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Licensed to work in: Alabama (21015), Alaska (AK3277, AK3277-1, AK3277-2), Arizona (0909624), Arkansas (40431), California (6030119, 00793885), Colorado, Connecticut (19683), Delaware (9970), Florida (MLD266), Hawaii (HI-3277, MS043), Idaho (MBL-8409), Illinois (MB.6760356), Indiana (11272), Iowa (2007-0093), Kansas (MC.0025313), Kentucky (MC71444), Louisiana (2713), Maine (SLM9710), Maryland (17740), Massachusetts (LS3277), Michigan (FR0018642), Minnesota (MN-MO-40020564), Mississippi (3277), Missouri (17-1881), Montana (3277, 3277), Nebraska (1908), Nevada (3874, 4368), New Hampshire (13604-MB), New Jersey (9400980), New Mexico (03201), New York (LMBC 109349, B500897), North Carolina (L-152533), North Dakota (MB102486), Ohio (MBMB.850093.000), Oklahoma (ML010253), Oregon (ML-4599, MS-8), Pennsylvania (21829, 67482), Puerto Rico (IH-138), Rhode Island (20142978LL, 20173482LS), South Carolina (MLS - 3277), South Dakota (ML.04740), Tennessee (109239 ), Texas, Utah (7477238, UDFI-RFMN2015, 10598473), Vermont (6060, 3277-1), Virgin Islands (VI-MLC-3277), Virginia (MC-4999, MC-4999), Washington (CL-3277), Washington D.C. (MLB3277), West Virginia (ML-23946), Wisconsin (212942BA), Wyoming (1902)

The U.S. military has a problem in the Western Pacific: the tyranny of distance and time. Delivering military force across the vast Pacific Ocean has never been easy, even for a country as blessed in resources and ingenuity as the United States. The problem has worsened as America's chief regional rival, China, has improved its ability to harm American interests quickly and with limited forewarning. Seventy years after Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China, China's military capabilities have matured to the point where, if directed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the People's Liberation Army (PLA) could launch a rapid attack to change the status quo, including territorial seizure, before the United States could meaningfully respond, thus presenting Washington with a fait accompli. American forces located outside the conflict area would have to penetrate China's anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) network to restore the status quo ex-ante, a daunting proposition. Under these circumstances, Washington might face the unenviable choice of doing nothing or escalating to higher levels of violence. Either way, the national interests of both the United States and its closest allies would suffer dramatically.

On April 29, the USCG reported administrative efforts in Puerto Rico and in Washington state to combat the aiming of high-powered lasers at vessels.

On April 29, the USCG reported administrative efforts in Puerto Rico and in Washington state to combat the aiming of high-powered lasers at vessels.

Washington Ports Criticize TRUMP Steel Tariffs.

Most species of whales are vulnerable to vessel collisions, and the probability of lethality increases logistically with vessel speed. An Automatic Identification System (AIS) can provide valuable vessel activity data, but terrestrial-based AIS has a limited spatial range. As the need for open ocean monitoring increases, AIS broadcasts relayed over earth-orbiting satellites, satellite AIS (SAIS), provides a method for expanding the range of AIS broadcast reception. We used SAIS data from 2013 and 2014 to calculate vessel density and speed over ground around the coast of Washington state in the northwestern United States. Nearby shipping lanes connecting the Ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, and in Canada, Vancouver, have the greatest density of vessel traffic arriving and departing. Knowledge of shipping activity is important in this area due to the nearby presence of NOAA designated Cetacean Density and Distribution Working Group's Biologically Important Areas (BIA) for large whale species vulnerable to vessel collisions. We quantified density and speed for each vessel type that transits through BIA's. We found that cargo and tanker vessels traveled the farthest distance at the greatest speeds. As ship-strike risk assessments have traditionally relied on terrestrial AIS, we explored issues in the application of SAIS data. Temporal gaps in SAIS data led to a resulting systematic underestimation of vessel speed in calculated speed over ground. However, SAIS can be helpful in documenting minimum vessel speeds across large geographic areas and across national boundaries, especially beyond the reach of terrestrial AIS receivers. SAIS data can also be useful in examining vessel density at broad scales and could be used to assess basin-wide open ocean routes. Future use of additional satellite platforms with AIS receivers and technological advances will help rectify this issue and improve data coverage and quality.

Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before walking to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House November 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump postponed a Saturday press conference designed to tout the "great success" of the Group of 20 meeting in Argentina, citing…

The inland waters around southern Vancouver Island and northern Washington State, known as the Salish Sea, host critical habitat for endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKW). This is, however, a highly traversed area, with approaches to industrial ports and coastal cities, international shipping lanes, ferry routes, and considerable recreational vessel traffic. Vessel noise is a key threat to SRKW prosperity, and so conservation measures directed to mitigate its effects have been explored annually since 2017. Here, we describe trials undertaken in 2020, which included spatially limited slowdown zones, exclusion areas as Interim whale Sanctuary Zones (ISZs), and a lateral displacement of tug transits to increase the distance between their route and SRKW foraging areas. To assess each of the measures we first considered the level of mariner participation using data from the Automated Identification Systems (AIS), mandatory for commercial vessels. Knowing this, the changes in soundscape were examined, focused on impacts on broadband (10 Hz to 100 kHz) ambient noise and the frequencies used by SRKW for communication (500 Hz to 15 kHz) and echolocation (15 to 100 kHz). A control period of two-months prior to trial initiation was used to quantify the changes. High levels (> 80%) of compliance were found for each measure, except ISZs, where observance was low. Median reduction in speeds ranged from 0.2-3.5 knots. Resulting sound reductions were most notable in the lower frequencies, although reductions were also recorded in SRKW pertinent ranges. Tug displacement also reduced ambient noise in these frequencies, despite making up a small portion of the overall traffic. The management trials were effective in reducing potential impacts singularly and in concert. Greater awareness and stakeholder engagement may increase compliance and, therefore, the efficacy of measures in the future.

Pirates shift tactics to target crews, not cargo.

Protesters halt operations at some western ports.

OBAMA, MODI Work To Deepen U.S. - India Cooperation On Maritime Security.

Somali pirates heading to Asia: US.