The Portugese Institute of Higher Military Studies (Instituto Universitário Militar) launched a new research project on maritime security on the 30th of June. The project is based in the Departamento de Estudos Pós-Graduados (Área de Ensino Específica de Marinha)  and led by João Carlos Lourenço da Piedade. I had the honour to address the launching workshop. In my talk I was arguing that the rise of maritime security is inducive of a major shift in the governance of the sea. The rise of maritime security strategies, the recognition of non-state maritime threats, the importance of the blue economy agenda and the relative failure of existing ocean governance institutions to address these, point out that the immediate post-cold war maritime order is transforming substantially. I concluded in speculating about some of the contours of the new maritime security order, highlighting in particular the role of informality as well as technology.