Trends – Professional Mariner

Global shock reshapes shipping beyond Hormuz

A disruption thousands of miles from North America is rapidly reshaping the economics and risk profile of U.S. and Canadian shipping. The escalation of conflict involving Iran has effectively sidelined the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, where roughly a fifth of global oil supply typically transits. Vessel traffic through the strait has dropped sharply…

Industry launches harassment prevention training

A new training program aimed at preventing sexual assault and harassment at sea is rolling out across the U.S. maritime industry, part of a broader push to implement reforms under the Safer Seas Act, a federal maritime law aimed at combating misconduct onboard vessels and strengthening protections for mariners across the industry. The Ship Operations Cooperative Program, working with MarAd,…

On chafe: Cordage’s most predictable problem fuels a niche market

The former editor of Ocean Navigator — a magazine formerly under the same publishing umbrella as Professional Mariner — has written that rope is the quiet backbone of civilization and a multiplier of human ingenuity. Twisted fibers allowed early hunters to bind stone spear points to wooden shafts, lash tools together and set traps. Nets woven from cordage harvested fish…

MarAd takes lead on deepwater ports as federal oversight shifts

esponsibility for licensing and overseeing U.S. deepwater ports is shifting from the U.S. Coast Guard to the Maritime Administration (MarAd), a change that could reshape how offshore energy and cargo projects are reviewed and approved. Under a move announced in early January, MarAd will take over deepwater port licensing from the U.S. Coast Guard, overseeing projects such as LNG terminals…

New leadership takes helm at MarAd, Coast Guard and FMC

After months of uncertainty surrounding leadership at the U.S. Maritime Administration, Stephen Carmel was confirmed as the agency’s 21st administrator by the U.S. Senate in December 2025 by a 53–43 vote. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1979, Carmel sailed as a licensed deep-sea master and tanker captain before coming ashore to serve in senior operational and…

Stop-work orders and grant reneges create uncertainty in US offshore wind industry

An air of uncertainty hangs over the U.S. offshore wind industry after the Trump Administration halted numerous projects at various stages of completion, canceled federal funding for ports meant to support wind farms and had numerous federal agencies, which typically don’t engage in energy policy, weigh in against offshore wind. On Aug. 22, the Trump administration issued a stop-work order…

Survey targets mental health, well-being of mariners

The University of Washington invites mariners from the U.S. maritime industry to take 10 to 15 minutes to anonymously complete the “2025 Mariner Mental Health & Well-being Survey” by scanning a QR code at the end of this aricle. Who is eligible to participate? We want to hear from sailing, credentialed mariners who work on U.S.-flagged vessels — including licensed…

Federal maritime safety committees disbanded

As part of its efforts to reduce the scope and scale of the federal government, the Trump administration dismissed U.S. Coast Guard-credentialed mariners on nine federal advisory committees consulting on a variety of maritime issues, particularly on matters of safety. In a Jan. 20 memo, then-acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Benjamine C. Huffman said, “I am directing the…

Emerging AI technology can create safer, more efficient maritime operations

What exactly can artificial intelligence (AI) do for mariners? Well, potentially a lot. Like the emergence of electronics more than a century ago, it may not always be the answer, but in general AI can enhance many existing aspects of maritime practices and potentially revolutionize others. For starters, the capabilities of AI can serve as a critical backstop for crew,…

Navy Secretary urges investment in U.S. shipbuilding

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has met with two top South Korean shipbuilding industry executives in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for talks aimed at attracting Korean investment in “integrated commercial and naval shipbuilding facilities” in the U.S. Del Toro first visited Seoul, where he met with Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Dong Kwan Kim and HD Hyundai Vice…