The latest from inside the beltway is anything but comforting and shows far from good fiscal form. Is it the beginning of the end for the massive security program known simply as TWIC?

Industry and Scientists chart the way forward during two days of substantive discussions at Duke University in Durham, NC. Solutions, strategies and emerging technologies all on the table as oceanographic research vessel operators look for ways to minimize their environmental footprint while enhancing their financial position to continue important missions. A rare partnership begins to yield fruit.

Costa Concordia disaster fallout will eventually reach far beyond today’s lurid headlines.

Strange course lines – and the reasons for charting them – are not the exclusive domain of cruise liners. The latest high-profile disaster therefore signals the beginning of a new era in shore-based oversight of mariners. And, that’s not speculation.