The OCEANS ’15 conference in Washington, D.C., will showcase a vast collection of ocean research and technology.

Each autumn, the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES) and the Marine Technology Society (MTS) cosponsor the OCEANS North America conference and exhibition. The annual event focuses on “advances in marine technology, engineering, science, education, and policy,” and brings together an international audience of professionals, leaders, and students within these fields.
Washington, D.C., will be the site of this year’s OCEANS ’15 conference, from Oct. 19-22 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center overlooking the Potomac River.
The theme of this year’s conference, “Sea Change: Dive into Opportunity,” will focus on oceanic changes and the application of research, technology, and policy to effectively adapt to these changes and improve the overall state of the global ocean system.
The four-day event will include presentations, tutorials, workshops, and student poster contest. More than 400 speakers and 150 exhibitors will present peer-reviewed material and leading-edge innovations and ideas in more than 75 different sessions. An array of core topics common to all OCEANS conferences will be covered, including underwater acoustics, remote sensing, marine law, and ocean vehicles.
According to the OCEANS ’15 organizers, the core topics “reflect the wide variety of ways in which marine technology and ocean engineering impact society every day, from advancements in ocean transportation and port security, to the extraction of offshore oil and the development of ocean-based alternate energy.”
In addition, a local organizing committee has selected five other topics with particular interest to the conference location, including marine resiliency (examining the region’s high risk from sea level rise and how to best protect resources and mitigate future damages). A detailed list of all the topics can be found here.
Two leaders in the realm of ocean affairs, U.S. Rep Sam Farr, co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus, and Dr. Richard Spinrad, chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will serve as honorary co-chairs.
Registration for OCEANS ‘15 is now open.