The Maritime and Defense Technology Hub had the privilege of holding the reception for the Underwater Minerals Conference (UMC) — the world’s largest gathering of ocean-minerals stakeholders. Since 1970, UMC has served as a premier international forum for the marine minerals community, drawing representatives from more than 25 countries. The reception, hosted by Woolpert, brought together a mix of familiar collaborators and new companies.
The underwater minerals community relies on cross-sector collaboration — from mapping and sensing technologies, to environmental monitoring, to policy guidance — and our stakeholders play a vital role in advancing that mission. By holding the UMC reception, we were able to showcase the Hub as a place where those connections can form, deepen, and scale.
A new tool may have helped prevent the overfishing of Gulf gag grouper. Challen Hyman and his colleagues created a statistical model that factors in how anglers actually behave when regulations change.
Applications are also open for Braid Theory’s 2026 Ocean Enterprise Accelerator. This NOAA-funded, 90-day program supports startups advancing innovation in the blue economy
Announcing your 2026 State of Science and Innovation Speakers!