The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced during early December their recommendation of awards totaling $54.3 million to four organizations to support small businesses and entrepreneurs.  These organizations will use these funds to bring to market solutions that will benefit coastal resilience and a sustainable Blue Economy. The selection demonstrates NOAA’s commitment to advance maritime...Read More

On Friday, December 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project (formerly Mayflower Wind)–the nation’s 11th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in history.  Today’s approval tallies over 19 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy from offshore wind energy projects that have...Read More

With the publication of its new “Lifejacket Approval Harmonization” Rule on December 6, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard has updated and streamlined manufacturer approval requirements and follow-up program requirements for lifejackets by incorporating new standards to replace existing legacy standards.   The new Rule becomes effective on January 6, 2025 and the Coast Guard will...Read More

During late October 2024, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Defense (DOD) to support the coordinated development of wind energy generation on the Nation’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The MOU will help further institutionalize the deep collaboration between BOEM and DOD that is ensuring...Read More

Above (Image Credit Slingshot Aerospace and NOAA):  A visualization of space traffic currently orbiting the earth. In September 2024, NOAA, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced that the initial phase of its Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) has begun delivering spaceflight safety services to a beta group of satellite operators.  Now,...Read More

Starting November 25, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard will require Coast Guard-approved Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) endorsement training providers to submit students’ course completion data electronically to the Coast Guard within 5 business days of the course ending.  The National Maritime Center (NMC) will use this information to validate mariner course completion as part of...Read More

GO Marine Services’ Personnel and Logistics Coordinator Angi Little knows it’s often tough for many who log long overnight hours on offshore vessels traveling rapidly through successive different time zones, which is why she always makes it a point to answer occasional calls about mundane administrative matters like paychecks at 2 or 3 a.m.  ...Read More

Maritime staffing, which converges many of the greatest human resources challenges imaginable, is one of the most demanding, most critical roles in the maritime industry.  As testament to the focus and commitment that GO Marine Services applies to our work, our staffing professionals are some of the most experienced in every aspect of the maritime...Read More

Agency Looks to Modernize Rules for Global Communications Backbone to Ensure the Security of This Vital Infrastructure On Thursday, November 21, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a major, comprehensive review and update of licensing rules for submarine cables that transmit information between continents and fuel economic activity.  Since the agency’s last review...Read More

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is beginning to formulate its Fiscal Year 2026–2027 Studies Development Plan covering all of its offshore energy and minerals activities.  To do that, BOEM is inviting marine researchers and other interested parties to submit study ideas relating to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas offshore of the Atlantic,...Read More