Page 16: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2020)

Funding Emerging Technology @ Schmidt Marine Technology Partners

T e Future is Now

By Carlie Wiener n an unseasonably warm Oc- ality. And the unifying factor amongst hopes of transforming the way society tober day in San Francisco, these groups is support from Schmidt uses ocean resources and protects them hundreds gather in the Dog- Marine Technology Partners (SMTP). for the future.

Opatch district to hear about SMTP is a relatively new program of SMTP’s goal at the demonstration was the latest innovations in ocean conser- the Schmidt Family Foundation, estab- to get the word out about some of the vation and science. Bubble barriers to lished in 2015, that is making signi? cant most creative groups tackling ocean is- trap plastic in river mouths and por- impact in marine technology develop- sues, and to get new investors and others table DNA scanners preventing illegal ment for ocean conservation and re- excited about the potential of the ? eld. wildlife traf? cking are just a few of the search. It provides funding and business SMTP is proving this can be done in the ground-breaking tools and technologies support to help groups develop tech- four short years that they have been op- that are transitioning from dream to re- nologies that solve ocean problems in erating.

SMTP Director

Mark Schrope provides welcome remarks at SMTP’s ? rst demonstration event.

Credit: Erika Montaue/SMTP January/February 2020 16

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