The Next Frontier: How Unmanned Systems are Revolutionizing the American Blue Economy | American Blue Economy Podcast

March 21, 2023

Join us as we explore the ocean's future with drones.

In this month's episode of The American Blue Economy Podcast, our host Rear Admiral, Tim Gallaudet, PhD, US Navy (ret) examines how marine autonomy - or drone technology - contributes to our ocean and coastal economy. It is the 3rd in a series on technology in the American Blue Economy, building on previous episodes where he Explored the Wonders of Biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence in the Blue Economy. All 3 areas were described in his October 2022 article 7 Technologies Revolutionizing Our Understanding of the Ocean in RealClearScience. He is joined by four guests who are world-class leaders in operating uncrewed (unmanned) systems for ocean understanding, conservation, and sustainable use: Alex Ligon,  Program Specialist at the Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) Division of NOAA’s UxS Operations Center in Gulfport Mississippi;  Chelsea Parrish, a newly minted NOAA Twin Otter pilot, but formerly an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilot and cetacean photogrammetry specialist at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) in LaJolla California; Jen Walsh, a research biologist and glider uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) pilot also at NOAA SWFSC; and rounding it out, Grant Rawson, physical scientist and another glider UUV pilot at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). Check it out if you are interested in learning how robots are revolutionizing the American Blue Economy!

Show Transcription
This transcription was generated by a computer. Please excuse any errors.
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.