by Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes, Chief Executive and Accounting Officer at the UK Hydrographic Office With environmental pressure rapidly intensifying on global ocean industries, newly appointed Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the UK Hydrographic Office, Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes, explains how data and the blue economy could hold the key for safeguarding the world’s vulnerable oceans. The world is changing rapidly. Our growing dependence on the ocean, and the emergence of new ‘ocean industries’ that will use the sea’s resources, heighten our collective need to understand better the fragility of marine habitats and the vulnerabilities faced by coastal communities around the globe.