Richard W. (Rick) Spinrad, PhD, CMarSci Professor of Oceans and Atmospheres, Oregon State University President at Marine Technology Society Former Chief Scientist at NOAA The evolution of marine technology is characterized by a balance of “requirements pull” and “capabilities push”. The most obvious driver for scientific/engineering advancement is the need for enhanced performance, in terms of cost, efficiency and safety. To this end, the traditional maritime industries and applications (e.g. oil and gas exploration, commercial fishing, marine transport, etc.) have fostered improvements in a range of areas such as dynamic positioning, acoustic sensors, imaging techniques, and data management. In parallel,