The Eyes on the Ocean™ Newsletter is an informal way of keeping you up-to-date on U.S. IOOS® activities.

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From the Director:

Happy June everyone! Today marks the beginning of National Ocean Month, the start of hurricane season, and the kick off of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. In celebration of this year’s Pride Month theme “A Spectrum of Color,” the Department of Commerce will fly the Progress Pride Flag at the Herbert C. Hoover Building (HCHB) in Washington, D.C. throughout the month of June. IOOS embraces the values of pride, tolerance, and harmony to enable all employees to perform to their best potential.

On June 8th, we will join the world in celebrating the ocean for World Ocean Day. Follow along with #OceanMonthNOAA for spotlights on ocean awareness and literacy all month long. Later this month, our IOOS Federal Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting to advance their work plan and draft recommendations to NOAA and the IOOC on advancing ocean observing for the Nation. 

Lastly, I am excited NOAA has announced awards in support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Provision 11 — to support improved and enhanced coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing systems. For over 20 years, IOOS has worked with partners to develop a sustainable national coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing system. This investment enables the system to improve, expand, and modernize – reducing risk within the system and ensuring that IOOS is able to provide critical data to users throughout the country. I am very proud of all the work done by our IOOS Regions to ensure the success of the whole system.

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • NOAA Announces Awards for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for enhancement of coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing systems: NOAA recently announced approximately $14 million over two years for enhancement of coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing systems with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These awards are issued to the U.S. IOOS Regional Associations, the non-federal partners within the system responsible for coordinating and implementing coastal and ocean observing systems locally and regionally.  They work within communities, with local stakeholders, and with local, state, and tribal governing bodies to ensure that the system is meeting regional and national needs for these data. Projects focus on the repair, maintenance, and expansion of the network of coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing systems.  In addition, funds are also provided for the advancement of a national marine life data center and improvements to the national glider data center.
  • U.S. IOOS Federal Advisory Committee Public Meeting - June 27-29, 2023: The next public meeting of the IOOS Advisory Committee will be held June 27-29, 2023 in Monterey, CA, hosted by CeNCOOS. A notice of the meeting has been published in the Federal Register. The goal of meeting is to learn about IOOS activities in the region and hold briefings on the Phase 2 work plan topics. Agenda topics will include a highlight on CeNCOOS activities, meeting with local officials (or staff), speakers from Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Navy, a panel on West Coast ecosystem collaborations, and panels on NOPP and Marine Life. The Advisory Committee has begun preparatory work on the Phase 2 recommendations focused on the topic areas of Enterprise Excellence, Marine Life Program, and NOPP Coordination. Meeting materials will be posted to the IOOS Advisory Committee meeting website. Questions can be directed to Courtney Edwards courtney.edwards@noaa.gov. Register for the meeting here.   
  • From the IOOS Association: 
    • No update.

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping
    • Remote Sensing: Special Issue on HF Surface Wave Radar: The journal Remote Sensing has published a Special Issue, “HF Surface Wave Radar:  Improving Performance and Extending Capabilities”, which includes articles by IOOS partners including CODAR Ocean Sensors.  Led by Belinda Lipa, CODAR published the article “First Open-Coast HF Radar Observations of a 2-Phase Volcanic Tsunami, Tonga 2022” (website or PDF version) which uses data from CeNCOOS, SCCOOS, and SECOORA stations to analyze the Tonga event’s arrival in HFR data—both from the initial atmospheric propagating Lamb wave generated by the eruption and, later, the water wave tsunami propagating through the ocean.
  • Gliders 
    • Podcast! Gliders: Versatile Vehicles for Underwater Exploration: Check out this deep dive glider 101 with IOOS glider program manager Kathleen Bailey on NOS’s latest podcast!
    • The Adventures of Shackleton and Gretel: This spring, gliders named Shackleton and Gretel traveled hundreds of miles monitoring the Seward Line in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Shackleton’s mission focused on the spring phytoplankton bloom and Gretel’s echosounder was used to characterize zooplankton and fish distributions. Click here to read more! 
    • ECO Magazine Feature Story: Tropical Cyclones: Why We Must Observe the Ocean to Better Protect People on Land: A GOOS article on the Tropical Cyclone Exemplar was published this week, and it discusses the U.S. hurricane glider effort. The Exemplar will bring stakeholders across the globe together to co-design an integrated ocean observing system to improve tropical cyclone forecasts.  The article can be found on the GOOS and UNESCO websites, as well as an ECO magazine feature story. It will also be included in the GOOS and IOC newsletters. Links to social media posts:
    • UG2 Updates: 
      • UG2 Webinar on Passive Acoustics - June 1st - 2pm ET: The next UG2 Webinar will be held on June 1st at 2PM Eastern Time. Join the webinar here. The webinar will focus on Passive Acoustics and include the following speakers and talks:
        • Passive Acoustic Receiving on Gliders: Advantages and Challenges - Dr. Lora Van Uffelen, Assistant Professor, Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island
        • Glider-based real time monitoring for North Atlantic Right Whales - Dr. Clark Richards, PhD, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Halifax NS, Adjunct professor, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
        • Approaches for marine mammal passive acoustic monitoring using Seagliders - Dr. Selene Fregosi, Ocean Associates, Inc., in contract to NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
  • Buoys & Moorings
    • Backyard Buoys makes a splash! The project’s first buoy was deployed by the Quileute Tribe on May 3, 2023. This buoy will be out for a short deployment to test mooring design and data collection modes in the spring wave conditions off La Push, WA. Quileute Tribe fishers leaving La Push harbor must navigate wave conditions at the Quillayute River mouth and do not have a clear view of the wave conditions past James Island. Local implementation of the Backyard Buoys program will provide them with real-time wave data to support critical go/no-go decisions. Read more here.
    • Columbia River Buoy Redeployed: As part of CRITFC's long-term monitoring of the Columbia River estuary and plume, the CMOP Baker Bay (SATURN-07) buoy has been redeployed. This buoy is located in the most ocean-ward lateral bay on the Columbia River. It measures salinity, temperature, oxygen, chlorophyll, turbidity, and CDOM, monitoring the phytoplankton blooms and the exchange between the main-stem Columbia and the Bay.
    • Washington Coastal Moorings Redeployed: The spring deployment cruise aboard the UW’s R/V Robertson occurred last week out of La Push, WA. Summer Cha’Ba and NEMO-Subsurface moorings are deployed in 100m of water and collectively support instrumentation for measuring temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, water current, chlorophyll, and pH from near the seabed to the sea surface, in addition to surface water and air pCO2 (in collaboration with NOAA PMEL) and meteorological variables. The Environmental Sampling Processor mooring supports analysis of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) biotoxins present in the water. All three buoys include telemetry to shore for near-real-time data available on NVS.
  • Harmful Algal Blooms 
    • Moderate Harmful Algal Bloom Predicted for Lake Erie in 2023: NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), with support from the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University, issued an early season projection that western Lake Erie will likely experience a moderate harmful algal bloom this summer. Based on observations conducted through May 2, models currently indicate a bloom with a severity between 2 and 6, which is likely less severe than 2022. This range reflects the uncertainty in forecasting precipitation this far in advance for the late spring and early summer, June through July period. This forecast’s uncertainty will continue to narrow as additional rain and river discharge data is collected. The impact of a bloom on drinking water and Lake Erie recreation depends on the harmful algae’s location, toxicity, and duration. NOAA will issue projections of the bloom’s severity weekly through late June and will provide information on the presence and location of any bloom throughout the summer.
    • Low Red Tide Bloom Predicted for Gulf of Maine 2023: Researchers from NCCOS and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution predict a low to moderate red tide for the Gulf of Maine this summer. This prediction continues the pattern of smaller blooms observed in the region over the last few years. NOAA will provide coastal managers with weekly updates of modeled bloom extent, trajectory, and intensity throughout the spring and summer of 2023 and will provide guidance to states monitoring harmful algae and shellfish toxicity along the shore. This is the sixteenth year that NOAA and partners have issued the seasonal forecast.
    • Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasts for the Chesapeake Bay: Aquaculturists, local beach managers, and other stakeholders require forecasts of harmful biotic events, so they can assess and respond to health threats when harmful algal blooms are present. Based on this need, we have developed empirical habitat suitability models for a variety of Chesapeake Bay HABs to forecast their occurrence based on environmental conditions. The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecasting System is now using these habitat suitability models to produce forecasts of the HAB Prorocentrum minimum, which is known to have detrimental effects on marine life in the Chesapeake Bay. The percent chance of encountering P. min. throughout the Bay and its tributaries is estimated using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) based on salinity, water temperature, pH, solar radiation and total organic nitrogen. For more details, see: Horemans et al., 2023.
    • SECOORA releases Harmful Algal Bloom Plan 2.0: SECOORA is delighted to announce the release of the Harmful Algal Bloom Plan 2.0. This updated plan builds upon the successes and lessons learned from its predecessor – taking into account advancements in technology, research, investments, and stakeholder engagement. Read more about it and access the plan here.
    • NHABON Webinars: 
      • June NHABON Webinar: Please join us for our next webinar on June 14, 2023 from 3:00-4:00 PM EST on HAB Events and Response: Regional Highlights. This webinar will look at national trends along with three regional case studies: California, Alaska, and Florida. The regional case studies will provide a brief overview of the event, what was the response, who were the stakeholders, and lessons learned. Please register for the webinar here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1858827092814932316. The webinar will be recorded if you are unable to attend.
  • Marine Life
    • New Updates to the DisMAP are Now Live: Recent updates to the Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal (DisMAP) include additional years of survey data for all regions, new filtering feature to help narrow down the list of species to choose from, and the addition of a new region (Northern Bering Sea). Read the feature webstory here. 

Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Subsystem and Tools Built on IOOS Data:

  • SAVE THE DATE! 2023 IOOS DMAC Annual Meeting: IOOS is pleased to announce that the 2023 DMAC Meeting will take place on Tuesday September 26 to Thursday September 28, 2023.  Please save these dates in your calendars.  We are planning to return this year to an in-person meeting format (with online attendance available for those unable to travel).  At this time, however, we have not yet secured approval to host the meeting at the Silver Spring Civic Building as we have in years past.  Please stay tuned for an update about the decision to host the meeting in person in Silver Spring or in a virtual/online format.  We will also be reaching out for agenda input for presentation and breakout discussion topics once the meeting format is decided.  Please send any questions or suggestions about the meeting/agenda to the IOOS DMAC team at data.ioos@noaa.gov.     
  • IOOS Co-hosts a Second Learner-led Workshop to Combat the Biodiversity Crisis with Data: Recently, a group of experts in marine data science standards and data management hosted a virtual eight-hour workshop spread over two days, to help scientists educate themselves on how to leverage data standards for rapidly mobilizing their data to global biodiversity databases. This second annual Marine Biodiversity Data Mobilization Workshop built upon the successes of last year, with some attendees returning with more data. Like the previous year, we had a fun couple of days and jumpstarted the mobilization of dozens of datasets. Equally important, we strengthened our community of practice by facilitating the interactions of scientists from 4 continents and 17 countries. Read more here: https://obis.org/2023/05/11/mbdm-workshop/ 
  • QARTOD:
    • No update.

Modeling and Analysis Subsystem:   

  • Coastal Coupling Community of Practice Annual Meeting Recap: The CC CoP Annual Meeting took place May 23-25, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, AL. The Coastal Coupling Community of Practice Annual Meeting brought the community together to demonstrate and discuss their collaborative work to improve the approaches for coupling models of inland hydrology and oceanic processes. Sharing innovative technologies, practices, and research findings improves mission delivery, services to citizens, and stewardship of public resources, while also capturing opportunities for improvement. A report from this meeting will be published.

Around the Regions:

  • Alaska trollers gather year-round data: Salmon fishermen are collecting data near fishing spots and along transit routes as part of the new Southeast Alaska Trolling Vessel Ocean Measurement program. “It is great to have a community-led observation program, and to work with the trollers as an organization eager to conduct science,” said UAF research assistant professor Tyler Hennon, who is the principal investigator of the project. Read more here.
  • GLOS Annual Meeting, Seagull Workshop, and IAGLR Conference: GLOS’s May 8 Annual Meeting and Seagull Workshop gave our staff and board the chance to see many of you, our partners, live and in-person. Read up on the highlights and takeaways here.
  • SECOORA 2023 Annual Meeting: SECOORA’s 2023 Annual Meeting was hosted in Jacksonville, FL on  May 10-11, 2023 by Jacksonville University. The meeting brought together coastal ocean scientists from around the Southeast to learn about SECOORA coastal observing activities and particpate in discussions on hot topics such as resilience, right whale monitoring, and offshore wind energy. Read up on the highlights and takeaways here.
  • AOOS Recertified: AOOS recently updated its Regional Coastal Ocean System (RCOS) certification through IOOS. The certification allows AOOS to coordinate non-federal observing assets and disseminate data in Alaska according to NOAA’s best practices. AOOS was originally granted RCOS certification in 2017. The updated documents supporting re-certification are available on the AOOS website. More information on the process can be found at the IOOS Program Office Certification website. 
  • NANOOS is Celebrating 20 Years! The anniversary will be marked with our annual Principal Investigators (PI) and Governing Council (GC) meetings on August 9-10, 2023, in Astoria, Oregon. The meetings are open to all PIs, GC members, and their affiliates, and will include informative talks, networking opportunities, and lively discussions. Check out all the details on the NANOOS website!

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility:

  • Tune in June 1 for a Backyard Buoys talk at the NOAA Monster Jam Virtual Seminar Series: This spring, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s seminar theme is Equity and Environmental Justice in Climate-Ready Fisheries and Ecosystem Management. NANOOS’ Roxanne Carini will be speaking about the co-development of Backyard Buoys and how communities are getting buoys in the water, customizing their buoy stewardship plans, and driving the functionality of the Backyard Buoys wave data app. Click here for more information about the seminar series and to join virtually.
  • Talking about ocean acidification: The Alaska Ocean Acidification Network has developed a tip sheet for communicating about ocean acidification.  Check it out here!

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates 
    • Ocean Decade launches new Call for Decade Actions No. 05/2023 focusing on marine pollution and marine ecosystems: The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for diverse sectors from around the world co-design and co-deliver the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To achieve the Ocean Decade vision, a wide range of partners will implement endorsed Decade Actions in the form of programmes, projects or activities over the next eight years. You are invited to contribute to that vision by requesting endorsement for transformative Decade Actions via Call for Decade Actions No. 05/2023. Please note that to access the Call documentation and submit your Action, you will need to be a member of the Ocean Decade Network. We encourage you to join the Network as soon as possible! The call for Decade Actions No. 05/2023 is open until 31 August. Read more here.
  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) News:
    • Latest Version of Data Explorer Launched: OOI’s Data Science Team, working with Axiom Data Science, announced additional improvements to OOI’s data access and visualization tool, Data Explorer.  The latest Data Explorer, version 1.5, includes a significant expansion of data availability, updates to a viewer for underway still images, and introduces a beta version of real-time streaming for cabled instruments.  Version 1.5 offers new scientific data for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and Bio-Acoustic Sonar (ZPLS) instruments and Principal Investigator-added instrument data are now available on the site.  Visitors to the site will experience optimization and new viewing capabilities for still and animated images. Additionally, data are streamed in real-time by the second for cabled instruments in the Regional Cabled Array, giving users the most up-to-date information available. Read more here. 
    • OOI Data to be Archived by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to share high-quality oceanic data collected from the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative’s instrument arrays. The goal of the partnership is to archive and deliver the initiative’s data for continued research on ocean processes. Read more here.
  • Nominations are open through June 15! 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards: The Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources is seeking nominations for 2023! The Award recognizes the outstanding and exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, Tribes, businesses, students, and youth to build resilience and advance adaptation of America's vital natural resources in a changing climate. Learn moreand submit a nomination. 
  • NOAA Science Advisory Board Soliciting Nominations: NOAA is soliciting nominations for new members for the Science Advisory Board. At this time, individuals are sought with expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning in the fields of weather and climate, environmental remote sensing, engineering for coastal resilience, social and behavioral sciences, and tropical cyclones. Individuals with expertise in other NOAA mission areas are also welcome to apply. Application packages are due by June 15, 2023. For more information about this solicitation, you can visit the SAB website or read the full Federal Register Notice.
  • Navigation Response Teams’ Field Season in Full Swing: NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) navigation response teams started the 2023 data collection season with several surveys underway. All teams are working diligently on calibrations and have completed their annual hydrographic systems readiness review activities. The Fernandina Beach team completed data collection for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary surveys and along the Georgia coast. The New London team completed data collection for the Tappan Zee Bridge project in New York and started collection for the first part of the Cape Cod project in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Bay Hydro II completed data collection in Elk River, Maryland, and is en route to the Delaware River project. The Seattle, the Stennis uncrewed systems, and the Stennis boat teams are currently collecting data on their first projects of the year.
  • Coast Survey Supports Alternative Offshore Energy: After several months of diligent work and consultations, OCS represented the first utility-scale wind farm on NOAA’s electronic navigational charts. The Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm is currently under construction approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The charts show 62 wind turbines spaced one nautical mile apart, along with a caution area encompassing the wind farm, warning mariners of ongoing construction activities. OCS appreciates the Northeast regional navigation manager for coordination and the Marine Chart Division for compilation and review of the charts. In the near future, the Marine Chart Division plans to create larger-scale charts of this area, with increased detail, which will allow for safer navigation in and around the wind farm.
  • Online Geodesy Lesson Available in French and Spanish: The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), in partnership with The COMET Program, has developed a series of self-paced online lessons on geodetic and remote sensing topics. One of the five available lessons, titled Understanding Heights and Vertical Datums, is now available in Spanish and French. Aimed at scientists, engineers, modelers and technical users of graphic information systems (GIS) and mapping applications, this lesson provides a basic understanding of different vertical datums, how they are defined, some of their strengths and weaknesses, and how to choose the appropriate datum for a given application. A free user account must be created to access the course. The user has the option of printing out a certificate upon successful completion of the quiz at the end of each lesson. NGS plans to translate additional videos and lessons into foreign languages in the coming year, to provide greater access to this content to a wider, international audience.
  • CO-OPS Launches Savannah River Currents Survey: CO-OPS will travel to the nation’s Southeast Coast later this month to begin the 2023 Savannah River Currents Survey, deploying current sensors at 25 locations in Georgia and South Carolina’s Savannah Harbor and River regions. After the field season, CO-OPS will remove the sensors and absorb, perform quality control, and analyze collected water velocity data. This data will inform updates to NOAA’s tidal current predictions and support NOS model development as well as systems developed and maintained at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and North Carolina State University. This survey will support NOAA’s National Current Observation Program, which provides oceanographic expertise and leadership to develop and execute marine studies and data products aimed at understanding the circulation of the nation’s coastal waters and estuaries.
  • CO-OPS Resumes Columbia River Currents Survey Field Work: NOAA’s National Current Observation Program is starting its second year of field operations this month with a Columbia River tidal current survey. From Cathlamet, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, scientists will deploy two currents real-time buoy systems; two aids to navigation to guide the water traveler; and four horizontal acoustic Doppler current profilers, devices that measure currents’ speed and direction throughout the water column. This work continues a two-year NOAA effort to update the way tidal currents are predicted and enhance regional navigation safety. The Columbia River is a challenging environment in which to measure currents due to dynamic water velocities and constantly moving sand waves, which can reach up to 3 meters along the river bottom. Following the field season, NOAA scientists will retrieve the equipment and prepare the collected data for inclusion in CO-OPS’s products and services.
  • CO-OPS Engages Stakeholders on High Tide Flood Enhancements: CO-OPS traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Association of State Floodplain Managers 47th annual conference. CO-OPS co-led a successful training workshop with OCM on NOAA’s evolving coastal inundation services and co-sponsored a NOAA exhibit booth alongside OCM and the National Weather Service. Conference activities such as the workshop, exhibit booth, and networking after sessions afforded direct engagement with more than 50 stakeholders to learn about their coastal flood risk information needs and gather feedback on CO-OPS’s forthcoming enhanced subseasonal high tide flooding predictions. These connections will help CO-OPS ensure its enhanced high tide flooding products are informed by and aptly and equitably meet user needs.

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