The ‘Blue Silicon Valley’ Emerges from the ‘Serengeti of the Sea’
Sometimes referred to as the ‘Serengeti of the Sea’, the one-of-a-kind Monterey Bay of California is now embracing a new name, the ˜Blue Silicon Valley which aptly describes the world’s leading sustainable marine science research and development region. A special Town Hall will be conducted on September 21
st from 10:30 a.m. – Noon, called ‘The Blue Silicon Valley Emerges from the Serengeti of the Sea’ at the global Oceans 16 conference to be held in Monterey, Ca. (Sep. 19-23).
Monterey Bay, one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the United States, is located just 30 miles southwest of Silicon Valley and is now primed for commercialization in the global ‘ Blue Economy’. Home to over 30 public and educational organizations working on the latest solutions, technologies, products and services to address the challenges our oceans face today, Monterey Bay’s marine science expertise is incredibly diverse. Ventures here include oceanography, climate and weather prediction, fisheries & aquaculture, environmental monitoring, marine biology, technology development, marine policy and more.
This 90-minute Town Hall is co-produced by the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®), a NOAA-led interagency program, and the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and will offer public and private perspectives on new developments, services and technologies emerging from the marine science community in and around Monterey Bay offering unprecedented solutions for us to strike a balance between economic growth and responsible stewardship of our oceans both at home and abroad.
The panel will include Rick Spinrad, Chief Scientist at NOAA, on government and overall perspective; Patrick Kinney, Founder and President, Kinnetic Labs and Paul Roberts, West Coast Area Manager, Sea Engineering, Inc. for the private sector perspective; Chris Scholin, CEO, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) for the non-profit perspective; Brad Barbeau, Director of the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development at CSUMB on start-ups; and Jenn Patterson, Information Manager, Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) on the importance of ocean observing to the Blue Economy.
