February 2026

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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The U.S. Advisory Committee met at NOAA’s Silver Spring campus on January 20 - 21, 2026.

Although only February, 2026 has already been busy here at IOOS! 

On January 26, we welcomed IOOS Deputy Director Krisa Arzayus into the acting Director role upon the retirement of former acting Director Jeffrey Payne. Krisa came to IOOS eight years ago from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information — a key IOOS partner at NOAA — and has worked tirelessly since to champion IOOS and continue advancing and maturing our system. We are fortunate to have the benefit of her experience and strong IOOS vision to guide us into the future.

From January 20 - 21, we were happy to host a meeting of the IOOS Advisory Committee. This meeting was the first in-person meeting of the Committee since new members joined in September 2024. The two-day meeting consisted of updates from IOOS and NOAA staff and working sessions to refine the Committee's recommendations for NOAA, which focus on AI and observations to feed into models. We were also fortunate to be joined by new NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs, who spoke about his priorities for NOAA and where IOOS can intersect and engage with them. Keep an eye on the Committee's website for a detailed agenda, meeting materials, and presentations as they become available!

From the
IOOS Office

  • The 2026 DMAC Annual Meeting will take place from Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, June 4, 2026 at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Silver Spring, MD. Reach out to the IOOS DMAC team at data.ioos@noaa.gov with any questions.

  • IOOS plans to apply for our fifth year as a mentoring organization in the 2026 Google Summer of Code. The team is currently working on collecting project ideas and mentors to submit our application to the program. Reach out to Micah (micah.wengren@noaa.gov), Matt (mathew.biddle@noaa.gov), or Filipe (ocefpaf@gmail.com) with any GSoC questions. 

  • On behalf of the Radiowave Operators Working Group (ROWG) Steering Committee, the IOOS Surface Currents Program is pleased to announce that the 14th ROWG workshop (ROWG-14) will be hosted by Oregon State University this May 5–7, 2026 at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. If you want to provide input for this workshop’s agenda, you are encouraged to submit recommended topics using the Google Form here.

  • Registration and call for abstracts for the UG2 Workshop ‘26 is now OPEN! Please complete the registration and call for abstracts form by March 15, 2026.

  • We're pleased to share that The Marine Technology Society has released the reports from the Dialogues with Industry: Ocean Observing of the Future series. The Dialogues with Industry, led by MTS, GOOS, and NOAA, is a collaborative forum designed to spark focused, solution-driven discussions across sectors. Read the reports here: https://oceanenterprise.com/dialogues-with-industry/

Observing Systems, Data, and Modeling

  • The IOOS Model Viewer Storm Archive is now live! This tool allows users to view historical (post 2008) hurricane tracks along with gliders deployed as part of the IOOS Hurricane Glider Coordination. The webpage includes links to notable hurricanes as well as views of all storms during a select hurricane season back to 2020.

  • Bald Head Island Conservancy received funding from SECOORA to install two surface elevation tables in the marshes of Bald Head Island. They were installed to help scientists understand marsh responses to potential changes in the lower Cape Fear River. Dr. Beth Darrow and her team hope the knowledge they gain from the SETs can help predict future flood resilience, responses to human activity, and threats to species of concern such as the Oystercatcher.

  • SECOORA worked with the Alligator, North Carolina community to install a water level sensor on Little Alligator River. This sensor will allow residents and emergency managers to monitor flooding and represents a partnership with NC Sea Grant, Tyrrell County, SWCA Environmental Consultants, and Albemarle Pamlico National Estuary Partnership.

  • The American Samoa Taʻū Harbor spotter buoy has been redeployed! Part of the Backyard Buoys program, this buoy provides vital wave data for the safe navigation of Taʻū Harbor. Many thanks to the community partners in American Samoa who coordinated the shipping, transportation, logistics, and buoy deployment: Captain Suafo'a Faifua, Keith Ahsoon, June Lefotu, the Ta'ū Community, the American Samoa Department of Port Administration, and the National Park of American Samoa. 

  • NERACOOS deployed a wave buoy in partnership with the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership in Rockland, Maine. Supported by the Brown University–led 3CRS project, the buoy measures sea surface temperature and wave height, period, and direction, providing real-time sea state observations that support safe navigation and coastal resilience. Access data on the NERACOOS Mariner’s Dashboard.

  • Buoy E01 off Monhegan Island in the Gulf of Maine broke free from its anchor and had gone adrift. The University of Maine crew recovered the buoy with the help of MV James Goodwin, and it is awaiting repairs. Nearby ocean observing assets that can support mariner safety and weather forecasts include the NERACOOS/UMaine Penobscot Bay Buoy (F01), NDBC Matinicus Rock C-MAN station, and NDBC Casco Bay Buoy, all of which are accessible through the NERACOOS Mariners Dashboard.

  • The Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of South Alabama and Dauphin Island Sea Lab deployed a new “a wave and current profiler” (AWAC) at Middle Bay Light Station in the Alabama Real-time Coastal Observing System (ARCOS). The AWAC, located next to the shipping channel, will collect surface wave and water current velocities at several depths, with the data displayed on the ARCOS webpage and pushed out to GCOOS and the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) to provide real-date information.

  • Researchers from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology Shark Lab have identified the first-ever documented mating hub for tiger sharks off Olowalu, Maui. Analysis of six years of acoustic tracking data revealed a predictable seasonal convergence of mature males and females, coinciding with the humpback whale calving season in Hawaiʻi. Read more or access the paper.

  • The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) and SwimSmart Technology LLC are proud to announce that activities supporting the Great Lakes Coastal Warning System project have begun. GLOS and SwimSmart aim to significantly advance beach safety and coastal observation across the Great Lakes by integrating SwimSmart’s innovative electronic warning systems with GLOS data platforms, such as Seagull. Next-generation weather observation sensors will be deployed on SwimSmart rescue stations and warning signs at key sites around the Great Lakes.

  • Often Great Lakes buoys and other assets are retrieved ahead of harsh winter conditions, but over the last few years, the lakes have seen an increase in both winter-only and, more importantly, year-round observing platforms. GLOS expects these platforms to be reporting data on Seagull this winter, and you can view all current active platforms on Seagull here. https://seagull.glos.org/map...

  • Data from AOOS’ Imaging FlowCytobots (IFCBs) is now easily findable on the Alaska HAB Data Portal. This data layer shows locations where the IFCBs have been deployed, and link up to the WHOI dashboards that present all of the images from the IFCB. This link is best viewed with a desktop computer: https://ahab.portal.aoos.org/

IOOS Enterprise

  • PacIOOS and NOAA CoastWatch will host a free 4-day satellite data training course virtually February 10-13 (FJT) / February 9-12 HST, 2026. The course will help people access and use global and regional satellite data for ocean and coastal applications. Registration and agenda

  • The 2025 GCOOS Annual Report, now available, shares highlights from ocean observing partners and platforms in the Gulf of America that are advancing ocean science for societal benefits.

  • The Backyard Buoys education team has developed a lesson plan in partnership with PocketLab to introduce students to how buoys measure waves. Measuring Waves with Backyard Buoys is now available for free on PocketLab Notebook, and with other educational resources on the Backyard Buoys website.

  • NOAA upgrades Baltimore water level station. Data will support safe navigation, protect life and property, and promote flood resilience.

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New Papers and Reports

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