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bridge clearance data to know when it is safe to deliver goods. This study will begin to quantify our economic beneÞ ts with facts, Þ gures, company names and more.Ó Observing Impact According to Steve Talley, PhD, project manager for the ER- ISS study, the effort lies in looking at who is taking IOOS ocean observation data, adding value to it and/or using it to create a product. Talley said that many people use the datastream Ñ from oil and gas companies planning deep ocean exploration to people creating windsurÞ ng forecast smartphone applica- tions Ñ and donÕt even realize where it comes from. ÒWe want to learn about who is using the data, and what they are doing with it,Ó said Tally. ÒWe want to know what the bar- riers may be in the way of people making full use of the data, and if users know how to fully understand the data.Ó Tally says the assumption is that many people are using the IOOS data for economic beneÞ t, and the study wants to de- termine the impact of that. ÒWho is using the data, and is it doing any good?Ó Ocean observation is a sub-sector of Blue Tech, and includes manufacturers, service suppliers and intermediaries. These companies may not be exclusively working in ocean observa- tion. There are big companies, but the majority have less than 20 employees. ÒWe want to get recognition of the impact of this Ôcluster,Õ and show people that ocean observing is a huge economic boon to grow business to create revenue,Ó Tally says. ÒWe also want to Þ nd out if we can help business expand if they were able to interact better with IOOS. We may need to educate people, and establish a training center,Ó he says. The project has taken off. What was originally going to be a three-year study is being compressed into two years because people are so anxious to see the results.ÒWe canÕt do a complete technical economic impact report. Our study is more of an economic proÞ le. But it will be a very informative report,Ó Tally says. ÒIt may lead to a follow-on project.Ó (For information on the study: http://www.usworks.com/usioos/) Blue Voice The Maritime Alliance will host the 6th annual BlueTech & Blue Economy Summit and Tech Expo on Nov. 12-13 in San Diego to focus with public and private sector executives on an array of topics important to the growth of the Blue Economy. The Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony on the evening of Nov. 12 will focus on OceanSTEM (science, technology, engineer- ing and math related to the oceans), maritime workforce de- velopment and the creation of a national Blue Voice. For information on the Expo, turn to page 52 & 53 The Summit will also examine coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) efforts to identify the best use of the oceanÕs resources. CMSP is a comprehensive, adaptive, integrated, ecosystem-based, and transparent planning process for cur- rent and projected uses of the maritime environment. It is based on sound science and integrates ecological, economic, and social information to inform management and regulatory decisions, reduce conß icts, and facilitate compatibility among projected uses, while sustaining the StateÕs marine ecosystem and resources for present as well as future generations.ÒWe are promoting San Diego as a site for CMSP, but there is no current process underway,Ó Jones says. The U.S. Small Business Administration announced on Sept. 30 that it was supporting a new regional innovation clusters, to include a Marine Industries Science and Technology (MIST) cluster along I-10 Corridor including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The MIST cluster will focus on the Stennis Space CenterÕs ecosystem of world class marine tech- nology research, the highest concentration of oceanographers in the world, and a broad consortium of federal and state part- ners to provide targeted support for the creation and growth of small businesses involved in Òblue technology.Ó www.marinetechnologynews.com Marine Technology Reporter 41MTR #8 (34-49).indd 41MTR #8 (34-49).indd 4110/10/2014 11:23:52 AM10/10/2014 11:23:52 AM