Textual note taken from Association for Materials Protection and Performance on Sep 25, 2025
Houston, TX – September 25, 2025 — The Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), the world’s leading authority on corrosion control and protective coatings, proudly joins the global maritime community in celebrating World Maritime Day 2025. This year’s theme, set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), is “Our Ocean – Our Obligation – Our Opportunity.”
Corrosion is one of the maritime industry’s most persistent challenges. Left unchecked, it shortens the life of ships, ports, and offshore platforms, driving up costs, increasing emissions, and threatening safety. By advancing corrosion prevention practices, AMPP’s standards and certifications play a vital role in extending the service life of critical assets while reducing environmental impact.
A recent example is the publication of AMPP MR21506-2025: Universal Ultra-High Solids (UHS) and Solvent-Free (SF) Coatings Definition for the Maritime Industry. This standard provides a unified definition that supports the development and consistent use of lower-solvent coatings, offering improved environmental performance without sacrificing durability. Such advancements help shipbuilders, operators, and regulators adopt sustainable solutions that extend asset life and reduce waste.
Technical standards create greatest impact when put into practice via specification. At AMPP, we work closely with stakeholders worldwide to ensure that our consensus-based standards are not just documents, but living tools that improve asset performance, safety, and sustainability globally. Combining AMPP standards with action undertaken by individuals holding AMPP certification, as demonstration of their competency, enhances the consideration, implementation and outcomes arising.
said Stuart Bond, AMPP Technical Engagement Strategist.
Corrosion prevention, however, is more than just a technical exercise. It is a strategic necessity that demands leadership and collaboration to drive meaningful change across the maritime sector.
Protecting our oceans requires more than policy — it requires action. Corrosion prevention is a quiet but critical way we reduce waste, extend asset life, and build a more sustainable maritime industry. AMPP is proud to lead with standards and certifications that make a tangible difference.
said AMPP CEO Alan Thomas.
This perspective is echoed by industry leaders who see corrosion prevention as essential to strengthening environmental performance and supply chain resilience.
By extending the life of maritime assets, corrosion prevention directly reduces waste, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, protects ecosystems, and builds resilience across the global maritime supply chain.
said D. Terry Greenfield, principal consultant at CONSULEX, AMPP-accredited representative to the IMO, past NACE International president (2019–2020), and past AMPP chairman (2021–2022).
The IMO has long set the foundation for protecting the ocean through treaties like the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which regulates pollution from ships, and conventions addressing ballast water management, anti-fouling systems, and oil spill response.
These frameworks, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, guide how the shipping industry reduces its environmental impact. AMPP’s contribution complements this work by delivering the technical standards, workforce certifications, and corrosion prevention expertise that enable these treaties to succeed. By ensuring vessels and offshore assets last longer and operate more efficiently, AMPP bridges policy ambition with on-the-ground solutions.
“Our ocean connects us all,” said Jennifer Merck, AMPP Vice President of Maritime. “By advancing corrosion prevention practices, AMPP is helping the maritime industry honor its obligation to protect the environment while embracing the opportunity to make assets last longer, perform better, and reduce their environmental footprint.”
AMPP and our members work alongside the IMO and other maritime organizations to keep corrosion prevention at the forefront of global shipping, trade, and naval readiness strategies. By collaborating with industry experts, innovators, and workforce leaders, we provide technical expertise and guidance that empower the maritime community to meet its obligations to the ocean while advancing opportunities for a safer, cleaner, and more resilient future.
To learn more about AMPP’s maritime standards, certifications, and resources, visit Maritime Industry – AMPP.
ABOUT AMPP
The Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) is a global leader dedicated to the protection of assets and the performance of industrial and natural materials. Established in 2021, AMPP brings together nearly 150 years of combined expertise from legacy organizations to advance solutions that enhance safety, security, and sustainability across industries. Serving more than 37,500 members in over 150 countries, AMPP is the largest organization of its kind, providing innovative standards, certifications, training, and resources. Headquartered in the United States with offices in Houston and Pittsburgh, AMPP also operates regional offices in Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai (training center), Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
Source and photo: Association for Materials Protection and Performance