Coast Guard, Scripps Launch Blue Technology Center of Expertise

The U.S. Coast Guard and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego will launch the Blue Technology Center of Expertise (COE) on the Scripps Oceanography campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and expo in San Diego, Friday.

Rep. John Garamendi, Rep. Scott Peters, Rep. Mike Levin, UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla, Port of San Diego Commissioner Marshall Merrifield, Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, Vice Adm. Michael F. McAllister, and the 11th Coast Guard District Commander, Rear Adm. Peter W. Gautier, are scheduled to speak at the event to celebrate the partnership between Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard entered into an agreement with Scripps Institution of Oceanography to establish the Blue Technology COE, which will provide opportunities for rapid identification and integration of new blue technologies into current Coast Guard capabilities.

Blue technology is any technology, system or platform designed for use above, on, or below the surface of the ocean that can support or facilitate Coast Guard maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, emergency response, maritime law enforcement, marine inspections and investigations.

A COE is a group of people from different disciplines who work together to increase performance and efficiency in certain areas. The Blue Technology COE will enable sharing of information between the Coast Guard and the private sector, other federal agencies, academia and nonprofit organizations.