Center for the Blue Economy
Our mission at the Center for the Blue Economy is to provide economic and policy analysis that supports the development of a robust and equitable blue economy for the 21st century.
What is the “Blue Economy?”
The Center uses the World Bank’s definition of the Blue Economy: the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
Our Research
Our research focuses primarily on two key areas—1) helping organizations and governments measure their ocean and coastal economies in order to help guide policy, and 2) the economics of climate change adaptation in coastal regions. While the Center examines economic activities in the open ocean—e.g., renewable energy, fisheries, and shipping—we devote most of our attention to issues in coastal zones, particularly building climate resilience and helping coastal communities adapt to climate impacts.
Current Research
Who shares the financial risk of climate change?
Investigating the feasibility of a public infrastructure insurance facility for the state of Maine is now being undertaken by Dr. Colgan, Director of Research at the Center for the Blue Economy, following up on the climate vulnerability and infrastructure adaptation studies undertaken by the Center around the U.S. over the past decade.
Report Finds Coastal America Accounts for Over One-Third of Both U.S. GDP and Employment
A 2025 report by the Center for the Blue Economy finds that America’s coastal areas provide significant economic benefits to the country. The U.S.’s coastal counties represent just 17 percent of the U.S.’s land area, but account for 34 percent of the U.S.’s total GDP and 37 percent of the U.S.’s total employment.
“More people live and work on the coast than ever before. The coast accounts for a larger proportion of the national economy, which also means more people and property are at risk from weather-related hazards in light of climate change,” said the report’s principal author, Dr. Charles Colgan, Director of Research at the Center for the Blue Economy.
Non-Degree Education: Introduction to the Blue Economy
Online, self-paced course open to the public
This three- to five-hour self-paced course will expand your knowledge of the blue economy and lay a foundation for deeper learning in more specialized topics. The Introduction to the Blue Economy course is completely online, asynchronous, and self-paced. You’ll enjoy the flexibility to learn on your own time, from anywhere in the world.
Fall 2025 Environmental Justice and Sustainability Speaker Series Open to the Public
Resource management through permitting in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Morse B105
Open to the Public
Center for the Blue Economy News
Sharing the Risk of Climate Impacts: insurance for infrastructure in the State of Maine
| by Rachel Christopherson; Charles Colgan
Investigating the feasibility of a public infrastructure insurance facility is now being undertaken by Dr. Colgan, Director of Research at the Center for the Blue Economy, following up on the climate vulnerability and infrastructure adaptation studies undertaken by the Center around the U.S. over the past decade.
Coastal America: A Demographic and Economic Picture
| by Rachel Christopherson; Charles Colgan
A new report by the Center for the Blue Economy funded by NOAA finds coastal America accounts for over one-third of both GDP and employment.
Student Researchers Sharpen Their Skills at the Center for the Blue Economy
| by Caitlin Fillmore
Students put their skills to work and get a career head start in innovative roles in ocean research at the center based at the Middlebury Institute.
Follow us on Social Media
on Facebook @CenterForTheBlueEconomy, Instagram @OceanClimateAction, and LinkedIn at Center for the Blue Economy at MIIS. Watch past lectures on the CBE YouTube channel.
