April Commerce Club Featuring Mike Emerson, Director, Marine Transportation Systems, USCG

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.

Attendees packed the room at the Port Bureau’s April Commerce Club luncheon featuring Mike Emerson, director for the Marine Transportation Systems, U.S. Coast Guard, as guest speaker on April 11. Emerson manages a broad portfolio of marine navigation, waterway and bridge programs and is responsible for a wide variety of polar safety and security initiatives.

Emerson began his talk by discussing the March 26 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the implications to marine transportation safety measures. Safety has been, and continues to be, the highest priority in all the Coast Guard’s missions – but Emerson described the enormity of Key Bridge collapse as previously unimaginable. Summing up his thoughts, he stated, “My inevitable conclusions are two: one, we have a lot to learn, and [two] every port is vulnerable.” 

While covering several topics, Emerson mentioned renewable energy (offshore wind farms and the space industry). His vision is to “protect traditional shipping routes and fishing” and to “harmonize new arrivals with traditional mariners”. He expects that rocket lift-offs from Boca Chica, Texas, will double in a few years, adding the Coast Guard receives numerous requests to “shut down the Gulf” and the answer is consistently no.  

Emerson stressed the significance of Houston as an economic engine for the country and complimented the port region on its flexibility and efficiency. “It’s amazing how you endured COVID, outpaced competitors, and dodged trade disputes. It is awkwardly hard to find fault with anything you are doing,” he said. 

Emerson stated that the Coast Guard work force and resources do experience short falls.  In response, they are prioritizing how business is conducted and evaluating what is truly needed and what isn’t. “There are some things we can do now with new technologies, such as solar power on buoys, etc., . . . some new technologies offer situational awareness and make navigation easier,” said Emerson. “That’s the way we’re going.”

He commended the work of Project 11 – the deepening and widening of the Houston Ship Channel – and described the Houston Ship Channel as a top priority. He noted that the Houston port region is also considered a “partner in safety”. Referencing his recent experience with hosting at the meeting of National Harbor Safety Committee conference in Chicago in March, Emerson further commended the port region on safety practices and initiatives.

“Kudos to your Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee.  You upstaged everyone else, as you usually do.” He particularly praised the participation of those who had served on panels at the conference, saying, “You brought the content and intensity of Houston up for discussion that was really valuable to rest of the country.”

Thank you to our Commerce Club sponsors:

Annual Table sponsors:

Callan Marine • Chevron/Kirby • Enterprise Products Partners • Kinder Morgan • Houston Pilots • Intercontinental Terminals Company • Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. • Pemex  •  Shell • Targa Resources • TGS Ceder Port Industrial Park  • WGMA 

April Table sponsors:

Buffalo Marine Service, Inc.• Excargo   • Houston Mooring Company • Schröder Marine Services, Inc. • Vopak