Coastal News Today Launches the American Blue Economy Podcast Hosted by Retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet
Coastal News Today this month launched its latest addition to American Shoreline Podcast Network (coastalnewstoday.com). The American Blue Economy Podcast will air monthly and be hosted by retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, PhD, CEO of Ocean STL Consulting. Admiral Gallaudet is the former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator, and before that Oceanographer of the Navy.
“As the sponsor and lead author of NOAA’s Blue Economy Strategic Plan under the US Department of Commerce, I am keenly aware of the need to raise awareness of the topics we will address in this podcast,” said Admiral Gallaudet. “I am grateful for the American Shoreline Podcast Network (coastalnewstoday.com) for providing me with a platform to expand cross-sector information exchange and collaboration to help grow the American Blue Economy as a vital component of our nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery.”
Episode 1 aired April 21 with several former NOAA officials and partners which discussed the American Blue Economy and explored the components of the NOAA Strategic Plan. This episode sets the stage for the rest of the series by covering pre-pandemic trends and post-pandemic trajectories in areas such as marine transportation, ocean tourism and recreation, sustainable seafood, coastal resilience, and ocean mapping and exploration. The series will also include cross-cutting topics such as interconnections with national security, ocean STEM education and workforce development, and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in marine industries.
“We are thrilled to host such an impactful offering,” said Peter Ravella, Publisher of the American Shoreline Podcast Network (coastalnewstoday.com). “Not only is Admiral Gallaudet a nationally recognized authority on the American Blue Economy, he has the convening power to bring in national leaders in the topic areas to be covered. The 35 confirmed participants through December constitute nothing short of an A-List of ocean community experts. They include several Senators, research institute directors, university professors, the founder of professional surfing, a record setting free diver, several Navy and Coast Guard Admirals, a former astronaut, and a former USGS Director.”
Over the last two decades, the American Blue Economy has seen tremendous growth, contributing approximately 2.3 million jobs and $373 billion to the nation’s GDP annually as of 2018. The populations of coastal communities are similarly large in scale. While coastal areas account for less than 10% of the total land in the contiguous U.S., an estimated 127 million people, or 40% of the US population, live in coastal counties. If these coastal counties were an individual country, they would rank third in the world in GDP, surpassed only by the US and China.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, American seaports are adding coastal infrastructure, including terminals and piers. Demand for maritime commerce is expected to double by 2025 and triple by 2030. The American Blue Economy Podcast will bring together leaders in the nation’s ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes communities to identify a sustainable path for this growth that is essential to our prosperity throughout the 21st century.
