ABSTRACT
Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is the “effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy or environment of the United States”. The maritime domain is further defined as “all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, and vessels and other conveyances”. The world shares a collective interest in promoting the timely and efficient flow of legitimate commerce, while protecting and securing the maritime domain from exploitation and reducing its vulnerability to disruption by either man-made or natural disasters. In order to recognize and implement the importance of MDA, the NMDAP was created in 2005, followed by a long overdue update in 2013.
