with the knowledge they need to protect health and ecosystems.
This is an opportunity to lead a nationally recognized laboratory, collaborate with passionate and creative colleagues, and make a measurable impact on one of the planet’s greatest challenges.
Applications are due by October 31, 2025.
ABS 2025 Outlook on Maritime Decarbonization
The ABS 2025 Outlook, “Beyond the Horizon: Vision Meets Reality,” explores the maritime industry’s evolving decarbonization landscape, emphasizing regulatory shifts, fuel economics and technological pathways.
This year’s outlook underscores that the shipping industry remains significantly behind in its pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2050. Although there has been measurable progress in reducing carbon intensity, total emissions are still 121 percent above 2008 levels. At the same time, the financial burden of compliance is accelerating.
Additional key takeaways from this year’s publication include:
- LNG and biofuels are increasingly critical yet under-recognized in current regulations.
- Green fuel infrastructure is lagging behind regulatory ambitions.
- Energy efficiency technologies play a vital bridging role, but shipyards face a looming retrofit capacity crunch.
- Nuclear propulsion is identified as a potential game changer beyond 2035.
This year’s outlook outlines the need for strategic planning, infrastructure investment and clarity to achieve regulatory compliance.
World Maritime Day
Today is World Maritime Day. This year’s theme, from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), is: “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”
The theme reflects the ocean’s vital role in the world economy, with more than 80 percent of global trade transported by sea. The ocean is a source of jobs and food for millions of people, a home for countless marine species, and a regulator of the planet’s climate, mitigating the impacts of climate change, according to the IMO.
As the largest sector operating in the ocean space, shipping has a central role to play in the protection of the marine environment and management of ocean resources.
IMO’s long-standing commitment on this issue is evident in the robust global regulatory framework supporting cleaner, safer seas and a growing portfolio of technical assistance initiatives to support ocean protection in 176 member states.
The theme emphasizes the link to wider global efforts to protect the ocean, including the adoption in June 2025 of the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), a new instrument to address plastic pollution, which was agreed upon at the third UN Ocean Conference.
The theme will allow all stakeholders to showcase the deep interconnection of shipping and IMO in the ocean space, highlighting the importance of collaboration and coordination to ensure the sustainable and safe use of ocean resources.
Vote: Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year
Weather photography lovers around the world are invited to cast their votes for their favourite image in the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025 competition. Votes will be accepted until October 16.
Celebrating its 10th year, the competition is run by the U.K.’s Royal Meteorological Society and serves as an international platform to raise awareness of environmental issues putting our planet at risk, including heatwaves, extreme flooding, and cyclones, while showcasing the awe-inspiring beauty and power of weather.
The expert panel of judges have chosen 25 finalists from more than 4,000 entries worldwide. These photos were taken with professional cameras, mobile phones, and drones by both experienced and amateur photographers from 12 countries.
The shortlist gallery also provides insights into the science behind the weather phenomena and the stories behind the images, as well as the photographers’ adventures and the techniques used to capture them.
Oceanology International 2026: Call for Content
Oceanology International (Oi) seeks technical content for the event in London, March 10 to 12, 2026, focused on ocean innovation and technology industries. Oi26 also requests that industry leaders apply to curate and moderate the individual technical sessions.
Prospective speakers for Oi26 are invited to submit their abstracts of 300 to 500 words by October 16.
Next year’s conference will expand to include dedicated sessions showcasing the critical coastal and shallow-water sectors, highlighting breakthrough developments in coastal protection, erosion control, sediment transport analysis, shoreline stabilization, and climate adaptation that support sustainable coastal development and ecosystem protection.
Additional key topics expected to feature high on the agenda for in-depth analysis include: uncrewed vehicles and vessels, offshore site characterization, and ocean observation and measurement.
Technologists, scientists, engineers, industry leaders and organizations are invited to submit their abstracts for consideration for the three-day Oi26 program as soon as possible to secure their place on stage.
Notification of acceptance will be confirmed by December 2, with final presentations due by February 10.
One Ocean Week Seattle, Oct. 20-26
Maritime Blue will host the inaugural One Ocean Week Seattle along the city’s waterfront October 20 to 26, bringing the international event to the U.S. for the first time. The weeklong program will convene international delegations, industry leaders, innovators, policymakers, and community members for panels, showcases, cultural events, and site visits focused on maritime innovation, sustainability, and collaboration.
One Ocean Week, officially endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, is traditionally held each April in Bergen, Norway. The Seattle event will expand this global platform, showcasing the city’s role as a hub for maritime innovation.
Over the course of the week, participants will explore solutions to urgent challenges such as maritime decarbonization, sustainable seafood, renewable ocean energy, healthy ecosystems and digital ocean technologies.
Key event highlights include:
- One Ocean Week Seattle Summit: The centerpiece event will feature panels and roundtables with decision makers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and communities driving ocean sustainability and the future of the blue economy.
- Welcoming the Statsraad Lehmkuhl: The historic Norwegian tall ship will sail into Seattle on its global One Ocean Expedition voyage, spotlighting the ocean’s central role in a sustainable future.
- Innovation Showcase: Startups, researchers, and investors will assemble to demonstrate breakthrough ocean technologies, including electrified vessels and kelp-based products.
- Cultural and Educational Programs: Youth engagement, mentorship opportunities, and community-driven initiatives will connect the next generation to ocean innovation and stewardship.
Developments for Small Modular Reactors in Maritime Operations
ABB has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swedish nuclear energy firm Blykalla to expedite the introduction of lead-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs) in the maritime industry.
The MoU builds on a previous agreement signed in October 2024, focusing on the development of lead-cooled SMR technology for Sweden’s clean energy goals.
The expanded partnership comes as the maritime industry increasingly considers nuclear energy as a viable power source. The expanded partnership comes as the maritime industry increasingly considers nuclear energy as a viable power source.
In June, the administrations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 1102) endorsed recommendations to revise the Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships. This amendment aims to incorporate developments in nuclear technology, including SMRs, that have occurred since the Code was implemented.
Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman said “We’re pleased to extend our partnership with ABB into this strategically important vertical. With our compact reactor design, we see a unique opportunity to lead the way in maritime nuclear propulsion – a solution uniquely positioned to meet the sector’s demand for clean energy. Realizing this vision will require an ecosystem of committed partners, and this collaboration is a critical building block.”
Blykalla’s Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor (SEALER) is a compact and passively safe reactor, designed with inherent safety features that eliminate the need for operator intervention.
SEALER was highlighted in the Nuclear Propulsion for Merchant Ships I (NuProShip I) project, which seeks to adapt a Generation IV SMR for maritime vessels, particularly larger ships.
ABB’s role in this partnership is crucial, leveraging its expertise in system integration, power distribution, control, and automation technologies to ensure the successful deployment of SMRs on ships.
ABB Marine and Ports President Juha Koskela said, “SMRs hold significant potential to drive decarbonization, and our collaboration with Blykalla will help to advance their viability in maritime applications. Next-generation SMRs will enable innovative ship designs that can help to reduce emissions compared to vessels powered by carbon-based fuels. We are proud to partner with Blykalla on what represents an important step in shipping’s decarbonization journey.”
Register: IPCC Expert Reviewers
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has opened registration for expert reviewers of the first-order draft (FOD) of the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
Following the second lead author meeting in August 2025, the authors of this report have prepared a first draft, and experts worldwide are sought for review and comments.
The review of the FOD is the first of multiple review stages for every IPCC report. The review process is critical in preparing IPCC reports to ensure scientific rigor, the widest range of perspectives, and relevance to the urgent challenges urban areas and communities face in a warming world and changing climate.
Scheduled for release in March 2027, the Special Report on Climate Change and Cities will be the first IPCC report published in the seventh assessment cycle. It is also the only special report in the current cycle. The report aims to provide a timely assessment of the latest science related to climate change and cities, including climate impacts and risks, as well as adaptation and mitigation options.
All review comments will be addressed by the authors. The comments and the author responses, together with the drafts, will be published after the report is finalized.
Interested experts can register for participation in the review here.
The registration of experts will close November 30, 2025.
The FOD review period will close December 12, 2025.
Learn more here.