CASTINE, Maine – Maine Maritime Academy will host the 2022 Maritime Academy Climate Symposium on March 28. The event will be held in-person for students, faculty, and staff at the college and the public is invited to attend virtually through a livestream on the MMA website.

The Maritime Academy Climate Symposium is a student driven event that has been designed to spark critical discourse at maritime academies across the country. The symposium will feature short talks by industry experts representing Crowley Maritime Corporation, The Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Senator Angus King’s Office, and the United States Coast Guard. A panel discussion on the ways in which climate change will impact national security and future workforce opportunities in the maritime industry will follow the talks.

“We are so excited to host this panel of experts at MMA and give students the opportunity to engage in this very relevant and important conversation” says Tristan Walker, a class of 2022 Marine Science major and lead event organizer

The goals of this event include providing knowledge on the ways in which climate change will impact future job prospects and infrastructure, inspiring hope in climate change resilience, and shedding light on opportunities for growth. President William J. Brennan will introduce the event and Walker will act as the student emcee. Dr. Brennan is a former Director of the US Climate Change Science Program.

“This event draws speakers from many different professional sectors.” notes Walker. “MMA is very uniquely positioned at the nexus of multiple industries and this panel gives students from any major the opportunity to ask questions and learn about how global environmental change will affect their future.

MMA’s Environmental Action Club will host a follow-up discussion for students on March 29. This debrief will provide an opportunity for students at institutions in Maine and beyond to share their perspectives on the numerous facets of society affected by climate change. This discussion will allow like-minded students at diverse institutions to connect and create a platform for continuing climate conversation.

“The second day of the event provides a really fantastic opportunity for students to discuss how they can lead future climate conversations in planning for upcoming careers at sea or ashore,” says Walker.  “It is important that we bring future climate leaders from all backgrounds together to have this conversation. Our generation will be responsible for leading our respective industries in the future and this discussion stands to strengthen our response to climate change.”

The Maritime Academy Climate Symposium is free and virtual attendance is open to all. The event is co-sponsored by the Office of the President at Maine Maritime Academy, MMA’s Student Government Association, Environmental Action Club, Corning School of Ocean Studies, NROTC, and the Regiment of Midshipmen. For more information about the event, please visit the Maritime Academy Climate Symposium webpage.