Page 6: of Marine News Magazine (October 2011)

The Autumnal Equinox has come and gone. This means many things to many people, but beyond the advent of colder weather that is surely just over the next sea swell, it also means that we find ourselves rapidly headed towards the end of yet another cal- endar year. October, therefore, is an appropriate time for our annual Yearbook edition. It is a time to reflect on what transpired over the past 12 months but also to look ahead to what is yet to come. In this issue of MarineNews , we do both. Still by far the biggest story of the past year has been the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and what that means to the waterfront. A properly chastised offshore marine and oil & gas sector has also seen the issuance of the long-awaited BOEMRE joint investi- gation report and then ramped up to meet the new drill safety rules. As the offshore energy sector presses the Obama administration to accelerate resumption of offshore drilling permits, our report catalogues the current business and environmental conditions in the U.S. GOM. It is one you won?t want to miss. A year in review also isn?t complete unless we also take a hard look at the regulatory, legislative and statistical climate affecting your business market. That broad metric takes in a lot more than the raft of new rules facing drilling opera- tors. On the inland rivers, Congress continues to lag in its responsibility to properly fund waterway infrastructure proj- ects. Elsewhere, the EPA may well have a nasty surprise coming down the river as we head into December. And, while our brown water fleets, mariners and their employers are usually pretty good about meeting any stiff challenge, the col- lective weight of this might just surprise you. But, you?ll need to read deeper into this edition to find out how ? and why. The perspectives of two of the most respected names in naval architecture also await you inside this edition. It?s no secret that Guido Perla Associates and Gibbs & Cox both enjoy solid reputations in the workboat, coastal and inland sectors. Nevertheless, how and why they succeed, year after year, is even a better story. Whether it is navigating the divide between military specification building and class rules (and joining the two) or providing the leading role in diesel-electric power on the water, each remains busy in an extraordinarily difficult time by doing what they do best: listening to their customers.Finally, and just when you think that there is more than enough gloom to go around, the folks that make up the vast majority of our U.S.-flag merchant marine ? the coastal, inland, Great Lakes and OSV workboat industries ? show true innovation and the wherewithal to bring those ideas to life and ultimately to the market itself. Three of those ideas, as chronicled in the pages of this magazine, promise measurable improvement to inland infrastructure, regulatory rule-making and the environment itself. If that?s not reason enough for opti- mism, then I don?t know what is. SUBSCRIBESubscribe to the print or electronic edition of MarineNews at www.marinelink.com/renewsubscr/Renew04/subscribe.html or e-mail Kathleen Hickey at [email protected] DAILY NEWS via E-MAILTwice every business day we provide breaking news, tailored to your specification, delivered FREE directly to your e-mail. To subscribe visit http://maritimetoday.com/login.aspx POST & SEARCHJOBSJob listings are updated daily and help match employers with qualified employees. Post a position or keep abreast of new employment opportunities at http://www.maritimejobs.com ADVERTISEMN offers a number of print and electronic advertising packages. To see our editorial calendar and advertising rates, visit www.marinelink.com/AdvRates/Rates.asp Joseph Keefe, Editor, [email protected] Online Resources 6MNOctober 2011EDITOR?S NOTEkeefe@ marinelink.comMN#10 (1-17):MN 2011 Layouts 10/5/2011 1:25 PM Page 6