Blue Economy: Blue economy is a sustainable development of the ocean economy. This definition is based on the World Bank and UN DESA (2017) framework for a blue economy, as well as FAO’s (2014) definition, to be consistent with the three-dimensional sustainable development paradigm (social, environmental and economic dimensions) underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals (Toward a Blue Economy: A Pathway for Bangladesh’s Sustainable Growth, 2018).The status of ocean ecosystems will define how productive and efficient the future ocean economy will be (OECD 2016). Concerned by the magnitude of these changes, the UN General Assembly adopted Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 in 2015 focused on ocean conservation and sustainable use. The Global Ocean Commission estimated the market value of marine and coastal resources at US$3 trillion annually (Global Ocean Commission, 2014), and annual gross revenues have been estimated on the order of US$2.6 trillion (Golden et al. 2017).

Potential research Sector for the Blue Economy support of Bangladesh: There are six major research field in oceanography can be revealed in Bangladesh for Blue Economy development is summarized below-

• Physical and space oceanography branches have very potentiality to monitor physical parameter such as sea surface temperature, tide, wave, current, nutrition, chlorophyll etc to find out potential resource of fisheries and renewable energy from ocean sources. Space oceanography can be applied to measure potential fishing zone identification in Bay of Bengal.
• Geological oceanography research activity can done to find out marine mineral resources as well as source of industrial materials such Bay of Bengal have the potential zone for Phosphorite and Yttrium deposit which is very important source of Rare Earth Element (REE), the coastal and near shore area have potentiality of heavy mineral deposit. Besides Lime Mud, Carbonated sand and construction sand can be collected form Bay of Bengal. There have possible source of Gas Hydrate in the Bay of Bengal (assumed 300 TCF reserve present in the continental shelf and continental slope zone of Bay of Bengal.
•  Chemical oceanography branches is very potential sector for the development of ocean based medicine, cosmetics and minerals in Bay of Bengal. Besides several services such as oil spill management, chemical pollution and ocean acidification measurement and monitoring can be done in this field.
• Biological oceanography is most potential sector in the oceanography field of Bangladesh. Because of river discharge lots of nutrition comes with the sediment in the Bay of Bengal, which can be used for the potential development of mariculture in the coastal and near shore area. Besides biochemical composition of marine organism, fisheries development, seaweed culture (marine algae) field have very potentiality in this area.
• Environmental measurement and monitoring of ocean, plastic and microplastic pollution monitoring, EIA support etc can be taken under controlled by environmental oceanography research. Besides Oceanographic data management, application, dissemination and ensure the information of ocean baseline data can be arranges. Ocean observation system (data buoy) and monitoring of ocean can give us surveillance opportunity of ocean parameter and change.

Activities of BORI: In the context of winning the maritime boundary delimitation with Myanmar and India, Bangladesh achieved sovereign right over all types of living and non-living resources within 1,18,813 square kilometers of sea area, 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 354 nautical miles Continental Shelf from the coast of the seafront. Development of Blue Economy is the electoral manifesto of present Government and as a newly opened sector there is huge probability of Blue Economy in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) is working to conduct all the activities as a focal point of Bangladesh at national and international levels in the field of oceanography and Blue Economy in the context of research and development. BORI developed different types future plan based on Election Manifesto, 2018 (Chapter 3.22), Short-mid-long term plan based on Blue Economy and future plan based on the year of 2021, 2030 and 2041.