Maritime Security
The U.S. maritime system includes more than 300 sea and river ports with more than 3,700 terminals for cargo and passengers. This system is critical for the sustained economy of the U.S. Ships carry more than 95%, by weight, of our nation's trade outside North America. In addition, the Department of Defense relies on commercial seaports to deploy our military men and women. Evolving terrorist tactics threaten commercial shipping, public transportation, and private transport on our seas.
PNNL's extensive experience in developing and deploying science and technology uniquely positions the Lab to address maritime security because the Lab has
- Internationally recognized expertise in threat characterization and forensics including contaminant modeling in aquatic environments and development of composite signatures to differentiate between hazardous and benign activities and materials
- Extensive experience in field-based signature collection, including sensor development and multi-sensor integration across a host of areas
- Acoustic sensing
- Radar
- Electro optical and infrared cameras
- Operational triggers (seismic, magnetic, acoustic, video, radar)
- Close-in technical reconnaissance system
- Mobile platform
- Liquid robotics platform
- Innovative research facilities along coastal waters with capabilities to analyze maritime environmental and biological factors such as arsenic, sulfides, and radiation.
With these capabilities, PNNL is developing and deploying tools and technologies to improve the security of our nation's coastline and waters while maintaining the flow of commerce and protecting travelers. For more information, contact Bill Peterson at 509-375-4441.
The Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL), headquartered at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Sequim Marine Research Operations on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, is the Department of Energy's only marine research laboratory. This unique facility and the capabilities of its researchers deliver science and technology that is critical to the nation's energy, environmental and security future.