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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

June is National Ocean Month and always a busy month for IOOS and NOAA. This week I celebrated World Ocean Day on June 8th, participated in Capitol Hill Ocean Week, and had the opportunity to present the IOOS Association Caraid Award to Libby Jewett, Director of NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program. 

The IOOS Association established the annual Caraid Award to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to observing and understanding our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes through vision, leadership, friendship and collaboration. The word “Caraid” is a Scottish Gaelic word, meaning “care” or “love” and is pronounced like “courage.” Caring and courage to do what matters are the attributes that make IOOS work.

Libby epitomizes the Caraid award characteristics and is a deserving recipient of the award. She has been leading the Ocean Acidification Program for NOAA as the founding Director since 2011.  Throughout her time as OAP Director, Libby has exemplified the ‘can do’ and caring attitude worthy of the Caraid award - forging partnerships, inspiring community growth, building trust, and leading with intention and ability to empower people at all levels to grow the network and program. Congratulations Libby!

For National Ocean Month, NOAA and the National Ocean Service are participating in the #30DaysofOcean campaign where they are sharing videos, imagery, and facts with a different theme each week: Ocean Health and Safety (June 1-6); Ocean Economy (June 6-12); Ocean Life (June 13-19); and Ocean Trivia (June 20-30). Check out the National Ocean Month website, and look for #30DaysofOcean, #OceanMonthNOAA, and #OceanMonth2021 on NOS Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • IOOS Advisory Committee Meeting - June 14th - Noon EDT: There will be a public meeting of the U.S. IOOS Advisory Committee on June 14th, 2021, 12pm-5pm EDT. A notice of the meeting has been published in the Federal Register The Committee will present their recommendations report to NOAA leadership, hold a discussion on Coastal Resilience with the NOAA Science Advisory Board, and hear from IOOS Director Carl Gouldman on the IOOS FY22 President’s budget request. The meeting agenda and additional information is available on the Advisory Committee website. To register for the meeting, contact Erick Lee, Erick.Lee@noaa.gov. 

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov): 
    • No update.
    • Hurricane Glider Project Update: The hurricane season has officially begun, and the Hurricane Glider Project partners are preparing deployments, starting in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean over the first half of June. Over twenty five deployments are planned in the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic Bight, South Atlantic Bight, Gulf of Mexico, and Bahamas.  The temperature and salinity profiles from these gliders are used to reduce uncertainty in landfalling tropical cyclone intensity forecasts and improve our understanding of how the ocean and atmosphere interact during tropical cyclones. The data are delivered through the National Weather Service in real time and directly assimilated into the Real Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS). By monitoring continuously throughout the hurricane season, the gliders help improve the representation of ocean conditions and ocean features in the models. Two gliders will be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico by GCOOS the week of June 8 (weather dependent): one funded by Shell, and another provided by the Navy as part of the ongoing NOAA/Navy hurricane glider partnership. CARICOOS plans to deploy 7 gliders, beginning within the next two weeks in coordination with the OAR Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab (AOML). The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute will also have two gliders monitoring the Gulf Stream beginning in June, which will provide important data that can be leveraged for the Hurricane Glider mission.
    • Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Updates:
      • UG2 Webinar Series: As we continue our industry series and transition the focus from vehicles to sensors we have a great webinar coming up on June 17th, 2-3:30 EDT.  The tentative agenda includes UG2 Updates, UG2 Focus Group Updates, and Industry Presentations from RBR and JASCO Applied Sciences.
      • UG2 Coordinated Operations/Private Sector Engagement Survey: We are getting ready to post the survey results and would like more participation. If you have not yet, please complete the attached survey link.  It will only take 5-8 minutes and is critical in pushing our sharing and collaboration of operations forward as a glider user community. https://underwatergliders.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=222a27da663bc7a6c129815e5&id=ea72e7ec5c&e=7139390609
      • UG2 Underwater Gliders Deployments: Please visit http://underwatergliders.org/index.php/deployments/ and update your 2021 and early 2022 plans to share with the UG2 community.
  • Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) (National Coordinator Bill Woodward, Bill.Woodward@noaa.gov):

    • Updates from Canada’s Ocean Tracking Network (OTN):

      • OTN and Big Spruce Brewing Announce First Round 2021 Funding for North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation: Five marine conservation groups are better equipped to welcome migrating North Atlantic right whales to Canada this season thanks to proceeds from a local craft beer. On jUne 8th, Big Spruce Brewing and the Ocean Tracking Network announced the first round of 2021 funding raised by their colla’beer’ation, Tag! You’re It!. The Canadian Whale Institute, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station, the Marine Animal Response Society, and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (Atlantic Region, based at the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island) have received funding to support their work in protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Big Spruce Brewing and the Ocean Tracking Network have partnered since 2017 to brew the Tag! You’re It! beer that raises money for ocean research and conservation in Canada. In 2020, more than 58,000 cans of Tag! You’re It! were shipped to every province and territory, helping the conservation partnership raise just shy of $30,000 for groups working to protect right whales. Read more here: https://oceantrackingnetwork.org/cape-breton-brewery-delivers-help-for-the-critically-endangered-north-atlantic-right-whale/ 
  • Marine Life 2030 Endorsed as Part of UN Decade of Ocean Science: The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), an arm of the United Nations, officially endorsed Marine Life 2030 to officially be part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It is one of 66 actions endorsed by the UN on World Oceans Day. “This program integrates expertise across many institutions, countries, and disciplines,” said Frank Muller-Karger, who spearheaded the design of the Marine Life 2030 program. “Societies everywhere need exactly this kind of sustained, all-hands-on-deck effort, and we’re beyond thrilled to have our program endorsed by the UN.” Marine Life 2030 will serve as a connector and facilitator between several existing groups, such as the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), the GEO BON Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the World Conservation and Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and many more. In addition to a host of national and international government partners, the program, led by the Smithsonian Institution, includes more than 30 NGO partners and nearly 40 academic partners across the globe. Read more here. 
  • ACT eDNA Workshop Series Report published: The final ACT eDNA Workshop Series Report has been published online on the ACT website.  It can be accessed here.

Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Subsystem and Tools Built on IOOS data (DMAC listserv – contact Micah Wengren, DMAC System Architect, data.ioos@noaa.gov, or the 'ioos_tech' listserve: https://groups.google.com/g/ioos_tech):

  • 2021 IOOS DMAC Virtual Annual Meeting - Register Now! - June 15 - 17, 2021: Don’t forget to register for the 2021 DMAC Meeting which will take place virtually on the afternoons (1:00 - 5:00 PM ET) of Tuesday, June 15 through Thursday, June 17. For this year's virtual meeting, we've planned a daily schedule including two hours of presentations, followed by concurrent hour-long breakout sessions on DMAC topics of interest.  More information about both presentation and breakout topics is available in the agenda posted on our DMAC community web site (https://ioos.noaa.gov/project/dmac/). Please register for the meeting if you plan to attend so we can ensure you're able to access all of the meeting materials and Google Meet sessions on the 15th. Please email Mathew Biddle (mathew.biddle@noaa.gov) with any questions, concerns, or problems accessing the registration form or other meeting materials. Breakout Session Input: We're also encouraging anyone that would like to contribute discussion topic suggestions for any of the breakout sessions to reach out to session leads directly.  Below is a list of the breakout sessions and email addresses for leads for each session.
  • UN FAO AI for a digital Blue Planet Global Forum 28-30 June 2021: Hassan Moustahfid (IOOS) and Greg Dusek (CO-OPS) are preparing a recorded video presentation to be presented at the UN FAO AI for a digital Blue Planet Global Forum 28-30 June 2021. Artificial Intelligence for A Digital Blue Planet is a three-day global forum (28–30 June 2021), that will bring together data scientists, analysts and researchers from marine research institutions and universities around the world to share their knowledge, skills and innovative ideas while discussing ways AI could help promote the use of knowledge to improve the management of our aquatic ecosystems. Learn more here: http://www.fao.org/3/cb4569en/cb4569en.pdf 
  • SAVE THE DATE! The 3rd NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences September 13–17, 2021: This will be a hybrid event, the theme for this year’s workshop is “Transforming Weather, Climate Services, and Blue Economy with Artificial Intelligence.” In-person capacity at the event in Boulder, Colorado, will be limited in accordance with the most recent public health guidelines while the virtual event will be open broadly. A decision will be made in June about whether the workshop will be fully virtual. Please check the workshop page (https://2021noaaaiworkshop.sched.com/info) for more information. If you have any questions, please email Douglas.Rao@noaa.gov. 
    • QARTOD 5-Year Plan: We continue to assemble a working group to assist in the drafting of the next 5-year QARTOD plan (2022-2026). Working within the guidance provided by the Board of Advisors (https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/qartod-board-of-advisors/), over the next few months the working group will review and comment on the emerging plan. Contact Mark if you’d like to participate.
    • Ocean Best Practice System: The monthly OBPS newsletter has introduced an Image-of-the-Month column. These can be any recent or historical photo, artwork or diagram that showcases aspects of ocean observations. Share your favorite photo of a successful (or not!) practice. Please send your Image-of-the-Month along with a short descriptive paragraph to newsletter@oceanbestpractices.org, and see the June issue at https://mailchi.mp/oceanbestpractices/ocean-best-practices-newsletter-issue-35-june

Modeling and Analysis Subsystem (IOOS PO and IOOS Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) POC – Tracy Fanara, Tracy.Fanara@noaa.gov):   

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • USGEO Seeks Input on Commercial Earth Observation Buys: The United States Group on Earth Observations is preparing a document containing best practices for Federal government procurement of commercial Earth observation and geospatial data and services, per the 2019 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations. USGEO is seeking public input on best practices to inform the writing of this report. USGEO is seeking participation from all interested parties, including private sector providers and users, academia, and the public. Not sure if you should attend? If you are a company, or non-profit that is collecting Ocean data as a business, USGEO wants to hear from you. If you are a company that is using Earth Observations as part of your business, USGEO wants to hear from you. If you are a researcher and depend on Federal ocean information, USGEO wants to hear from you. USGEO is holding the following public sessions to offer input. Please register for the events at these links: June 16, 2021, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT; June 23, 2021, 1- 2:30 p.m. EDT.  You can also view the FRN here and the SAM.com RFI here.

  • UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates: 

    • UNESCO launches first Ocean Decade Actions to Drive Ocean Knowledge Revolution: On World Oceans Day, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission announced the first Actions officially endorsed as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030 (the ‘Ocean Decade’). “From restoring the Great Barrier Reef to mapping 100% of the ocean floor in high resolution, these innovative programmes and contributions make up the first set of Ocean Decade Actions that will contribute to help deliver the ocean we want by 2030” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Led by diverse proponents from science, government, civil society, United Nations agencies, the private sector, philanthropy and international organizations, these flagship Ocean Decade Actions are characterized by their wide geographical reach. Read more here: https://oceandecade.com/news/136/UNESCO-launches-first-Ocean-Decade-Actions-to-drive-ocean-knowledge-revolution- 

    • UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development First International Conference: The First International Ocean Decade Conference launched on June 1st. Watch the recording here.

    • Ocean Decade Laboratories | Call for Online Satellite Activities 2021: The United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the Ocean Decade) commenced on 1 January 2021 to deliver the ‘science we need for the ocean we want’. In response to ongoing constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual High-Level Launch of the Ocean will take place on June 1st, 2021 followed by seven “Ocean Decade Laboratories” between July 2021 and May 2022. Laboratories are innovative formats that function as self-sustaining events. They act as a creative platform to link diverse stakeholders and topics to trigger collaborative efforts in regard to the UN Ocean Decade. The Laboratories have been structured around the seven Ocean Decade Outcomes. This Call for Online Sessions is open to partners around to world to identify Satellite Activities for the following Ocean Decade Laboratories:

  • A Predicted Ocean on 15th and 16th September 2021 - Due date June 18th
  • A Clean Ocean on 17th and 18th November 2021 - Due date August 2nd

A second Call for Online Sessions will be launched for Satellite Activities for Ocean Decade Laboratories to be held later in 2022. All calls are being launched globally to ensure that a diversity of time zones, languages, and regional and local contexts are represented in the Laboratories. For more information, see https://www.oceandecade-conference.com/files/20210422_CallforOnlineSessions2021_Guidelines.pdf or submit your proposal for satellite activities here. 

  • New Report Highlights the Immense Value of U.S. waters to our Economy: The first official Marine Economy Satellite Account statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show that the marine economy accounted for 1.9 percent, or $397 billion, of current-dollar U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. Read more on how NOAA is championing the growth of America’s marine marketplace in this updated story map. 
  • GO-SHIP Launches First GO-BGC Argo Float: The first biogeochemical Argo float of the new NSF-funded GO-BGC Array program was launched on March 24, 2021 by researchers onboard the GO-SHIP A20 Expedition in the Western North Atlantic. The float, named Europa, was adopted and named by the Fauquier County Public Schools in Warrenton, Virginia. A total of 12 floats will be deployed on the 2-leg cruise (A20 and A22), part of NOAA and NSF-funded U.S. Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (U.S. GO-SHIP). Read the full article. 
  • National Ocean Service Assistant Administrator Releases World Ocean Day Video Message: In this video message, Acting NOS Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf celebrates World Ocean Day and National Ocean Month, notes NOAA's participation in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and Capitol Hill Ocean Week, and discusses how NOS is contributing to diversity, inclusion, and environmental justice.
  • US AON Sponsors Workshop in Support of Developing Indigenous Collaboration in Arctic Observing Networks: The US Arctic Observing Network (US AON) is a strategic and collaborative effort that works nationally and internationally to advance partnerships and systematic and ethical planning approaches to Arctic observing in support of broad societal benefit. US AON values the direct engagement of Indigenous organizations and communities in its planning efforts and seeks to improve the overall capacity of the Arctic research community, typically educated in only western science, into an improved understanding of how to develop effective partnerships with Indigenous-led efforts. To that end, US AON sponsored a 2-day invitational training for its partners, including: members of the interagency US AON Board, principal investigators of NOAA's Arctic Research Program and investigators from the newly initiated Research Networking Activity - for Sustained Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change (CoObs RNA), funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • NOAA Releases Annual Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Forecast: NOAA is forecasting this summer’s Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone or “dead zone” to be approximately 4,880 square miles. Dead zones are areas of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life. The 2021 forecasted area is slightly smaller than the five-year average dead zone size, which is 5,400 square miles, and substantially smaller than the record of 8,776 square miles, set in 2017. Within a dead zone, the low oxygen levels near the bottom are insufficient to support most marine life and have long-term impacts on marine life that is unable to swim or move away. NOAA’s annual Gulf of Mexico hypoxia prediction is based on U.S. Geological Survey river flow and nutrient data. 
  • Gulf of Mexico Mariners Safer with New Current Meters: NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) has worked with its partners in the Gulf of Mexico to add new current meters to two Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS®), improving the safety of marine navigation in the area. Corpus Christi PORTS added a current meter in the Corpus Christi Channel, the fourth current meter in this system. A new current meter was also brought online as part of the Sabine Neches PORTS, making it the eighth operational current meter in this PORTS on the border of Texas and Louisiana. Real-time current information helps mariners — particularly from large cargo ships — navigate safely, protecting life and property and keeping commerce moving smoothly in the Gulf of Mexico. 
  • NGS Participates in Canada’s Geodesy Convocation: National Geodetic Survey (NGS) staff attended the virtual annual meeting of the Canadian Geodetic Reference System Committee, where provincial and federal geodesists met to discuss the challenges of unifying local, national, and international reference frames, as well as emerging issues and opportunities. The NGS representative gave an update on related efforts in the United States. Collaboration with Canada and Mexico on geospatial science enables better coordination for North American commerce, engineering, transportation, and science.
  • NOAA Seeks Nominations to New Marine Debris Foundation Board of Directors: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) is pleased to announce a solicitation of nominations for the Marine Debris Foundation Board of Directors. The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 established the Marine Debris Foundation as a charitable and nonprofit organization to support NOAA’s marine debris activities and directed the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to appoint the Foundation’s governing Board of Directors. NOAA is searching for twelve people to serve as Directors on the new Board, representing diverse points of view relating to the assessment, prevention, reduction, and removal of marine debris; post-consumer materials management or a circular economy; ocean and coastal resource conservation science or policy; international trade or foreign policy; and experience or skills related to fundraising and nonprofit management. NOAA encourages candidates representing diverse perspectives from different genders, cultures, educational backgrounds, career stages, geographies, sectors, and other factors. Information on the responsibilities of the Board, term length, selection criteria, and how to submit a nomination is available on the NOAA MDP webpage at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/who-we-are/marine-debris-foundation. Nominations must be received in entirety no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 30, 2021.
  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:
  • NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2022 Funding Opportunity: The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER), also known as NOAA Ocean Exploration, is soliciting proposals to conduct or support ocean exploration resulting in outcomes that provide or enable initial assessments about unknown or poorly understood regions of U.S. waters. This funding opportunity will focus on the outcomes of the Workshop to Identify National Ocean Exploration Priorities in the Pacific hosted by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) in 2020 in partnership with OER. Proposals should support the ocean exploration topical priorities or spatial priorities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) identified in the “Report on the Workshop to Identify National Ocean Exploration Priorities in the Pacific.” Required pre-proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 21, 2021 and invited full proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 8, 2021. Read more about this funding opportunity here. 
  • RFP: Attending Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Science Courses: Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS or Drones) are rapidly growing components of research, assessment and monitoring of coastal regions within the US Southeast and Caribbean. SECOORA is seeking applications to sponsor up to six candidates from the U.S. Southeast and Caribbean region to attend three UAS executive education courses offered by the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Submissions are due at 5:00 PM ET on June 30, 2021. Read more about this RFP here. 
  • FY2022-2023 Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship Request for Proposals: NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2022 - 2023 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship request for proposals. This program offers graduate students admitted to or enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program the opportunity to conduct estuarine research within a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Davidson fellowship supports research projects that help scientists and communities understand the coastal challenges that will likely influence future policy and management strategies, and offers professional development opportunities geared to build the next generation of coastal professionals. NOAA is committed to reaching applicants from minority serving institutions, and to partnering with these universities for collaborative science initiatives and fellowship opportunities within the research reserves. NOAA will award one fellowship at each of the 29 reserves in the national system. Each two-year project will employ the tenets of collaborative research, including engaging end-users, incorporating multi-disciplinary perspectives, and ensuring outcomes are applicable to local coastal resource management needs and decision-making. The fellowship honors the legacy of Margaret A. Davidson, a true visionary and pioneer in the field of coastal resource management. Applications are due December 10th, 2021. A link to the request for proposals can be found here. Additional information about the program can be found on our website.

Delivering the Benefits:

  • CROP Data Portal launched in the Caribbean: The Caribbean Regional Ocean Partnership (CROP) is pleased to announce the launch of their CROP data portal. This decision support tool integrates over 60 coastal and ocean data products and visualizations, from various sources, in support of regional coastal planning and resource management. Read more about this proposal (and how to offer feedback) here. 
  • New Online Tool for West Maui Predicts High Wave Flooding: West Maui community members, property owners, businesses, as well as state and county officials now have a novel tool at their disposal to predict coastal flooding for the upcoming six days. PacIOOS developed a high resolution, real-time Wave Run-up Forecast for the West Maui shoreline to help increase preparedness and coastal resiliency. The forecast tool can be found at: http://pacioos.org/west-maui.  Read more about this new tool here. 
  • Two Wave Buoys Back in the Water: Thanks to PacIOOS partner, Jason Miller at the University of Guam, who redeployed the Ipan wave buoy off the east coast of Guam this month. In addition, the wave buoy off Hanalei Bay, Kaua‘i, is also back on station with a new mooring line. All PacIOOS Waverider wave buoys measure wave height, direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature in real-time. PacIOOS also offers a suite of high-resolution wave models for the Pacific Islands region. Data management is made possible through long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP).
  • Unlocking the Loop Current with new data caches: For decades, the offshore energy industry has collected an immense amount of physical oceanographic data in the Gulf of Mexico, but this data has historically not been publicly accessible. Now, through a project funded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program, this historical industry data — along with Gulf data from governmental, nongovernmental and academic sources — is being made accessible through the new Gulf of Mexico Loop Current Data Hub, GulfHub. This cache of data can help the oceanography community focused on the Gulf of Mexico understand the LC and LCE. Read more on this here. 
  • Early Hypoxia Observed off PNW Coast:  In mid-May, dissolved oxygen saturation levels below 40% were recorded in the Columbia River estuary at CRITFC-CMOP station SATURN-03 (Pt. Adams) in high salinity estuarine water. This was the earliest appearance of low dissolved oxygen in the Columbia River estuary in the nine years of observation. The main channel of the Columbia River estuary exchanges water with the coastal ocean daily, and low oxygen was also observed offshore during this period by the Washington Coast glider and by the OOI Washington Inshore Mooring, which recorded values less than 1 mg/l.
  • 2021 Yukon River Chinook Run Timing Forecast: Yukon River Chinook are predicted to arrive on the delta slightly later than average in 2021. The first significant pulse (15% point) is expected by June 15th and 50% of the run is expected to have arrived by June 23rd. Despite reports of a warmer-than-average Spring in the Arctic, established indicators of Yukon River Chinook run timing painted a more moderate picture this year. Read the full forecast here. 
  • New reports available:

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • Meet the 2021 Vembu Subramanian Ocean Scholars: SECOORA is honored to announce the 2021 Vembu Subramanian Ocean Scholars - Lela Schlenker, East Carolina University, and Caroline Maria Tribble, University of Charleston. The annual award provides travel support to students to present their research at a meeting or conference.  Read more about these scholars here.
  • Meet the 2021 Data Challenge Winners: SECOORA is honored to announce the 2021 Data Challenge winners. The 2021 Data Challenge focused on using archived SECOORA buoy and/or shore station data. Cody Benton, University of North Carolina Wilmington is the undergraduate winner with the project "Two Decades of In-situ Current Measurements from the North Carolina Shelf," while the open-category winner is Jason Law, University of South Florida with "The Critical Importance of Long-term Moored Observations: Utilizing Climatology Products and Visualizations for Science and Communication." Read more about the challenge winners and their projects here.
  • PacIOOS Executive Committee Meeting: Members of the PacIOOS Governing Council Executive Committee came together virtually for their annual meeting. In a 2-session video conference, PacIOOS leadership provided the most recent programmatic updates and an overview of the anticipated budget. Committee members discussed examples on how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and community-led conservation into ocean observing, and shared regional nuances of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) within the Pacific Islands and how to advance it.
  • Mini-symposium for Bering Sea crabbers highlights ocean acidification and warming: On May 26, members of the Bering Sea crabbing industry met with researchers to discuss the latest science on ocean acidification and climate as it relates to crab in the region.  Nearly 50 people joined the conversation that was hosted by the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, the Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation, and the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network. Read more about the proceedings here.

Upcoming Meetings with IOOS Participation (Please check links as we move forward as things may change quickly for planned events):

  • OceanHackWeek 2021, 3 - 6 August 2021, Boothbay, ME and virtual: OceanHackWeek 2021 is a hands-on, interactive hybrid in-person and virtual workshop focused on data science and oceanography. It features four days of tutorials, data exploration, software development and community networking! This IOOS-supported event will have both in-person and remote options this year. The in-person event will take place at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, in East Boothbay, Maine, as an all-day workshop. The virtual event (led by University of Washington) will have formal daily activities over a period of up to 3 hours per day, tentatively in at least two time zones, PDT and Australian EST (UTC+10). Click here to apply, see (DEADLINE: June 14, 2021). Please see the FAQ on that page, and for additional questions please contact Emilio Mayorga, emiliom@uw.edu.
  • Polar Data Forum IV now accepting abstracts through June 18, 2021: The Fourth Polar Data Forum, co-hosted by the Royal Belgian institute of Natural Sciences and the European Polar Board (EPB) at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in The Hague (NL) and online from September 20-24, 2021, is now accepting abstracts for oral presentations and posters. The submission deadline is June 18, 2021, with notice of acceptance provided on or before July 30. This event will be co-located with the Second Southern Ocean Regional Workshop for the UN Ocean Decade and Hackathon and focus on the polar oceans and will combine a two-day conference style meeting (September 23-24) in support of information exchange, with the remainder of the week using a “hackathon” approach that will build on the development work done in previous meetings and workshops (September 20-22). The forum registration deadline is September 10. More information and a link to the abstract submission system is available on the conference website: https://polar-data-forum.org/conference/abstracts/.  
  • MTS 14th Buoy Workshop, 25 - 27 October 2021: The MTS 14th Buoy Workshop has been rescheduled for October 25 – 27, 2021 and will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina.  This year’s theme is Moored Systems for the Future. Areas and topics will include, but are not limited to: Ecosystems Monitoring, Long-Term Observing Systems, Reliability & Harsh Environments, Power Systems, Data, Sensors & Instrumentation, Mooring Design and Synergy.  Registration opens and the call for speakers begins April 15, 2021, and abstracts are due September 1, 2021. Please see the Buoy Workshop homepage for more information.

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • EMODnet 2nd Open Conference and Jamboree,  14–18 June 2021, Oostende, Belgium and virtual: The second EMODnet Open Conference and Jamboree will be held the week of 14 June 2021. During the event, EMODnet partners, communicators and data providers and users will take stock of EMODnet achievements over the past 10 years, connect across stakeholder communities and set goals for the future. To start the week, the EMODnet Open Conference will focus on use cases and requirements for developing essential open marine data services for blue economy actors, the public sector, civil society and the research community. More details will follow soon.
  • 3rd NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences, 13 - 17 September 2021, Boulder, CO and Virtual: This hybrid workshop is a continuation of the NOAA series of workshops on “Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences.” The third event continues the successes of previous workshops and encourages participation by scientists, program managers, and leaders from the public, academic and private sectors who work in AI and environmental sciences. The theme for this year’s workshop is “Transforming Weather, Climate Services, and Blue Economy with Artificial Intelligence.” As a hybrid event, in-person capacity at Boulder will be limited in accordance with the most recent public health guideline while the virtual event will be open broadly to the public.  The call for abstracts is open until 6/18/21.  Find all the details here. 
  • Global OCEANS 2021, 20 – 23 September 2021, San Diego, CA & virtual: Global thought leaders and innovators in the areas of marine technology, engineering, science, research, and education will gather together to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science, hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward. Registration is now open from the event home page. 
  • CERF 2021, 1 – 4 & 8 – 11 November 2021, virtual: You and our colleagues will come together to network, celebrate our work, learn from each other, and grow within our amazing field as we endeavor to connect science and society in the collective goals of preserving coastal and estuarine habitats, resources, and heritage. Collaborate and discuss with more than 1,700 scientists and researchers from all over the world. Registration is now open from the event home page. 
  • SAVE THE DATE! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum,  3 – 4 November 2021: Join other leaders to learn about how organizations are applying GIS technology to solve their complex data integration problems. See how using GIS helps provide the framework for integrating your multiple disciplines and warfighting functions across the Joint All-Domain Command and Control. Submit papers, listen to plenary talks, and participate in breakout sessions with other leading marine, climate, and earth scientists. See the conference website for more details. 

 

Webinars: 

  • MARACOOS Science Talk, 11 June 2021, 10am ET: Daniel Wang of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will speak about "Impact of Canyon Upwelling and Downwelling in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.” Register here. 
  • Applying technology to improve our ability to forecast, observe and detect rip currents, 22 June 2021, 12pm ET: This SECOORA webinar will provide an overview of the new NOAA rip current model and how machine learning and flow analysis methods are used to identify rip currents. Read more and register here. 
  • SERIES: BlueTech Global Connect: The BlueTech Global Connect (BGC) webinar series is designed to connect exciting BlueTech companies from around the world with potential advisors, investors and partners globally.  Please join us each month to hear and virtually meet 3 great BlueTech companies from various countries. 
    • June 17: Seaweed/Renewable Feed and the Circular Economy
  • SERIES: EMB launches new webinar series: The European Marine Board is launching a new webinar series, #ThirdThursdayScience, which will focus on the science underpinning the research and policy recommendations in EMB publications. The free webinars will take place on the third Thursday of each month, and will run for one hour between 13:00 - 14:00 CEST. Webinars will also be live-streamed on YouTube and will be made available to re-watch later on the EMB YouTube Channel. Upcoming webinars:
    • June 17: Policy Brief 9 on Sustained Ocean Observation Infrastructure
  • SERIES: National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Seriesprovides educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. This series currently targets formal and informal educators, students (high school through college), as well as members of the community, including families. You can also visit the archives of the webinar series to catch up on presentations you may have missed here.
    • June 15: Special Speaker Event in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Papahānaumokuākea: Why We Need to Protect More of the Ocean - Register here. 
    • June 17: Salmon & Orcas: The Stories of Science with NOAA Fisheries & Lynda Mapes
    • June 23: Revealing the Mysterious Coral and Sponge Gardens of Sur Ridge in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
  • SERIES: Esri Applied Meteorology Using ArcGIS Webinar Series: GIS is a foundational tool for weather and climate research and analysis. With tools to ingest multi-dimensional weather and climate data, process and analyze, and attain informative forecast products for preparedness and adaptation, ArcGIS advances our understanding of the atmosphere to benefit science and society. In this free series, you will gain insight into how you can incorporate ArcGIS into your work from fellow scientists and GIS experts. Register here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/lg/industry/government/applied-meteorology-using-arcgis
    • June 23, 2021, 8 am – 9 am PDT – Optimized Hydrologic Models Aid Forecasts and Projections for Improved Decision-Making
    • August 25, 2021, 8 am – 9 am PDT – Use Cloud-Based GIS Technology to Deliver Briefings to Build Resilient Communities

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • Accountant (part time), GLOS: The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is looking for a talented, motivated individual to join our organization as an Accountant (part-time). GLOS is a 501c3 non-profit organization established to support data collection, data management, and data sharing in the Great Lakes. As a member of the team, you will organize, analyze, and verify our various financial transactions and reports to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance. You will support annual financial audits, assist with payroll activities, and review business expense reports. This is a detail-oriented position that is vital to daily operations. Open until filled. See full details and how to apply here. 

Click here to view the IOOS Association Calendar

Do you have suggestions for new things you would like to see in the Eyes on the Ocean IOOS Bi-Weekly? Contact us at: eoto@noaa.gov.

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