The United States Coast Guard (USCG) uses navigational buoys to direct water traffic and to protect vulnerable benthic ecosystems such as seagrass communities and coral reefs in U.S. waters. However, most buoys are currently attached to the seafloor by concrete anchors, also called sinkers, and heavy metal chains that can have just as significant an impact on marine life themselves.
Read more
Vice Admiral Karl Schultz has been named as the 26th commandant and highest ranking leader of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The announcement was made by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen Thursday, Mar. 8. Schultz will replace current USCG Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft, who has completed his four-year tenure, on June 1, 2018. Schultz is currently the commander of
Read more
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has released a request for proposal (RFP) with matching funding to acquire a new heavy icebreaker vessel intended to be the first of a six-ship installment and the beginning of a robust U.S. icebreaker fleet. Announcing the proposal at the Mar. 1, 2018 State of the Coast Guard address, Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft said it
Read more
The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star completed their mission Tuesday, Feb. 6 in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) after cutting a resupply channel through 15 miles of Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea and escorting supply vessels to the continent. The Polar Star sailed from Seattle to assist in the annual delivery of operating supplies and fuel for
Read more
The U.S. Coast Guard is planning to launch its first satellites in 2018 to demonstrate the use of satellites for Arctic search and rescue missions. The program, called “Polar Scout”, involves the use of miniature satellites called cubesats. The USCG Research and Development Center (USCG RDC) is investigating cubesat capabilities and examining how the satellites can assist a variety of
Read more
The Joint Maritime Test Facility (JMTF) is jointly operated by the Coast Guard Research and Development Center and the Naval Research Laboratory, with the primary purpose of developing technology and strategies for responding to fires and oil spills at sea. The facility’s prime asset is a burn pan: a tank used to simulate a real-world marine environment to test the
Read more