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Aresurgent inland marine sector finds itself in the bright spotlight for many reasons in February. A common theme tying each of these together is the increasingly sophisti- cated nature of the vessels involved, the mariners that propel them and the business models upon which all of it is based. Distilling that down to one word isn?t easy, but if you could, the word that best describes the journey would have to be ?change.? Nobody likes change. That said, the changes coming to the inland and brown water mar- kets might be initially painful, but eventually, they will yield fruit in way of increased effi- ciencies, safer and better qualified mariners and a fleet which more closely complies to the higher regulatory standards that are soon to come. You can there from here. This issue of MarineNews outlines how. Susan Buchanan takes us on a journey on the inland waterways, led by one longtime bulk transport operator that nav- igates this fast shifting environment, every day. As you will soon find out, merely holding fast in one place is no longer an option for those moving bulk commodities in domestic waters. In our TECH section, that story is fleshed out a bit further as domestic operators will soon discover a new entry ? U.S. built, in fact ? into an already crowded propulsion market. On the water and in the back office, the business of running a competitive marine business is also getting a makeover. A plethora of new software packages addresses the growing technical savvy of brown water players, helping to address emerging regulatory issues, as well as providing a raft of analytical tools designed to facilitate cogent and timely business decisions. Operators ignore this particular development at their own peril. For the same reason, MarineNews does not.Shifting gears, and in another equally important sector of our market focus, Raina Clark outlines another sea change occurring in Arctic waters. As commerce, trade and eco-tourism expand exponentially there, the same cannot be said for the salvage capabilities that will play a vital role in addressing potential casualties. Providers already in place know that Arctic response, embracing the growing trend of industry cooperation between salvors elsewhere, is a different ani- mal altogether. Before you increase your business footprint the region, you will want to find out how, and why. It IS getting more complicated out there. You certainly don?t need me to tell you why. There is also no need to go it alone when there are ample resources at your disposal to make the journey just a little bit easier. As part of the big pic- ture, each of these foregoing components makes up an important part of adapting to the emerging, stormy climate. It really isn?t possible to avoid change; how you adapt to it, though, will make all the difference. Consider this edition of MarineNews, rounded out nicely by seasoned boatbuilding advice and some sim- ple, but important ways to limit your legal exposure, as the first tool out of the box. 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 6MNFebruary 2012 EDITOR?S NOTEkeefe@ marinelink.comMN#2 (1-17):MN 2011 Layouts 2/3/2012 11:19 AM Page 6