Advance Global Maritime Community of Interest Priorities
Arctic 
As a result of climate change, the Polar maritime domain is experiencing the most drastic physical environmental shifts in the history of the Earth. Polar ice caps are rapidly melting, resulting in newly open sea lanes now allowing access to previously virtually untapped marine natural resources. Customary Polar nations and non-polar foreign states compete to assert sovereignty over these disputed resources, open waterways, and economic potential. NMIO is dedicated to the Intelligence Community along with private, public, scientific, and academic sectors to understand the geophysical drivers of climate change and the implications to U.S. national security. Tackling climate change security challenges in the Polar maritime domain, NMIO leads a whole-of-U.S. government and GMCOI approach, delivering coordinated intelligence to top US Government climate decision and policy makers.
Illegal Unreported Unregulated Fishing
Newspaper headlines regularly report on dynamic trends in illicit ocean commerce-piracy, smuggling, overfishing, pollution are all hazards first to American coastal communities and then to onshore populations. Addressing security challenges that arise while goods and people transit the world’s oceans, NMIO joins with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. Navy, and other agencies to safeguard trade routes and counter threats to freedom of navigation from organized crime.
Maritime Safety 
Hazards stemming from foreign adversaries-as well as from severe weather and rapidly changing climate conditions-draw increased attention to the national security impacts of power outages and other disruptions to critical infrastructure. By providing timely and relevant insights from the maritime perspective, NMIO supports a variety of intelligence activities safeguarding maritime critical infrastructure. These activities help inform decisions made jointly by senior military commanders, homeland security officials, Members of Congress, and other regulatory bodies, thereby ensuring safer American seas.