AAPA will recognize 25 seaports for exemplary communications projects and programs at its annual convention and awards luncheon this fall. Winning entrants in AAPA’s 51st annual Communications Awards Program will be recognized at the October 4 awards luncheon during AAPA’s 106th Annual Convention and Expo in Long Beach (CA).

The recipients of the 2017 Overall Award of Communications Excellence trophies - the top awards in AAPA's Communications Awards Program - are Southern California’s Port of Long Beach (Category 3); Northern California’s Port of Stockton (Category 2); and the Great Lakes’ Port of Green Bay in Wisconsin (Category 1). The categories are based on port public relations/advertising/marketing budgets.

ICARUS, the world’s largest liquid argon particle hunter, arrived at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on the ocean vessel M/V Frieda the week of July 14, successfully completing the maritime portion of a trip that began in Switzerland.

Beginning in May 2018, Port Canaveral will host Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sun for a series of all-inclusive four-day cruises to Havana and Key West and three-day cruises to the Bahamas.

The Vancouver City Council voted unanimously last month to approve the Port of Vancouver USA’s Terminal 1 Waterfront Development master plan. When fully developed, the project will provide office, retail and commercial space; a public marketplace; hotel; residential apartments; low- and high-dock access; restaurants; and connection to the city’s popular Renaissance Trail.

The board of commissioners of the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) on July 5 approved a provisional commitment by Rio Grande LNG, LLC toward the restoration, enhancement and preservation of the Bahia Grande wetland complex. The project is contingent on Rio Grande LNG’s final investment decision to construct and operate an LNG liquefaction facility and export terminal at the Port of Brownsville.

Canaveral Port Authority Commissioners and port staff joined with local and state officials and space industry leaders on July 12 to mark the official opening of the RUAG Space USA, Inc. manufacturing facility at the Port Canaveral Logistics Center in Titusville (FL).

Joan Story has been elected to a one-year term as president of the board of port commissioners at the Port of Oakland.

The Washington State Auditor’s Office has given the Port of Everett another clean audit report. That marks two decades of consecutive clean audits with no findings for the Puget Sound port.

For the third consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association for the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Port of San Diego with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

Port of Long Beach reports container traffic this June increased 8.9 percent from a year ago, to 658,727 TEUs. That gave the port its second-best June ever and wrapped up a quarter with volume up 8.3 percent compared to April-June 2016.  2017 is shaping up as a record container traffic year for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. June was a record-setter for container imports at the Port of Oakland. The Port of Virginia® completed its 2016-17 fiscal year with container throughput at an all-time high of 2,762,407 TEUs.