Page 6: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2006)

A nother major world region reeling from the effects of mother nature's wrath and on the road to recovery; a contagious disease with ramifications to the international shipping industry; a concerted push to finally start rebuilding the

U.S. Navy fleet to address current and evolving threats; 'new' marine technologies evolving from infancy to adoles- cence: a New Year (again), but some very familiar issues still at hand.

Welcome to 2006, where [a] the recovery of New

Orleans and the entire Gulf of Mexico region; [b] the potential Avian flu pandemic; [c] the U.S. Navy's LCS program and U.S. Coast Guard's

Deepwater program; and [d] emerging marine technologies, such as the extended acceptance of electric and pod propulsion promise to dominate headlines.

While the frequency of large, destructive storms seems to have numbed the public's reaction in the wake of the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in 2004 and 2005, it can- not be forgotten that a large number of individuals and organizations are still struggling to rebuild. Specifically, for Gulf region marine companies there is an acute shortage of qualified workers to build and repair facilities and vessels. While recovery of this critical world maritime region is underway, the continued struggles and successes of its players will be covered in these pages and those of sister-publication MarineNews throughout the year. While the Avian flu and the potential for a worldwide pandemic may occupy only a spot on the evening news for some, Dennis Bryant warns that the international maritime community had better lay the foundation now for plans in the event that the disease spreads far and wide. As he writes, starting on page 15, "The major impact of an avian flu pandemic for the international maritime industry will be delays and diversions on a large scale. For a period of time (perhaps six months), commercial activity will operate at a fraction of the level immediately preceding the outbreak. Ship owners and operators with long-term contracts will be unable to fully perform or will find that their commercial partners will be unable to perform."

Prospects for new construction of ships and vessels for the U.S. Navy and U.S.

Coast Guard has not been as vibrant in nearly a decade, as many indicators point to a prolonged upswing in defense dollars. The February 2006 edition of Maritime Reporter will offer an in-depth feature of the new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, currently underway at Manitowoc in Wisconsin.

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No. 1 Vol. 68

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Business Publications

Audit of Circulation, Inc. 9 VT Halter wins $28M Deal 13 Book Review 17 Electronics Update 37 Ship’s Store 38 Buyer’s Directory 40 Ad Index 42 Classifieds

On the Cover: Pictured on this month’s cover is an artist’s rendition of a futuristic ferry being developed by Maritime Applied

Physics Corporation and A. James Clark

School of Engineering researchers through the Maryland Industrial

Partnerships Program.

See story on page 24.

Editor’s Note www.marinelink.com [email protected]

On the Cover

Circle 200 on Reader Service Card

Coming in Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

February 2005

Cruise Shipping Annual

MR’s annual review of the best cruise ships delivered in 2005.

Clean Water Technology Maritime Satellite & Communication Coatings &

Corrosion Control Finland U.S. Navy: Littoral Combat Ship Report

March 2006

The Training & Education Edition

U.S. Navy - Littoral Combat Ship Profile Marine Electronics: Bridge Design

Maritime Security: Ship & Port Security Japan www.marinelink.com 6 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

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