Online Features
Webinar: Homeland Security Startup Studio, Aug. 6
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will host the webinar “Meeting the Mission: Insights from HSWERX and Homeland Security Startup Studio (HSSS)” on August 6, from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. EST.
This live webinar is designed to help startups, small businesses, and innovators learn how to collaborate with DHS to bring transformative mission solutions to the public. It will provide a clear overview of the HSWERX and HSSS programs, and practical guidance for engaging with the DHS innovation ecosystem.
This webinar will also launch the HSSS Science, Education, Entrepreneurship, and Deployment (SEED) Seminar Series, a two-part program this summer. SEED Seminars are learning opportunities for DHS staff and others to expand their understanding of mechanisms for moving technologies from lab to market, improving research and development impact and outcomes.
How Plastics Affect Antimicrobial Resistance
This study highlights a lack of firsthand investigation for several of the theoretical links between plastics and AMR, and identifies urgent research questions to help society tackle these AMR pathways before they become a more serious threat.
“By highlighting the interactions between plastics at different life cycle stages and AMR under the umbrella of a changing climate, research and mitigation efforts may be more appropriately targeted, and solutions can be developed to address these issues in parallel, such as reformed governance, interconnected policy or joint monitoring frameworks,” said Emily Stevenson, lead author and Ph.D. researcher at the University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
DOE AlgaePrize Competition Winners
The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in partnership with the Algae Foundation and NREL, has announced the grand champion and top four winning teams of the 2023 to 2025 DOE AlgaePrize Competition.
The AlgaePrize challenges students to think like bioeconomy professionals by developing novel solutions to challenges associated with gigaton-scale algae commercialization. The AlgaePrize Competition supports DOE’s effort to expand the domestic supply of an affordable and reliable energy resource.
AlgaePrize 2023 to 2025 teams included competitors from high schools, colleges, and universities across the United States who had the opportunity to gain real-world science, technology, engineering, and mathematics experience. The teams developed innovative solutions for algae production, processing, and new product development to lower the costs of producing algal biofuels and bioproducts.
During the AlgaePrize Competition weekend on July 18 to 20, 2025, 13 finalist teams showcased their projects to a panel of judges at NREL in Golden, Colorado.
Team Parachlorella Plastic Pals of University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, California, won this year’s competition and received a total of $25,000 in prize money. The team aimed to make biodegradable plastic (TPU) from algae, focusing on three key steps: growing the algae, turning its oil into useful ingredients, and creating and testing the final plastic products.
Four other teams were named top finalists, and each received $10,000 in prize money:
- AlgaeNano+ – University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Aloha Limu – University of Hawaii at Hilo in Hilo, Hawaii
- BlazerBloom – Hood College in Frederick, Maryland
- JCCC Chlorella Cavaliers – Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas
BETO supports research and development to lower the costs of producing algal biofuels and bioproducts. The AlgaePrize competition is part of DOE’s American-Made Program, a national energy innovation ecosystem that connects competitors with experts, mentors, incubators, and investors to help develop products, secure funding, and bring innovations to market.
Geopolitical Tensions Bring New Shipping Risks
By Captain Rahul Khanna
According to Allianz Commercial’s recent Safety and Shipping Review, the shipping industry is facing new risks and challenges linked to the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape in 2025, compounded by difficulties stemming from the legacy of Covid-19 and the ongoing energy transition.
The industry faces an increasingly volatile and complex operating environment, marked by attacks against shipping, vessel detentions, sanctions, and the fallout from incidents involving damage to critical subsea cables. Increased global protectionism and tariffs also present a threat, potentially interrupting or altering supply chains and long-held trade relations.
Additionally, traditional risks for the shipping sector remain, including large claims from typical risks, such as fires, collisions and groundings, which are still the main drivers for total losses of large vessels. While these risks remain top-of-mind, the industry has made significant maritime safety improvements in recent years. There was a record low in global vessel loss in 2024: 27 losses, down from 35 in 2023 and more than 200 through the 1990s.
The potential for maritime loss due to political risk and conflict is increasing with heightened geopolitical tensions. While total losses from traditional causes may have reduced over time, this positive trend could be offset by war and other politically linked exposures. It is important that shippers keep geopolitical risk in mind.
Developments in U.S. trade policy and rising protectionism have significantly impacted global maritime trade, with approximately 18 percent of it subject to tariffs as of mid-April 2025, compared with 4 percent in early March, and dramatic declines in shipments reported in the immediate aftermath of the Trump Administration’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcements. The future of these policies is uncertain, and any further severe trade restrictions could affect vessels at sea or in ports and disrupt supply chains, among other impacts.
The “shadow fleet,” including older, poorly maintained oil tankers, is also posing an increasing challenge for the maritime and insurance industries. These vessels engage in illegal oil trade under flags of convenience, often disabling identification systems and conducting risky ship-to-ship transfers. Since the start of the Ukraine War, the size of this fleet has grown significantly.
Today, around 17 percent of the world tanker fleet is thought to belong to the shadow fleet, and estimates indicate there are close to 600 tankers trading Russian oil alone. Shadow fleet vessels increase risk, including of environmental incidents around the world, such as fires, collisions and oil spills that lead to major cleanup costs due to lack of insurance. Although recent Western sanctions are making it harder for these vessels to trade, the shadow fleet remains a serious problem.
Large vessel fires are still a major concern for hull and cargo insurers, especially for containerships, car carriers, and roll-on/roll-off vessels, on which around 30 percent of fire incidents occurred in 2024. Overall, the number of incidents was up year-on-year to a decade high of 250 across all vessel types. Efforts to mitigate fire risks are underway, with regulatory changes and technological advancements aimed at addressing misdeclared cargo, a primary contributor to such fires. Enhancing fire detection and fighting capabilities is critical, particularly as the maritime electrification age progresses.
There is little doubt the shipping industry is becoming more resilient against the risks associated with large vessels, although much work remains to be done, and increased geopolitical tensions will shape the future of the sector.
Captain Rahul Khanna is the global head of marine risk consulting at Allianz Commercial.
Recap: US Shipbuilding Renaissance Panel
On July 15, the shipbuilding group Fincantieri hosted a panel in Washington, D.C., to analyze the challenges and opportunities for shipbuilding in the U.S.
The experts at the event, “Full Speed Ahead: The U.S. Shipbuilding Renaissance,” emphasized the potential for defense innovation and investment in domestic production to strengthen national security and bolster local economies.
Kicking off the discussion, George Moutafis, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, spoke about the company’s dedication to its partnership with the U.S. He referenced the shipyards in the Great Lakes that support the full life cycle of Navy, Coast Guard, and commercial fleets, and the recent completion of the world’s largest cruise terminal in Florida.
Jan Allman, CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), explained how the Wisconsin shipyard transformed the struggling Marinette community into a thriving middle-class economy.
During the panel discussion, Dr. Cynthia Cook (Center for Strategic and International Studies), Russell Rumbaugh (Atlantic Council, former assistant secretary of the Navy), and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn (Center for a New American Security) shared their expertise with the moderator, Vice Adm. Richard Hunt, president of FMM. The conversation highlighted the U.S.’s lag in shipbuilding relative to China. The takeaway was that, ultimately, opportunity lies in innovation and investment as the path to success for the shipbuilding renaissance.
Pettyjohn pointed out the complexity of the issue: “I don’t think we have an innovation problem. I think we have an innovation adoption problem.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, concluded the event by emphasizing the company’s commitment to strengthening its U.S. presence, which it has maintained for the past 18 years. Folgiero said the way forward includes the production of icebreaker and cable-laying ships in support of the U.S. national security strategy and the modernization of the Jacksonville yard for maintenance, repair, and overhaul work. Fincantieri will also create an engineering lab in Wisconsin and extend university partnerships to invest in innovation.
New Self-Calibrating pH Sensor for Accurate, Reliable Readings
The new Teledyne Valeport pH, developed in collaboration with ANB Sensors, introduces a cutting-edge, self- calibrating solution for robust, reliable pH measurements in ocean monitoring. This innovative sensor redefines how pH is measured over extended periods of time, offering a powerful alternative to traditional glass electrode technology.
Traditionally, pH measurements have used glass electrode technology. While highly accurate, this method requires frequent instrument calibration to prevent reference electrode drift, resulting in lengthy sensor downtime. Glass electrodes are also more fragile and require storage in very specific conditions.
Unlike conventional pH sensors, the new Teledyne Valeport pH leverages Teledyne Valeport’s respected engineering expertise and ANB’s patented calibration-free technology to create a leading pH sensor.
This advanced sensor is self calibrating, preventing instrument downtime, reducing calibration-related costs, and significantly extending deployment periods. The sensor is also highly durable and easy to store, making it a resilient and superior alternative to traditional pH sensors.
Engineered for versatility, the sensor is rated to depths of up to 1250 meters (4,101 feet) and delivers exceptional accuracy of ±0.1 pH. Its rugged titanium housing ensures reliability in harsh marine environments, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including fixed site monitoring, buoys and frames, ROVs, AUVs, and ASVs.
What sets the Teledyne Valeport pH sensor apart is its combination of simple operation, ruggedness, and ease of handling and storage. It is particularly well-suited for long-term deployment scenarios due to several unique features:
- Robust solid-state technology – for durability in extreme marine conditions
- Reference drift compensation – to maintain accuracy over time
- Calibration-free operation – in situ self-calibration eliminates the need for frequent recalibrations
- Biofoul solution – a low concentration of biocide is produced at the sensor head to keep the transducer clean and ensure reliable data collection
- More responsive temperature compensation – improving measurement accuracy in varying ocean conditions
Designed with practicality in mind, the Teledyne Valeport pH sensor features Valeport’s signature titanium housing and measures 204 mm in length with a diameter of 47 mm. It operates on 9-28 V DC power with a consumption of <32 mA @12 V DC and weighs less than 1 kg in air.
Rough Seas: The Marine Engineering Podcast
“Rough Seas: The Marine Engineering Podcast” will return for its second season on August 1, bringing listeners even deeper into the world of marine innovation, adventure and challenge. Season two will dive further into the cutting-edge trends and untold stories shaping the future of marine engineering.
Produced by Daniel Baugh at the engineering firm Enginuity, the podcast features guests from the marine tech, naval defense, and ocean science sectors in Canada and abroad. For example, season one featured the COVE founder Jim Hanlon, as well as Eva Martinez, the first female United Nations military observer, who oversaw the demilitarization of the civil war in Guatemala, among other experts.
Season two will cover sustainable ship design, offshore renewables and advances in underwater robotics: all topics that are pertinent in today’s geopolitical climate.
Market Forecast: Submarine Cable Fleet
By Alan Mauldin
As international bandwidth demand continues to surge, the need for net new submarine cables often makes the headlines. But cable capacity isn’t the only issue: There are looming capacity issues with the international cable maintenance vessel fleet and whether it will be able to sustain current service levels as the cable ecosystem expands.
A projected 48 percent net increase in total cable kilometers are estimated to be deployed in the world’s oceans by 2040, driven by rising bandwidth demands and the need for network redundancy and resilience. But by the same year, approximately 64 percent of cable maintenance vessels will have reached the end of their service life, with about half (47 percent) of the global fleet of cable ships also approaching this milestone. These trends will significantly impact the marine maintenance sector—influencing repair vessel demand and utilization—and raise important considerations regarding the long-term sustainability of maintenance agreements and the efficacy of existing operational structures.
We now have data and analysis to shed light on the future challenges for the marine maintenance sector and the compounding results of decades of underinvestment in maintaining this infrastructure—a stark contrast to sizable investments made in the infrastructure itself. Mike Constable of Infra-Analytics, my TeleGeography colleague Lane Burdette, and I have been studying these issues to create a common, data-based reference for industry stakeholders to understand and address the challenges for the security and resilience of submarine digital infrastructure.
Our new report, “The Future of Submarine Cable Maintenance: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies,” details what is needed to sustain current service levels and reduce repair delays for the undersea cables that carry global internet traffic. We analyzed data sets relating to the maintenance vessel fleet and cable investment projections to forecast how the anticipated increase of new cable kilometers and corresponding cable faults may influence the demand for repair vessels. Our analysis also considers the context of the evolving regulatory and geopolitical macroenvironment that will continue to shape the submarine cable ecosystem.
The data show the global submarine cable fleet’s inadequacy to take on the challenges ahead. The fleet includes purpose-built vessels or vessels converted from those produced for the oil and gas industry. The service life of purpose-built vessels is around 40 years, with conversion vessels topping out at a maximum of 35 years.
The current global fleet is composed of roughly 60 percent purpose-built vessels, and 80 percent of them were commissioned more than two decades ago. Data analysis of the fleet engaged in contracted and ad hoc maintenance shows that, currently, six vessels (12 percent) have surpassed a 40-year service life, and within the next decade, an additional six vessels, representing 26 percent of the maintenance fleet, are poised to reach the 40-year threshold.
So where do we go from here? Meeting the challenges of the rapidly expanding submarine cable ecosystem and an aging cable ship fleet will require an investment of roughly $3 billion to sustain current service levels and avoid repair delays. This would entail the acquisition of 15 replacement ships and five additional ships to serve the global subsea internet infrastructure. The vast majority (13) of replacement vessels will be needed from 2026 to 2035.
The majority of new vessels will be needed in Asia, where eight of these replacement vessels will be required by 2040, with the additional five new ships needing to be deployed in the region. These forecasts only assume refreshing the existing fleet on a one-to-one basis, while retaining their current home port locations.
The coming years are critical for cable maintenance. Up until now, high capital costs, market uncertainty, and maintenance agreement economics have been factors behind the sporadic investment in new vessels and the prevailing trend to introduce used/secondhand vessels to the global maintenance fleet—but the future of marine maintenance can be different.
The sector’s success hinges on balancing commercial viability, operational efficiency, and the increasing demands for resilient, secure submarine cable infrastructure. We need substantial and timely investment in new maintenance vessels, and it also may be necessary to adjust commercial and operational models to enhance the efficacy of maintenance agreement structures, ensuring that adequate investment in new assets meets long-term service quality requirements.
Tech Partnership for AI-Assisted Maritime Navigation Safety
Maritime digital technologies provider iOThree Ltd. (iO3) has entered into a technology partnership with deep-tech company Seadronix to improve navigational safety through advanced onboard systems.
This collaboration will see the integration of Seadronix’s Rec-SEA AI core module into iO3’s V.Sight platform, resulting in the launch of V.Sight AI-Assisted Navigation.
The new feature will enhance the existing digital ecosystem of V.Sight by incorporating real-time visual recognition, risk detection, and intelligent decision support, all powered by Seadronix’s AI technology.
By merging iO3’s expertise in shipboard integration with Seadronix’s AI perception capabilities, the partnership aims to provide innovative solutions that address the realities of modern maritime operations. The integrated solution is expected to enhance hazard detection, situational awareness and operational efficiency at sea.
iO3 CEO and Founder Kenny Koh stated, “By embedding Seadronix’s AI capabilities into our V.Sight platform, we are providing ship owners, captains, and crews with a powerful new tool to enhance navigation safety. Our joint solution not only improves risk detection but also delivers actionable insights in real-time, helping bridge teams make informed decisions in complex and dynamic marine environments.”
The enhanced V.Sight platform is designed to meet the needs of contemporary navigation scenarios, including busy port approaches and variable sea conditions, enabling crews to navigate with improved precision and safety.
Pilot deployments of the V.Sight AI-Assisted Navigation system are set to commence with selected vessels in the upcoming months, with plans for a wider rollout thereafter.
Additionally, iO3 and Seadronix are considering future enhancements such as advanced object classification, traffic pattern analysis, and predictive routing, which could further advance maritime situational intelligence.
Seadronix Chief Operating Officer Kyongsoo Noh stated, “We are excited to partner with iO3 and bring our core AI technology to the maritime domain in a practical and impactful way. Together, we are pushing the limits of what onboard navigation systems can achieve and contributing to a safer and smarter global fleet.”
In March this year, Seadronix secured around $11.3 million in Series B funding.
The new capital will enhance its ship AI solutions and robotics technologies while expanding its global market presence, following recent contracts in Singapore and the Netherlands.
IMAGE ’25: Aug. 25-28, Houston
IMAGE ’25, the premier event for geoscience professionals, will take place August 25 to 28 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. This is an opportunity to connect with industry leaders, explore cutting-edge technologies, and gain invaluable insights that will shape the future of energy.
IMAGE ’25 kicks off with the dynamic Opening Session on Monday, August 25 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. This engaging session, included with your registration, will delve into the persistent challenges of exploring and developing complex reservoirs.
Over the past two decades, the industry has seen giant discoveries that push the boundaries of technical and production capabilities. Even with these advancements, difficult financial factors and the complexities of fluid and rock properties have rendered some recent giant discoveries uneconomic.
Moderated by Bob Fryklund, chief upstream strategist at S&P Global Commodity Insights, an expert panel will address these critical issues. Featuring a welcome address from American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) President Brian Horn and Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) President John Eastwood, the discussion will focus on how to better predict and develop these challenging reservoirs. The panel will also examine the crucial roles of technology, data and operations in these processes.
The distinguished panelists include:
- Chris Olson, vice president and head of exploration, Murphy
- Danielle Carpenter, general manager, Global Exploration Review Team, Chevron
- Kristian Johansen, CEO, TGS
- Ahmad Faisal Bakar, vice president (exploration) of upstream business, PETRONAS
This is a must-attend session for anyone involved in exploration and production.