Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2025)

MARITIME COASTAL SECURITY

MARITIME

COASTAL

SECURITY:

THE ROLE OF

USCG RESEARCH &

DEVELOPMENT © Iana Alter/AdobeStock

The United States' maritime coastal security poses a signi? cant challenge due to the vastness of its coastline and the complexity of its maritime borders.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National

Geodetic Survey there are approximately 95,000 miles of coastline. According to the Department of Homeland Security 2007 Transportation Systems publication there are “361 ports, and 3.3 million square miles of Exclusive

Economic Zone (EEZ) to secure”. The country's maritime borders present a formidable task for security agencies.

By Bert Macesker, & Dr. Joe DiRenzo, USCG Research and Development Center ow for a comparison - The combined land borders interior from invasion." The construction of the 42 major forts between the United States and Canada, according along the East and West Coasts was a testament to the gov- to the joint International Boundary Commission ernment's commitment to maritime coastal security. Many on is 2,380 miles. In addition, the joint US-Mexico these forts are now National Parks. The USCG Research and

NInternational Boundary and Water Commission Development Center (RDC) is co-located at one of these in state that the Mexico-United States border extends 1,954 miles. New London, CT, called Fort Trumbull. RDC moved into the

The combined US-Mexico and US-Canada borders of 4,334 remaining building from when the Navy Underwater Sound miles represent only 4.5% of the combined U.S. land and mari- Laboratory, also co-located, had long closed. time border and coastline that can potentially be exploited. While the forts are no longer active in conducting the coastal

In 1816, Congress appropriated an initial $800,000 ($19 security mission, it does not mean that maritime coastal security million in today’s dollars) to build a forti? cation system, re- is less important today. In fact, in the last ? ve years, a smuggling ferred to as the Third System, to protect the country's coast- situation has become so prevalent in the maritime environment line. President James Monroe's Second Inaugural Address in that the U.S State Department issued an “Advisory to the Ship- 1821 highlighted the signi? cance of maritime coastal security, ping Industry on the Illicit Movement Methods Related to the stating that "by these forti? cations, supported by our navy, to Traf? cking of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids” that noted: which they would afford like support, we should present to The opioid crisis is a serious epidemic that requires a other powers an armed front from the St. Croix to the Sabine, multidisciplinary approach including aggressive investi- which would protect, in the event of war, our whole coast and gation and prosecution, in addition to collaboration with 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2025

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