Town Halls

Tuesday, September 22 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Organizer: Kori Groenveld

Abstract: Public-private consortia have become a preferred vehicle for funding ocean and energy R&D, and for good reason. They pool capital across agencies, states, and private partners, share technical risk, and give emerging technology a route from research into commercial or operational use. The topic is timely because funding for ocean and energy innovation is under pressure to demonstrate durable, repeatable structures rather than one-off arrangements, and because the testbed infrastructure within the US is not mapped in a coordinated manner. This makes it challenging for the government to invest in infrastructure that has unclear duplication elsewhere, for startups to locate and access the testbed infrastructure, and for testbed hosts to secure proper uptake and infrastructure usage. The objective of this session is a candid, practitioner-level conversation about: (i) What enables durable cross-sector R&D funding and what causes it to fail, (ii) Rather than celebrate success stories, focus on the decisions and trade-offs that determine whether a consortium holds together and delivers, (iii) Exploring a public-private partnership approach to improving the coordination of offshore technology test bed facilities, focusing on brainstorming approaches and getting audience feedback.

Panelist: Samantha Quinn, POET:
Samantha is the Program Director at Pacific Ocean Energy Trust (POET), where she is the PI for the TEAMER and University Marine Energy Community projects.  Prior to her time at POET, she was the Program Manager of the PacWave project at Oregon State University.  She holds an MSc in Economics with a focus on marine energy from the University of Edinburgh.

Panelist: Dr. Henry Ruhl, MBARI
Director of Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNOOS)
Henry joined the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) in January 2018. Work has included investigating ocean observing testing, design and implementation, connections between climate, variations in conditions over daily to decadal scales, and changes in seafloor biogeochemical and ecological conditions, frequently developing and/or applying imaging methods.

Panelist: Jason Cotrell MSE, MBA
Founder and CEO of Sperra
Jason Cotrell is the Founder and CEO of Sperra—a rapidly growing international cleantech small business dedicated to developing advanced concrete manufacturing technologies and components for renewable energy and subsea energy storage systems. Jason has worked in wind energy for 30 years including 22 years working at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Jason was recognized with the 2021 Business Network for Offshore Wind Ventus Innovation of the Year Award on behalf of Sperra for its modular concrete fixed bottom foundation.

Moderator: Dr. Lyndie Hice-Dunton – NOWRDC
Executive Director of the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium
Lyndie Hice-Dunton serves as the Executive Director of NOWRDC, where she leads the organization’s strategic direction, operations, and partnerships to advance innovation in offshore wind and the broader marine energy sector. Since joining the Consortium in 2023, she has guided initiatives that accelerate research, technology development, and industry collaboration. Dr. Hice-Dunton is a marine scientist with multidisciplinary expertise, allowing her to work closely with state and federal agencies, researchers, offshore wind developers, and other industry stakeholders to identify science-based solutions that address key technical barriers facing the offshore wind industry while supporting real-world impact.

Moderator: Tyler Christoffel – NOWRDC
Program Manager
Tyler Christoffel is a Program Manager at NOWRDC. Prior to joining NOWRDC, Tyler spent nearly 5 years with the US Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office leading the execution of a diverse set of technology innovation and analysis projects, including portfolios in manufacturing, circular economy, and operations & maintenance.

Wednesday, September 23 | 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Organizers: Hanumant Singh, Toby Edwin Schneider, Isaac Vandor, Eric C. Gallimore, Mike Benjamin, Dennis Giaya

Abstract: Open source software now runs much of our world, and marine engineering is no exception. Modern AUVs, surface vehicles, and other maritime systems rely on substantial amounts of open source software from a wide range of sources. At the same time, cybersecurity challenges (particularly supply chain trust) are becoming increasingly urgent, while LLM-based AI agents are reshaping the engineering landscape. As robotic systems mature and become more accessible, many users want improved interoperability within and outside of the marine domain. Valuable open source projects are often abandoned as key engineers retire, or students graduate and move on. In addition, many high-quality projects are not easily discovered by potential users. Furthermore, while many projects in our community have strong technical merit, they frequently need guidance and community support before they can become broadly useful. We are keenly interested in hearing ideas from the OCEANS community on these topics, and others that we have not identifed within the broader topic of open source for the ocean.

Hanumant Singh – Director of the Institute for Experiential Robotics at Northeastern and developer of the Seabed AUV and Jetyak ASV with broad interests in imaging and vehicles for marine and polar applications.

Dr. Giancarlo Troni is a Principal Engineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), where he leads the CoMPAS Lab, focusing on perception, estimation, and control for marine robotic systems. His work centers on developing open, accessible tools and methods for small, low-cost autonomous systems, with the goal of enabling scalable and collaborative ocean exploration.

Dennis Giaya is a PhD candidate at Northeastern University in the Field Robotics Lab. His research centers on 3D mapping in changing natural environments and relies heavily on a variety of open source software packages to be able to collect and process data from the depths of the ocean to the frozen extents of the poles.

Dr. Toby Schneider is the owner and a Senior Oceanographic Engineer at GobySoft, LLC, a small business focused on open source software development and applications for marine autonomy and underwater communications. He is the principal developer and maintainer of the Goby and DCCL open source projects.

Dr Michael Benjamin is a Principal Research Scientist at MIT in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research focus is on autonomy algorithms and software for unmanned marine vehicles. In 2005 he founded an open source project named moos-ivp.org comprising dozens of marine autonomy applications including the IvP Helm for autonomous decision making, and COLREGS autonomy on unmanned surface vessels. His software is used on many different types of unmanned marine vehicles around the world, and he continues to lead the open source project with yearly releases and workshops at MIT.

Thursday, September 24 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Organizers: Henry Ruhl; Amy West; Jason Adelaars; Collin Closek; Chamonix Toledo
Abstract: Ocean technology testbeds help bridge the gap between promising new technologies and needs for real-world ocean management. But getting new technologies into routine use remains challenging due to access to testing facilities, cost, technology maturity, confidence in data quality, and limited collaboration between developers and end users. This session will briefly highlight the outcomes from Synchro’s collaborative no-cost testing and evaluation program, advances in accessible ocean technology (AOT), and lessons from a pilot study focused on monitoring ecosystems, such as those in offshore wind lease areas. Following that synopsis there will be a broader panel discussion with technology developers, accelerators, industry, researchers, and resource managers on what it takes to move new technologies from testing to adoption. Together, the session will explore how testbed programs can help build confidence in emerging technologies, strengthen partnerships between developers and users, and speed the delivery of practical tools and information for ocean management.
Ryan Searcy (Hohonu): Ryan Searcy is Hohonu’s Lead Data Scientist, overseeing the translation of raw sensor data to high quality, actionable data products. He has over 10 years of professional experience in the governmental, non-profit, academic, and startup spaces. His work has focused on applying data science and machine learning to issues revolving around coastal health and resilience. Ryan earned his BS in Environmental Engineering and MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego, and his PhD in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.
Zack Johnson (Sofar Ocean Technologies): Zack Johnson is the Field Operations & Customer Success Lead at Sofar Ocean Technologies and Developer Relations Lead at Bristlemouth, an open standard for marine hardware integration. An engineer, entrepreneur, and citizen scientist, he has spent more than a decade making ocean exploration more accessible—from helping start OpenROV to leading marine deployments, technical support, and customer success at Sofar Ocean Technologies.
Canon Purdy (StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator Program, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego): Canon has supported the StartBlue accelerator and Scripps research innovations, spin outs, and industry collaborations, including the Scripps Corporate Alliance, since 2022. She earned a Masters of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Tiffany C.Vance (NOAA/US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)): Tiffany Vance is IOOS’ Ocean Technology Transition Program Manager. She also leads activities for the National Harmful Algal Bloom Network and the Coastal Modeling Cloud Sandbox. Trained as a geographer and oceanographer, her experience ranges from sea going operations to data management to technology implementation.
Jasmine Eggleton (Oshen): Jasmine holds a degree in Oceanography. She began in sales at Nortek, building a foundation in marine instrumentation, before moving to Sofar Ocean where she played a key role in growing the commercial adoption of Spotter buoys across global markets. Now at Oshen, she is focused on building the commercial sector from the ground up, bringing the C-Star autonomous surface vessel and its persistent metocean and acoustic data to customers across the globe.

 

Thursday, September 24 | 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Organizers: Deborah Smith; Megan Cromwell
Abstract: AI tools are moving quickly from novelty to daily practice in ocean data management, helping teams automate quality control, generate metadata, clean and standardize messy datasets, accelerate curation and archiving, and make data more accessible. Used well, they let stretched teams do more with the data they already have and rescue data that would otherwise go underused. Adoption is uneven, and this panel creates space for candid discussion of what actually works, what doesn’t, and what it means for governance. Bringing together practitioners from academia, industry, government, and data-archiving institutions for a frank, experience-driven conversation, the panel begins with the cases where AI has genuinely helped, which tools have earned a lasting place in their workflows, and concrete wins it has made possible. The discussion then turns to lessons learned: tools that overpromised, outputs that couldn’t be trusted, and how to judge when a task is right for automation versus when to keep a human in the loop. It closes on governance and ethics, framed as open professional opinion rather than prescription: data ownership and provenance, accountability when automated processing fails, transparency, and how much human oversight is enough.
Moderator Deborah Smith – Deborah Smith is the Data governance Manager for the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, she has worked as a Hydrographer, Marine Technician and Data Manager for the last 25 years. Using AI in data management and governance is a recent addition and interest.
Panelist Dr. Joshua Hill – Dr. Joshua B. Hill is Director of the Institute for Advanced Analytics and Society (IAAS) at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he leads applied AI development for federal partners including NOAA. He directs AQUAVIEW, an oceanographic data platform that makes NOAA ocean and atmospheric datasets easier to discover, access, and use.
Panelist  Tiffany C. Vance  NOAA/US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) – Tiffany Vance is Lead for NOAA/NOS Coastal Modeling Cloud Sandbox, IOOS’ Ocean Technology Transition Program Manager, IOOS lead for the National Harmful Algal Bloom Network and in IOOS’ Data Management/Cyberinfrastructure group.  Trained as a geographer, her experience ranges from sea going operations to data management to technology implementation.
Panelist Dr. Kakani Katija is a Bioengineer, Principal Engineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and has a PhD in Bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. As lead of the Bioinspiration Lab, Kakani and her group are developing novel imaging and illumination tools, automating the processing of visual data using artificial intelligence, building large-scale community science contributions through mobile gaming, and integrating next-generation algorithms on robotic vehicles.
Panelist Megan Cromwell is the Assistant Chief Data Officer for NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS), where she leads data governance, policy development, and the implementation of innovative technological (AI) solutions to ensure NOAA data are FAIR: findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.

Tuesday, September 22 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Organizer: Nicholas Rome; William Sherrod; Nicole Palma

Abstract: Greater coordination across Monterey Bay’s marine science, technology, and operations community can turn institutional excellence into solutions for regional needs and global ocean challenges. OCEANS’26 participants are invited to help shape how an expanded Monterey Bay Crescent Ocean Research Consortium (MBCORC) can strengthen the region’s leadership, create opportunities across ocean sectors, and generate sustained scientific, environmental, and economic impact.

This session will explore how MBCORC can better connect the region’s remarkable concentration of research institutions, technology developers, educators, observing programs, and resource managers. Panelists will examine lessons from earlier iterations of the consortium, consider durable governance and coordinated resource models, and identify practical approaches to shared funding, workforce, research, and innovation challenges. Participants will contribute their experience, build new connections, and help define priorities and actionable near-term commitments for MBCORC’s next phase.

Keynote and Panelist (Regional and National Leadership):
Marcia McNutt, Former President, National Academy of Sciences

Marcia McNutt is a geophysicist and former President of the National Academy of Sciences. She previously led MBARI and the U.S. Geological Survey and helped establish MBCORC. Her experience spanning deep-sea research, technology innovation, public service, and scientific governance offers an exceptional perspective on durable regional ocean collaboration.

Panelist (Research and Technology):
Antje Boetius, President and Chief Executive Officer, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Antje Boetius is President and CEO of MBARI and former Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute. A global leader in polar and deep-sea research, she integrates ocean observation technology with ecosystem science and brings extensive experience leading international research programs, cross-institutional partnerships, and UN Ocean Decade initiatives.

Panelist (Research and Technology):
Fiorenza “Fio” Micheli, Chair, Oceans Department, and Co-Director, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University

Fiorenza Micheli is the David and Lucile Packard Professor of Marine Science, Chair of Stanford’s Oceans Department, and Co-Director of the Center for Ocean Solutions. A marine ecologist, she connects ecological research, climate adaptation, and community-based resource management to advance effective regional and global ocean solutions.

Panelist (Education and Workforce):
Eric Palkovacs, Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

Eric Palkovacs directs UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries Collaborative Program and is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. His research spans freshwater and coastal ecology, fisheries management, and aquatic conservation. He brings extensive experience building cross-institutional research partnerships and connecting coastal science with policy and management.

Panelist (Entrepreneurship and Economics):
Jessica (Jessi) Trybus, Entrepreneur and Former Firestarter, X, the Moonshot Factory

Jessi Trybus drives future-positive Blue Economy innovation through unique partnerships, deep tech, R&D, capital,…. and being IN the ocean. With over 25 years of experience spanning Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory, Carnegie Mellon faculty, and serial entrepreneurship, she brings expertise in catalyst building, risk, innovation models, and moonshot design thinking to advance regional ocean capacity and job creation.

Host and Session Lead:
Nicholas Rome, Director, Center for Ocean Leadership (COL), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
Nicholas Rome is Director of UCAR’s Center for Ocean Leadership, where he coordinates interagency ocean initiatives involving NOAA, NSF, NASA, and other partners. Drawing on experience in ocean observing, cross-sector governance, and previous work at MBARI, he builds multi-institutional partnerships that advance regional, national, and global ocean priorities.

Moderator and Facilitator:
Bill Sherrod, Associate Director, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University

Bill Sherrod is Associate Director of Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, leading strategic planning, infrastructure, facilities, and government and community relations. Drawing on 29 years of U.S. Navy leadership and experience in regional economic development, he brings valuable insight into durable governance, shared infrastructure, and alignment among institutions and sectors.

Wednesday, September 23 | 13:30 PM – 15:00PM

Organizers: Kakani Katija; Joost Daniels; Emily Clark; Kevin Barnard; Lilli Carlsen; Laura Chrobak

Abstract: Ocean imagery is accumulating faster than we can analyze it. AI could help, but data is messy, inconsistent, and short on expert-labeled examples. Anyone who has annotated, shared, or trained models on ocean imagery knows the frustrations: fragmented tools, inconsistent taxonomies, and no easy way to build on others’ work. FathomNet is a global collaborative program built to fix this. It offers a public database for sharing expert-annotated ocean imagery and machine learning models, a web portal for AI-assisted collaborative annotation, and a mobile app that turns anyone with a device into a contributor to ocean discovery. This town hall is an open conversation. Panelists will share their use cases, the FathomNet team will tour the ecosystem, then we’ll turn it over to you: What’s broken in your image data workflow? Where do current tools fall short? What would make cross-institutional collaboration actually work? Bring your frustrations, wish lists, and ideas, let’s build this together.

Kakani Katija, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, USA: Kakani is a Principal Engineer at MBARI where she leads the Bioinspiration Lab and the FathomNet Program. She’s generally interested in quantitative underwater biological observations using imaging, robotics, and machine learning. (conflicts: AI as a Tool for Ocean Data Management and Accessibility: Practical Wins, Hard Lessons, and Open Questions on Governance)

Deborah Smith, University of Rhode Island, Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, USA. Deborah is the Data Governance Manager for the NOAA OECI at URI, and she has worked as a Hydrographer, Marine Technician, Ocean mapper and Exploration Data Manager for the last 25 years. She is currently working on and supporting projects to bring ocean data closer to the user and the public. (conflicts: AI as a Tool for Ocean Data Management and Accessibility: Practical Wins, Hard Lessons, and Open Questions on Governance)

Ivan Masmitja, Institut de Ciencies del Mar, Barcelona, Spain: Ivan is currently a Ramon y Cajal researcher at ICM-CSIC in Barcelona, working with underwater technology, target tracking, marine robotics, and machine learning algorithms. (conflicts: submission 126 and 127)

Mashkoor Malik, NOAA Ocean Exploration, USA: Mashkoor serves as the Division Chief for the Science and Technology Division within NOAA OE, where he oversees portfolios for competitive grants, marine archaeology, data, and technology. Previously he represented NOAA OE on the NOAA AI Executive Committee and co-authored the NOAA Artificial Intelligence Strategy. (conflicts: none)

Margaret Daly, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA: Margaret is an Earth Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Coastal Sciences Division. Research includes integrating active learning workflows into annotation, developing annotation best practices, and applying foundation models to optical, passive acoustic, and multi-sensor marine data. (conflicts: none)

Thursday, September 24 | 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Organizer: Tricia Compas-Markman

Abstract: Founders pursuing dual-use strategies must navigate complex regulatory and procurement environments, make critical intellectual property and capital structure decisions, and bridge the gap between non-dilutive federal R&D funding and the patient private capital needed for mid-stage growth. While there is a limited track record for raising venture capital in this sector, dual-use framing can unlock unique partnership opportunities, diversify revenue streams, and accelerate commercialization when navigated strategically. This panel, led by VentureWell’s Director of National Venture Programs, Tricia Compas-Markman, brings together perspectives from NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office, the Naval Postgraduate School, an oceantech founder, and a blue economy ecosystem stakeholder to unpack what makes a technology genuinely dual-use, where funding and partnership gaps persist, and how entrepreneurs can position themselves to capture the benefits while managing the tradeoffs of serving both civil and military markets.

Kirk Waltz – Faculty Associate-Research in the Energy Academic Group at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Kirk Waltz, BS, MS, MBA, is a licensed Texas environmental engineer, environmental consultant, and industry mentor with 20 years of experience across the value chain of the oil and gas industry and blue economy. At NPS he focuses on leveraging whole-of-government approaches and the commercial maritime nexus to advancing energy security and operational energy supply chain resilience. Kirk’s prior roles include leading business development for maritime future fuels and alternative energy R&D, novel distributed energy technology commercialization, and operationalizing environmental compliance solutions.

Amber Sparks, MAS – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Blue Latitudes LLC / FishLAT Amber Sparks is a marine scientist and Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Blue Latitudes, leading a team building sustainable solutions for offshore energy. She drives the commercialization of FishLAT, the company’s patent-pending AI platform delivering scalable, data-driven environmental intelligence to the offshore industry. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and a graduate of UC Berkeley and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Jennifer Stewart – Acting Deputy Director & Technology Transfer program Manager, NOAA Technology Partnerships Office Jennifer Stewart, BA, is the Technology Transfer Specialist at the NOAA Technology Partnerships Office. Jennifer works to maximize the impact of taxpayer investments in NOAA’s R&D, drawing from expertise in areas including innovation discovery, technology road mapping, intellectual property management, patent licensing, and cooperative research and development agreements.

Karen Jensen – Co-Director StartBlue, Ocean Enterprise Accelerator and Entrepreneur Advocate, University of California, San Diego, Rady School of Management Karen Jensen is Co-Director of the StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator at UC San Diego, where she has helped develop and lead the program since its inception in 2020. She brings more than a decade of experience supporting student and faculty entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into viable ventures, with a particular focus on sustainability and the blue economy.

Tricia Compas – Markman – Director, National Venture Programs, VentureWell (PANEL MODERATOR) Tricia Compas-Markman, BS, MS, implements VentureWell’s early-stage entrepreneur programs, including VentureWell’s Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, and provides training on topics ranging from customer discovery to investment-readiness. Previously, Tricia founded DayOne Response, a science and technology startup providing clean drinking water solutions to 35+ vulnerable communities. During her tenure, she built a company with international reach, developed key partnerships, invented and scaled water technologies, and secured financing.

Wednesday, September 23 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Organizers: Guillermo Auad; Rodney Cluck; Emily Ortiz

Abstract: Join the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), formerly the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, for an informational session on federal research, collaboration pathways, and upcoming opportunities. Presenters from the Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD), Engineering and Production Technology Division (EPTD), Office of Policy and Analysis, and the Environmental Studies Program (ESP) will outline how the MMA funds and uses research outcomes for offshore energy development and oversight. The session will highlight how the MMA coordinates research to support offshore safety, environmental protection, and informed decision making. We will summarize the OSPD’s oil spill response research role, and the EPTD’s technology focused research program. Speakers will describe the research lifecycle from gap identification to how completed research and peer reviewed findings translate into policy, regulatory guidance, and operational improvements. MMA’s Environmental Studies Program is the bureau’s primary research arm for environmental and socioeconomic science that informs planning, leasing, and environmental review across the Outer Continental Shelf. ESP’s multidisciplinary portfolio, spanning physical oceanography, ecology, environmental modeling, archaeology, and social science, provides essential analyses that support MMA decisions and interagency coordination. Examples of recent and ongoing studies will illustrate how MMA integrates scientific results into offshore stewardship. The session will conclude with guidance on where to find upcoming solicitations, differences among contracts, agreements and grants, Gold Standard Science requirements, peer review and a broad outlook on MMA and current research priorities. Attendees may opt for future research announcements. Who should attend: universities, laboratories, and contractors working in AI, remote sensing, robotics, spill response, engineering, ocean science, critical minerals, materials integrity, and other disciplines relevant to offshore safety and environmental protection. Keys: offshore research & oil spills; environmental & engineering offshore studies.

Panelist: Emily Ortiz
Marine Minerals Administration, US Department of the Interior
General Engineer

Emily Ortiz leads research and peer reviews for emerging technologies in the Technical Assessment Program at the Marine Minerals Administration. With a degree in ocean engineering from Texas A&M University, Emily began her career as a civilian engineer for the U.S. Navy, specializing in autonomous underwater vehicles and sonar systems.

Panelist: Rodney e. Cluck, ph.d.
Marine minerals administration
Chief, Environmental Science Manager

Dr. Rodney E. Cluck holds a Ph.D. in in environmental sociology. He currently leads MMA’s Environmental Studies Program, the scientific backbone that informs policy decisions regarding leasing and development of ocean minerals and energy.

Moderator: Guillermo Auad, Ph.D.
Marine Minerals Administration, US Department of the Interior
Senior Research Coordinator and Scientific Integrity Officer

Dr. Guillermo Auad is MMA Senior Research Coordinator and Scientific Integrity Officer. He is the lead editor of the book Partnerships in Marine Research, and forged award-winning Arctic partnerships and several international collaborations. He led research in interdisciplinary oceanography and complex systems, holding a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Thursday, September 24 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Organizers: Amanda Demopoulos; Rachel Medley; Michael Rasser; Logan Kline; Shari Rohret
Abstract: The Strategic Priorities for Ocean Exploration and Characterization in the Pacific Islands within United States Waters (Pacific Priorities Report; PPR, 2026) identifies critical needs for enhanced sensor technologies and data collection across the central and western Pacific. Developed from input from more than 75 federal experts, the PPR identifies priority geographic areas and science needs within the remote U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone across five themes: Benthic Ecology, Cultural Heritage, Non-living Marine Resources, Seafloor Hazards, and Water Column. Addressing these priorities requires interoperable sensors, data systems, and processing workflows, creating opportunities for industry to develop scalable solutions. This town hall will feature a panel of federal and industry experts discussing recent Pacific exploration successes, federal demand signals, industry engagement, and technology gaps. Panelists will explore how the PPR can inform investments, partnerships, and technology development. Attendees will gain insight into emerging federal investments and capabilities needed to advance deep-ocean exploration.
Rachel Medley (Panelist, NOAA Ocean Exploration): Rachel has been Chief of the Expedition and Exploration Division within NOAA Ocean Exploration since 2018. Since 2020, she has served as the NOAA co-chair of the IWG-OEC. Before joining NOAA Ocean Exploration, Ms. Medley worked for NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey for 12 years. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she also holds an M.S. from University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Geosciences as well as a M.S. in Ocean Mapping and IHO-Cat A certification from the University of New Hampshire, CCOM/JHC.
Michael Rasser (Panelist, Marine Minerals Administration): Michael Rasser, PhD, leads marine ecological research in MMA’s Environmental Studies Program, advancing science on marine habitats and how energy and mineral activities affect ocean ecosystems. As co‑chair of the NOMEC Council Interagency Working Group on Ocean Exploration and Characterization, he supports coordinated federal science to inform offshore decision‑making.
Dave Bernstein (Panelist, NV5 Geospatial): Dave Bernstein, Vice President of NV5 Hydrospatial, brings over 25 years of experience leading hydrographic programs. He provides strategic direction, program oversight, and business leadership for inland, coastal, and offshore hydrospatial solutions. Dave holds degrees in Environmental Geoscience/GIS and Marine Geology and is a PLS, GISP, and Certified Hydrographic Surveyor.
Logan Kline (Introductory Presenter, NOAA Ocean Exploration): Logan Kline is an Operations Support Analyst and Expedition Coordinator within the Expedition and Exploration Division of NOAA Ocean Exploration. She has served as Executive Secretary for the IWG-OEC since 2024, supporting the development, writing, and review of the Pacific Priorities Report. Her background includes wildlife monitoring, GIS, and technical writing.
Shari Rohret (Moderator, NOAA Ocean Exploration and WHOI Sea Grant):

Shari Rohret is a 2026 Knauss Fellow with NOAA Ocean Exploration. She serves as Executive Secretary for the IWG-OEC and supports interagency ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization efforts. She holds a PhD in Marine Geobiology (MIT-WHOI Joint Program), specializing in benthic ecology, biodiversity, and geochemistry of Yucatan cave systems.