On the academic side, the ISTC-EC co-principal investigator is CMU Associate Professor Priya Narasimhan.

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Since there are new uses but not new space, planning is necessary, said Charles Ehler, another co-principal investigator at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

CNN: Governments trying to reel in 'ocean sprawl'

Internationally, several European countries, including Denmark, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France, are pioneering the new field, said Fanny Douvere, a co-principal investigator at UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

CNN: Governments trying to reel in 'ocean sprawl'