Mike Schuler
Mike Schuler is Managing Editor at gCaptain, covering global shipping, maritime security, offshore energy, and industry policy with a tight focus on how incidents and regulation reshape commercial trade and fleet economics. His reporting follows the pressure points in the maritime system - attacks on tankers, sanctions packages, enforcement actions, and new rules at ports and sea lanes - and turns them into clear, business-focused news for industry readers. He combines day-to-day news editing with a high volume of bylined coverage, making him a central voice on operational risk and policy in the global shipping sector.
Maritime incidents and security flashpoints
Schuler spends sustained attention on maritime security incidents, especially in chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz.
Recent coverage includes multi-vessel attack sequences in Hormuz, documenting at least six ships hit in a short window and then tracking follow-on strikes as they emerge through delayed reports. He reports on individual tanker attacks with specific detail on vessel type, damage, and routing, while linking them to broader questions about military operations and “secret missions” in contested waters.
His pieces on U.S. Coast Guard actions, such as the interception of a “dark fleet” fuel shipment to Cuba, connect frontline enforcement with the mechanics of illicit shipping networks and their impact on legitimate trade. Across these stories, he writes in concise dispatches that emphasize vessel movements, security advisories, and operational implications rather than speculation or commentary.
Sanctions, shadow fleets, and enforcement
Sanctions policy and the shadow fleet are a defining strand of Schuler’s beat, cutting across his daily news and feature work.
He covers U.S. and allied efforts to target Iran-linked shipping networks, detailing how new sanctions apply to specific ships, companies, and logistical chains and what those measures mean for oil flows and insurance risk. His reporting on United Kingdom actions, such as sanctions on eight Russian ships as part of a wider package, traces how individual vessel designations fit into campaigns aimed at constraining energy revenues and maritime logistics.
In pieces on United Nations bids to expose North Korea’s sanctions evasion through designating particular ships, he lays out the technical mechanisms of ship-to-ship transfers, flagging practices, and tracking challenges. Coverage of criminal cases, including a shadow fleet tanker captain pleading guilty after a prolonged Atlantic pursuit by the U.S. Coast Guard, shows how enforcement plays out at the vessel level and feeds back into the risk calculus for operators trading in high-risk corridors. The through-line is a practical view of how sanctions and enforcement reshape route planning, compliance burdens, and fleet utilization for commercial players.
Ports, congestion, trade flows, and maritime policy
Schuler also reports heavily on the condition of ports, container shipping markets, and legislative efforts to reposition U.S. maritime power.
His coverage of port congestion has quantified the share of global container shipping capacity tied up in delays, explaining that supply-side constraints often stem from bottlenecks on land rather than a shortage of ships. He writes on oversight findings such as Government Accountability Office reports on firefighting gaps at U.S. ports, linking safety deficiencies to operational resilience and regulatory follow-up.
On the trade side, he has covered earnings and outlook commentary from major container lines like Hapag-Lloyd and ONE, drawing out how carrier performance feeds into freight rate expectations and investment decisions. Schuler tracks legislative initiatives including successive versions of the SHIPS for America Act, describing provisions on fleet expansion, tax reform, and industry endorsements, and how those proposals aim to counter China’s maritime dominance and rebuild domestic capacity. He situates these developments alongside regional political pressure - from West Coast senators and port leaders warning about tariff impacts - to show how policy debates translate into concrete risks and opportunities for ports, carriers, and shippers.
Offshore energy, naval programs, and environmental regulation
Beyond core shipping and port coverage, Schuler follows offshore energy projects, naval modernization, and environmental rules that reshape maritime operations. He has reported on transactions such as DEME’s acquisition of Norwegian offshore wind contractor Havfram, explaining deal value and the strategic rationale for building out offshore wind installation capacity.
Stories on plans for major offshore wind hubs on the UK’s east coast trace how port investments and infrastructure upgrades position regions for future project pipelines and supply chain work. On the naval side, Schuler covers events like the overhaul of the USS Miguel Keith at a Japanese shipyard and flight tests of sea-based hypersonic missile launch systems, detailing milestones, timelines, and the operational significance of new capabilities for maritime security.
He also writes on regulatory changes including the Mediterranean Sea’s designation as a sulphur Emission Control Area, outlining what new limits mean for fuel choices, compliance costs, and environmental performance for ships transiting the region. Across these strands, he connects technology, regulation, and defense programs back to the commercial fleets and service providers that must adapt to shifting requirements.
Schuler has led editorial operations at gCaptain since 2008, overseeing daily news coverage while contributing a large share of articles himself.
His expertise spans supply chain and logistics, energy policy, global trade dynamics, and maritime security, and his copy is known inside the industry for clarity and accuracy on complex topics. For business and policy stories involving shipping routes, sanctions exposure, port operations, or offshore projects, his work offers straight, timely reporting calibrated to the concerns of maritime professionals.
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