Lost and entangled fishing gear is a big problem for BOTH people in the fishing industry and ocean ecosystems.

Thankfully, Kortney Opshaug and her team at Blue Ocean Gear are creating high-tech buoys that can track gear in the marine environment!

Join us on Season 5, Episode 3 of The Conch podcast to hear all about Kortney’s amazing startup journey and how she’s making commercial fishing and aquaculture farms more sustainable with these exciting innovations in tech.

Audio production and sound design by Crystal Sanders-Alvarado for Seaworthy Experiences.

Transcript

Episode Guide

• :00 Intro
• 01:37 Introducing Kortney Opshaug, the CEO and founder of Blue Ocean Gear, a startup company that provides technology solutions for IOT tracking on the ocean, creating high-tech buoys that can detect and locate gear in the marine environment, including lost or entangled fishing gear
• 04:41 What exactly are these high-tech buoys and how and where can they be deployed?
• 08:58 Consulting with fishers and researchers to build the best buoy based on their needs
• 10:47 The link between Blue Ocean Gear’s buoys and sustainability
• 13:53 These buoys also help detect gear theft, an increasingly common occurrence
• 17:13 The challenges of designing technology for use on the open ocean and why creating strong partnerships is critical
• 21:08 Kortney shares her impressions of COP28, the international climate conference which she recently attended in the United Arab Emirates
• 24:00 Leaping from aerospace engineering to creating tech solutions for commercial fishermen, Kortney is using technology to bridge the gap between conservation and the fishing industry
• 25:35 The challenges of finding venture capital for a woman-led startup
• 29:38 Kortney’s advice to those in the tech sector thinking about a career in ocean tech
• 31:45 Kortney uplifts her colleagues at Blue Ocean Gear!
• 32:31 These buoys also are a solution to improving animal welfare! Kortney explains how

Resources:

1. Check out Blue Ocean Gear for more info on these intelligent, connected buoys and supporting hardware that monitor the location and movement of any type of gear along with local conditions.
2. Interested in learning more about the results of COP28? Find five takeaways here.
3. Recommend this episode to one person who is curious about the intersection of ocean and tech.