How do you use technology in the ocean? Just ask Trevor Fay: he’s a marine farmer working with GPS/GIS technology to farm the red abalone, a giant marine snail used in food production. With GPS/GIS technology, Trevor logs locations where the abalones are harvested, and transfers the locations to a map. With this map, marine farmers can track where the creatures can be found, their ideal habitat, and how their populations are doing.

Trevor learned about this work in his community college classes. “I love the ocean, and I was particularly interested in farming the red abalone,” Trevor says. “After just one fields methods class, I found myself thinking, this is what I want to do.”

Marine technology has added a new dimension to our understanding of the underwater world. Technologies like submersible robots and sonar are helping marine scientists and technologists discover ancient shipwrecks, track the migratory habits of fish, provide clues to climate change, and reveal natural energy resources. Marine technicians design, build, and operate the systems and devices that make all this possible. Their work can require knowing about everything from computer science and electronics to engineering and the environment.

A community college degree in marine technology has paid off for Trevor, who began working as a kelp harvester, and eventually moved his way up to become a partner at his company. “Everything I’ve learned, I’ve been able to apply on the job,” he says. “I’m really proud of what we’re doing today, farming in the ocean.”

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