By Sara Hall
The “blue economy” is growing faster than ever.
West Coast companies are innovating new products and pioneering new methods to make the most out of the ocean’s resources, while maritime organizations are connecting entrepreneurs and accelerating startups to help meet the growing needs of the market.
The American blue economy grew faster than the nation’s economy as a whole in 2019, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. At that time, it supported 2.4 million jobs and contributed $397 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product through activities such as tourism and recreation, shipping and transportation, commercial and recreational fishing, power generation, research and related goods and services.
NOAA also noted that demand for maritime commerce is expected to triple by 2030 and points out that modern technology, sustainability and logistics require a “new blue economy.” It should be focused on improved data collection, analysis and dissemination of ocean and coastal-derived data and information to support economic growth, protect the ocean’s health and address societal challenges, the agency concluded.
In 2021, the U.S. West Coast contributed $69.6 billion to the GDP, according to NOAA’s 2024 Marine Economy Report. The study also found that the value of the West Coast regional blue economy to the GDP increased by 10% from 2011 to 2021.
California’s marine economy alone contributed about $51.3 billion (an increase of 7% over the previous decade), followed by Washington with $15 billion (10% growth). Oregon provided $3.4 billion (an increase of 54%) to the GDP, the report states.
The Pacific/Hawaii region contributed $9.2 billion to the GDP in 2021 (an increase of 8% in the 10-year time frame). The Alaska region provided $8.9 billion (although the value decreased by 32% over that 10-year span).
In early 2021, NOAA released its Blue Economy Strategic Plan for 2021-2025, which aimed to provide a roadmap for new ways to advance America’s Blue Economy and enhance the global ocean economy.
There are five areas of focus in the plan for NOAA to address through agency-wide initiatives: marine transportation, ocean exploration, seafood competitiveness, tourism and recreation and coastal resilience.
In a statement released with the plan, NOAA officials said the agency wants to bolster these areas through public-private partnerships, emerging technologies and development of STEM education and outreach efforts.
“By marshalling NOAA’s in-house expertise and collaborating with partners across the country, we can foster American business, entrepreneurship and education in service of a sustainable blue economy,” NOAA Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf said.
In late 2024, NOAA and the Department of Commerce announced proposed awards of $54.3 million for four organizations to act as “accelerators” to support ocean-focused small businesses and entrepreneurs. The investment was funded by the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s “Investing in America” agenda.
In a Dec. 9 statement, the agencies jointly recommended $13.5 million for the StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator; $13.4 million for gener8tor Great Lakes Innovation Accelerator; $13.5 million for VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, and $13.9 million for the Continuum (a partnership of seven ocean enterprise accelerators).
The four groups provide guidance, support and funding to small businesses and startups to help spur the development of technologies and services that address a wide range of maritime issues and bring solutions to market that will benefit coastal resilience.
“This program is the first of its kind,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said. “We are bringing the public and private sectors together to create sustainable business models for technologies, products and services that tackle climate resilience needs.”
NOAA, in collaboration with the Ocean Enterprise Initiative program, is also gathering data about blue economy needs and requirements, as well as studying the market and investment potential for those technologies.
“This program is about collaboration, partnership and most importantly, sending the signal that there is demand for ocean-based products and services to support the blue economy,” U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Director Carl Gouldman said. “We’re asking what’s needed, listening to the response and advancing solutions.”
In 2020, the Department of Energy and NOAA named Seatrec, based in Vista, Calif., as one of the winners of the DISCOVER stage of the Powering the Blue Economy: Ocean Observing Prize. The competition was designed to spur technology innovation, allow for easier and cheaper data collection across oceans and contribute to the growth of the blue economy.
“A strong and thriving Blue Economy demands innovation as NOAA seeks to expand it, along with regaining international leadership in global environmental observations and Earth-system modeling,” then-acting NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs said in a statement.
According to Seatrec, the prize was awarded to the company for its work in “creating a green energy solution for persistent ocean observation to power profiling floats and underwater gliders.”
The underwater floats and gliders are powered using Seatrec technology that harvests energy from the temperature differences in the ocean.
Seatrec tested a Sea-Bird Scientific Navis float in February 2020. It was powered by two Seatrec SL1 energy harvesting modules and successfully profiled to a depth of 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet). The SL1 harvests energy from temperature differentials in the ocean and converts it to stored electrical energy for future use.
Officials noted in a statement about the award that the energy could potentially power the profiling floats indefinitely. The continuous profiling would allow for more data to be captured, which would dramatically improve climate modeling and help drive a better understanding of the world’s oceans.
A prominent driver of the blue economy in the Pacific Northwest is Maritime Blue, which is playing a pivotal role in accelerating innovation, fostering sustainable growth and advancing ocean-based climate solutions.
The organization connects startups, industry leaders, policymakers and research institutions and investors, positioning Washington state as a leader in maritime innovation and sustainability.
“Our work, from decarbonizing maritime transport to empowering the next generation of maritime professionals, is creating real impact that benefits both our economy, environment and communities,” Maritime Blue CEO Joshua Berger said.
The organization is known for its Blue Ventures programs, which are designed to support the next generation of maritime innovators. The Innovation Accelerator offers venture-scale startups $100,000, while the regional incubators receive no-cost support, free office space and access to a rich network of industry mentors and potential partners.
What sets the programs apart is their connection to the Maritime Blue Cluster, North America’s largest blue economy network. Startups are able to directly engage with industry mentors and pilot opportunities. Through these connections, participants can accelerate their path to market and rapidly scale their solutions.
“The blue economy is a powerful engine for economic growth, but it must be driven by innovation and collaboration. Maritime Blue’s cluster model connects key stakeholders across sectors, accelerating the transition to a sustainable maritime future,” Maritime Blue Vice President of Operations Devon Emily Thorsell said.
One of Maritime Blue’s most impressive initiatives is Quiet Sound, which addresses the urgent need to reduce underwater noise pollution affecting endangered Southern resident killer whales.
Organization representatives have reported that, through voluntary vessel slowdowns and real-time whale tracking, Quiet Sound has reduced underwater noise by 50%, showing measurable progress in preserving marine ecosystems while supporting maritime commerce.
Maritime Blue is also playing a role in decarbonizing the maritime industry and advancing sustainable energy solutions.
The Sustainable Maritime Fuels Collaborative brings together stakeholders from across the supply chain to drive production and use of low-carbon fuels. Additionally, the Blue Wind program is working to position Washington state as a hub for the floating offshore wind supply chain, creating new opportunities for clean energy generation.
Washington Maritime Blue announced the launch of Blue Wind in October 2023. The collaborative initiative aims to activate the region’s offshore wind energy supply chain. According to a statement regarding the launch, the program would protect existing maritime jobs and greatly expand sustainable and equitable employment opportunities for people living in Washington state. The fields include shipbuilding, maritime operations, technology research and development, wind turbine and components manufacturing and materials transportation to offshore sites in Oregon and California.
In another partnership, Maritime Blue is set as the anchor tenant at the new Maritime Innovation Center (MInC) at the Port of Seattle. The project is part of the port’s investment to modernize the fisherman’s terminal. The flagship building will be a center for emerging maritime companies to tackle industry issues, find technical and financial support and utilize a space meant for incubators and accelerators.
Port of Seattle Commissioner Ryan Calkins said in a statement that MInC would foster an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation to ensure that all the sectors of the maritime industry have “not only a home, but an anchor in Seattle.
“The future of the maritime industry and the ocean economy is innovative, sustainable and equitable,” Calkins said.
The project broke ground in May and officials expect the facility to be open for use in the last quarter of 2025.
In California, the accelerator AltaSea, located on 35 acres at the Port of Los Angeles, is creating global partnerships to advance the blue economy.
AltaSea announced in November that it signed a fiscal sponsorship with Aquaai to partner on a Circularity for Biodiversity project.
Aquaai is a deep-tech climate company headquartered near San Diego and operating in Norway and the United Arab Emirates. The company’s closed-loop project applies data, A.I. and robotic fish sensor platforms to detect discarded fishing gear, remove it from the ocean and then upcycle it into robot fish to detect and collect more derelict equipment.
“Detecting and transforming discarded fishing gear into tools that can further clean the ocean, we’re creating a sustainable loop that not only protects marine life, but also supports the growing blue economy,” Aquaai co-founder and CEO Liane Thompson said.
Aquaai launched the project Dec. 2.
Also in November, Israel-based Eco Wave Power received the final permits necessary for the installation of the first-ever onshore wave energy pilot station in the United States, which would be located near AltaSea’s campus.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the permit, which allows Eco Wave Power to install eight wave energy floaters on the piles of an existing concrete wharf structure and an energy conversion unit, comprised of two 20-foot shipping containers, which is to be placed on the wharf deck and connected to the floaters.
Officials anticipate installation will be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
“We are thrilled to receive this final permit and move one step closer to bringing wave energy to the U.S.,” Eco Wave Power founder and CEO Inna Braverman said. “This project represents not only a technological breakthrough but also a crucial step in advancing the global transition to renewable energy. We are deeply grateful for the support of AltaSea, the Port of Los Angeles, Shell MRE and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as we work to make wave energy a key part of the sustainable energy landscape.”
Both Aquaai and Eco Wave Power are pioneers in their fields and are demonstrating the vast potential of the blue economy—advancing ocean-based solutions to drive economic growth and create new jobs, AltaSea President and CEO Terry Tamminen said.
In a May statement written jointly by Tamminen and California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, they point to the ocean as a “massive job-generating opportunity.”
“Enter the ‘blue’ economy: One of the fastest growing economic sectors in California. From ocean exploration and regenerative aquaculture to underwater robotics and renewable energy, the blue economy is expected to create new jobs of every kind, bringing opportunities that can benefit diverse communities,” Tamminen and Christian said.
In San Diego, the regional seaport is building a reputation as the “blue tech bay” as it actively works on driving sustainable development of the blue economy.
The Port of San Diego established its Blue Economy Incubator program in 2016 as a launch pad for entrepreneurs and ocean-related business ventures around the bay, providing funding, key assets, support services and pilot project facilitation.
In June, the port released the fifth edition of its Blue Economy Incubator Highlights Report. According to the report, $5.4 million in investments were leveraged by incubator companies, with another $2.5 million in research and development funds. It also noted that $1.95 million in funding went to support the launch of sustainable aquaculture and blue-tech pilot projects.
To date, 10 agreements have been approved by the Board of Port Commissioners with early-stage companies. Of those, six have been completed.
San Clemente, Calif-based startup HyperKelp Inc. is the latest addition to the portfolio.
The Port of San Diego partnered with HyperKelp in 2023 to demonstrate a sensor agnostic “smart” buoy platform designed to collect and aggregate data in near real-time and display results on an online dashboard for monitoring and live decision-making. The technology would monitor underwater noise levels, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and various water quality parameters.
As part of the pilot project, HyperKelp was tasked with developing, testing and validating a smart buoy hardware platform tailored for various port-specific monitoring activities.
Last summer, they launched five smart buoy platforms at sites located throughout the district’s tidelands. The buoys monitor underwater noise levels and various water quality parameters for the port’s environmental initiatives, including shellfish and seaweed aquaculture planning, environmental protection, conservation, restoration, enhancement and nature-based solutions projects.
Far to the north, the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska Blue Economy Center focuses on sustainability and amplifying community benefits through collaborative partnerships. ABEC balances stewardship and sustainable use of marine resources, while serving and developing opportunities and value-adding activities.
Established in 2019, the center aims to serve as a platform to connect existing resources in Alaska across the blue economy sectors, generating new funding for the state.
Much of ABEC’s focus in recent years has been in the area of mari-culture (marine aquaculture of macroalgae and shellfish), center Director Tommy Sheridan told Pacific Maritime. The effort receives funding from the Alaska Legislature, the Economic Development Administration Build Back Better program (Alaska Mariculture Cluster) and the city of Valdez.
Sheridan noted that ABEC has supported research around the state with partners from the Anchorage, Fairbanks and Southeast campuses of the University of Alaska.
The center also supports workforce development in collaboration with Prince William Sound College and Valdez.
The city was a key stakeholder when the Alaska Mariculture Cluster was awarded $49 million through an EDA Build Back Better regional challenge grant program in 2022. Funds are earmarked for programs that support the region’s growing mari-culture industry and ensure that it provides shellfish and seaweed for the long-term benefit of Alaska’s economy, environment and communities.
As part of the cluster’s work, the Valdez-based college is expected to collaborate with ABEC and other partners to create and implement a sustainable workforce development strategy, according to the UAF.
Hands-on training materials for kelp hatchery systems, farm operations and marine and food safety are all included.
The Alaska Blue Economy Center also supports the traditional Alaskan seafood industry through collaborations with partners at the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Iceland Ocean Cluster, Sheridan said.
Sara Hall has 15 years of experience at several regional and national magazines, online news outlets, and daily and weekly newspapers, where coverage has included reporting on local harbor activities, marine-based news, and regional and state coastal agencies. Her work has included photography, writing, design and layout.