Project Recover: How blue tech helps locate and recover fallen U.S. service members lost at sea | American Blue Economy Podcast

April 19, 2022

The team and tech that brings the lost at sea home.

In the April episode of the American Blue Economy Podcast, host Rear Admiral (ret) Tim Gallaudet adds one more story about the American Blue Economy connecting to our military. Building on last month's show where he explored some of the ways that ocean industries support the military, as well as how Navy installations and employees contribute to coastal economies, Rear Admiral Gallaudet introduces us to Project Recover, a nonprofit that is using blue tech to find, recover, and repatriate the remains of fallen U.S. service members that have been missing in action. Joining our host are Dr. Patrick Scannon, Director and President Emeritus of  Project Recover, and Dr. Derek Abbey, CEO and President. Our guests discuss the recently released short film To What Remains that profiles several Project Recover missions. From archival research, undersea search with scuba and autonomous underwater vehicles, to the return of remains to the family members and communities of the fallen, To What Remains beautifully illustrates how Project Recover uses the same blue tech that supports the American Blue Economy to uphold one of our nation’s highest values - leave no one behind.

Show Transcription
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Adm. Tim Gallaudet

Rear Admiral Gallaudet, PhD, USN (ret) is the CEO of Ocean STL Consulting. From 2017-2021, he served as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere / Deputy NOAA Administrator, and from 2017-2019 he also served as the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere / NOAA Administrator. As Acting Administrator, he led the agency comprised of 20,000 federal employees and contractors managing the nation’s fisheries, coastal resources and waterways, weather satellites, weather services, and environmental research, overseeing a $6B annual budget and daily operations of 18 environmental satellites, 16 oceanographic ships, 9 aircraft, 450 boats, and 400 technical divers, 6 supercomputers, over a dozen laboratories, and several hundred field sites across the country. As the Deputy Administrator, he led NOAA’s Blue Economy activities that advance marine transportation, sustainable seafood, ocean exploration and mapping, marine tourism and recreation, and coastal resilience. Prior to NOAA, Rear Admiral Gallaudet served for 32 years in the US Navy, completing his career as the Oceanographer of the Navy. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the US Naval Academy, and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, all in oceanography.