Exploring  Sustainability  in  the  Maritime  Industry  

College  Park  Scholars  Academic  Showcase    May  3,  2013  

Megan  Poskaitis:  mkposky@terpmail.umd.edu  Environment,  Technology,  Ecology  Program    

Environmental  Health  Major  International  Registries,  Inc.  “The  World’s  most  experienced,  privately-­‐held  maritime  and  corporate  registry  

service  provider”  (www.register-­‐iri.com,    2000)  

Mission  Assist  the  Republic  of  the  Marshall  Islands  

with  their  maritime  and  corporate  registries  by  managing  administrative  and  

technical  duties.      

Contact  Information    www.register-­‐iri.com  

321  East  Cromwell  St.,  Suite  201,  Baltimore  MD  21230  

410-­‐347-­‐4703  

Acknowledgements  Supervisor:  Cpt.  Heinan–  Thank  you  so  much  for  setting  me  up  with  opportunity,  it  was  a  

great  learning  experience.  Members  of  the  Baltimore  OfYice  –  Thank  you  for  taking  time  out  of  your  busy  schedules  to  set-­‐up,  transport,  and  assist  me  with  my  interviews.  It  was  great  working  with  all  of  

you!  Mr.  Davis  Kong  Mr.  Will  Talley  Ms.  Lisa  Prola  

Issue  Confronting  Site  The  Impact  of  Maritime  Waste  on  the  Environment  

My  Mission  To  assess  how  to  improve  the  environmental  stewardship  of  the  marine  ecosystem  through  

effective  waste  management  Connection  to  Sustainability    

Focuses  on  environmental  stewardship,  which  is  the  preservation  of  the  natural  environment.  

Waste  Streams  Investigated  Garbage  Sewage  

Ballast  Water  Oily  Waste  Air  Emissions  Questions  Asked  

How  strictly  is  each  waste  stream  regulated?  How  effective  are  these  regulations?    

Is  noncompliance  common  and  if  so,  what  are  the  consequences?  

How  major  of  a  concern  is  waste  to  those  within  the  maritime  industry?  

Why?  The  maritime  industry  is  an  extremely  global  

industry  with  a  very  expansive  ecological  footprint.

Daily  Activities  Daily  Routine  

To  report  to  the  Baltimore  OfYice  on  Fridays  when  there  was  work  for  me  to  complete.  

Tasks  1.  Research  the  current  regulations  in  

reference  to  each  waste  stream  2.  Develop  a  questionnaire  tailored  to  each  

sector  of  the  maritime  industry  3.  Once  interviews  were  set  up,  I  was  required  to  research  the  company  and  

specialize  each  questionaire  4.  Conduct  interviews  

5.  ReYlect  and  record  notes  on  each  interview  upon  return  to  the  Baltimore  OfYice  

6.  Research  via  Internet  to  aquire  more  detailed  information  on  topics  discussed,  as  

well  as  questions  that  remained  unanswered  

7.  Draw  connections  between  my  interviews  and  online  research  

After  Completion  of  Research  After  completion,  I  formulated  a  report  that  

documented  my  Yindings.  

Impact  On  My  Future  Success  

By  interacting  with  stakeholders  in  the  maritime  industry  I  increased  my  conYidence  in  working  with  professionals.  Also,  conducting  interviews  with  personnel  from  different  segments  of  the  industry  broadened  my  perspective  and  increased  my  social  skills.  

On  My  Knowledge  Base  While  conducting  my  research,  I  learned  an  immense  amount  about  the  maritime  industry  

in  general  that  I  would  otherwise  have  continued  to  be  oblivious  to.  It’s  amazing  how  much  we  rely  on  this  industry  and  how  little  the  

general  public  knows  about  it.  On  International  Registries  Inc.  

Through  assistance  with  my  interviews,  my  coworkers  at  the  Baltimore  ofYice  were  exposed  to  investigating  this  issue  as  much  as  I  was.  In  addition  to  this,  my  Yinal  report  will  be  used  to  refresh/educate  future  employees  on  the  

newest  maritime  regulations,  as  well  as  the  rate  of  compliance.    

Future  Work  Impact  and  Goals  

My  future  career  path  is  to  conduct  my  own  research  in  a  Yield  related  to  ecology,  

agriculture,  or  toxicology.  Working  with  IRI  was  a  great  experience  and  exposure  to  the  

coporate  world,  but  ideally  my  next  internship  will  consit  of  work  in  the  lab  or  out  in  the  Yield.  My  next  goal  is  to  gain  experience  conducting  experiments,  as  this  would  be  more  directed  

towards  my  future  goals.    

(International  Registries  Inc.,  2013)  

(IRI Office Manager. 2013)

(International Registries Inc. 2013)