The following is text of a news release from the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College:
(THROGGS NECK, N.Y.) — State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College will install Ocean Guardian, a digital environmental compliance tool, aboard the training ship Empire State VI (T/S Empire State) for Summer Sea Term 2018 to provide cadets with hands-on environmental compliance training with the latest technology. SUNY Maritime is the first maritime college in the world to install Ocean Guardian on a training vessel.
SUNY Maritime provides cadets with real-world experience and contacts through its programs and curriculum. With environmental compliance operations increasingly complex and essential onboard vessels, SUNY Maritime aims to provide students with the latest technology and advanced training, so they are well prepared for the work force.
“Protecting our oceans is a critical piece of a SUNY Maritime College student’s education,” said Lori Kie, director of communications at SUNY Maritime. “The college is proud to partner with Ocean Guardian to bring this technology to training ship Empire State VI.”
Developed by Total Marine Solutions, Ocean Guardian is a digitization tool that matches a vessel's location to a comprehensive regulatory database. The database includes international, national, regional, port and company regulations for discharge streams worldwide. The at-a-glance simplicity of Ocean Guardian helps operators immediately understand what can and cannot be discharged, while instant access to digital copies of regulations increases operator competency and understanding of regulations.
“We’re proud to be partnering with SUNY Maritime to enhance the education, competency and training that the cadets receive through real-world applications,” said Total Marine Solutions President Alexandra Anagnostis Irons.
Total Marine Solutions will oversee the installation of Ocean Guardian and SUNY Maritime alumna Anna Silva (’98) will be on hand to deliver training to officers, instructors and approximately 740 cadets before the ship departs campus. The ship will leave Throggs Neck, N.Y., on May 7. This year, the ship will be calling on San Juan, Puerto Rico; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Glasgow, Scotland; Gaeta, Italy; and Ponta Delgada, Azores, before returning to New York on Aug. 10.
“The ship’s worldwide itinerary will really give cadets the chance to understand firsthand how complex the regulatory environment is,” said Silva, who is also Total Marine Solutions' manager of business development. “Training with Ocean Guardian will give them a real-world understanding of how the latest technology can help vessels enhance environmental compliance operations.”
One of the requirements to earn a U.S. Coast Guard license (deck or engine) is to accrue 180 days of sea time prior to taking the USCG license exam to become a merchant mariner. T/S Empire State VI and Summer Sea Term allow cadets to gain this time following their freshmen, sophomore and junior years. Through a combination of watch standing, classroom learning, maintenance and repair work rotations, cadets get hands-on experience in shipboard operations aboard T/S Empire State VI.
