Edwards: ‘Blue Economy’ forum highlights maritime assets of Hancock County, Mississippi Gulf Coast
July 31, 2014
Ashley Edwards, executive director of the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, served as a featured panelist at the Marine Technologies Economic Forum hosted June 5 by The University of Southern Mississippi on its Gulf Park Campus. The forum featured an array of discussions regarding the economic potential of maritime industries and marine technologies along the Gulf Coast. "The forum was a valuable opportunity to bring together leaders from industry, government and academia to discuss public policy strategies aimed at capitalizing on the 'Blue Economy,' " Edwards said. "Hancock County has a rich maritime heritage and enormous potential to grow its maritime economy, whether it's in traditional maritime industry at Port Bienville or cuttingedge marine technology at Stennis Space Center." Of particular note, the forum highlighted the establishment of a new partnership between Southern Miss and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the world's largest private, nonprofit oceanographic research institution. "As home to the largest concentration of oceanographers in the world, Hancock County is wellpositioned to be on the leading edge of maritime development," Edwards said. "We intend to leverage our existing assets to open new doors and create new opportunities for maritimeindustry growth." Today, Hancock County is home to worldclass maritime assets, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Data Buoy Center, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, the U.S. Navy's Meteorology and Oceanography Command, a branch of the Naval Research Laboratory, the Naval Oceanographic Office and the U.S. Navy SEAL Special Boat Team 22.