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From the Director:

Hello IOOS Community,

Welcome to June and National Ocean Month! This week began with World Ocean Day on June 8th and Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) on June 9th. This year’s CHOW 2020 event was condensed to a single day and went virtual, bringing together ocean experts, policy makers, and enthusiasts from all over the world to celebrate the biodiversity of the ocean. Highlights from the event included a call to conserve 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30x30), presentations from the U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network(MBON) partners, and a new NOAA exploration initiative to better understand our ocean frontier. Archived talks and plenaries from CHOW 2020 will be available online today at https://marinesanctuary.org/capitol-hill-ocean-week/.

June also marks the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season. Are you ready? Learn more about how to prepare for a hurricane at https://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness and find a wealth of information from the National Ocean Service on hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery.  We’re hard at work on our end refreshing IOOS hurricane resources for you! Check out the Communications section below to find resources from the regions that offer data and information all season long.

Best wishes,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • The Ocean Enterprise Study 2020: Your business matters, help NOAA assess the Ocean Enterprise Sector! IOOS/NOAA are requesting input from businesses who provide infrastructure or products that support or conduct ocean observation and measurement by participating in the Ocean Enterprise Study 2020.  We will use the results to help inform NOAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce about the changing needs of the Ocean Enterprise sector in a report to be published in 2021. “NOAA strongly supports the IOOS Ocean Enterprise Study 2020. Applying data and services to grow the American Blue Economy is a top priority for our agency, and the information provided by this study will help us further the sustainable economic contributions of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator. “We are proud of our IOOS Program and partners that have enabled NOAA’s leadership in Ocean Science and Technology.”  We invite any company, large and small, working in this sector, to contribute to this important study through participation in an online survey. To find out more information or to take the survey click here. The study will deliver an update to the initial study conducted in 2015. Thank you to the Marine Technology Society for featuring the study on their website and in the May issue of Currents. 

  • Now Virtual! IOOS Advisory Committee Meeting Save the Date: The next public meeting of the IOOS Advisory Committee will be held virtually August 4-6, 2020. Stay tuned for more information!

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS POC, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov):  
    • Taking the Pulse of the Coastal Ocean: First Newsletter of the European HF Radar Community:The European HF Radar Task Team has published their first community newsletter. Read more about HF Radar activities in Europehere. 
    • Upcoming Training Announcement: The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will be conducting UxS certificate classes this summer and fall.  This two-tiered training gives the working knowledge from ocean science to engineering (ocean, electrical and mechanical) for operators and pilots to safely and successfully execute UxS missions.  This will be the first offering of Tier 2 program with a heavy focus on buoyancy gliders. These courses/certificates have been developed in collaboration with NOAA, Navy, academia, and industry partners to meet the user’s needs.  This is a great opportunity for operators/pilots at all levels that are planning and conducting UxS missions. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: UNMANNED MARITIME SYSTEMS CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, PHONE: 228.688.3177 • FAX: 228.688.1121. Admissions Information: https://www.usm.edu/ocean-science-engineering/unmanned-maritime-systems-ums-certification.php
      • Unmanned Maritime System (UMS) CERTIFICATE PROGRAM — TIER 1 - Aug 24 – Sep 25, 2020 - Students will learn foundational material in oceanography and ocean engineering related to unmanned undersea and surface vehicles (UUVs and USVs), such as powered gliders. This 10-credit hour program compressed into five weeks of instruction is intended to provide sufficient background to safely operate vehicles in challenging marine environments as well as work with a variety of sensors.
      • Unmanned Maritime System (UMS) OPERATOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM — TIER 2 - Oct 12 – Nov 13, 2020 - The Tier II follow-on Curricula will be focused on specific types of vehicles, but with topics generalized across vehicle types where appropriate. In this first module focused on gliders, students will learn about glider operations including mission planning, mission execution and management and maintenance and management of assets.  The curriculum draws knowledge from real- world case studies of specific situations, sensors, and platforms. Students will apply these concepts in developing and conducting operations during a short field project.  The UMS Operator Certificate program consists of four courses totaling 12 credit hours compressed into five weeks of instruction including a field project during which students will conduct mission analysis & planning, specific vehicle and sensor matching, specific vehicle preparation, launch, operation, and recovery, followed by quality review of collected data.
    • Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge Green Turtle Tracked by Satellite for Over a Year by the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center: Dr. Jeff Seminoff, Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program leader at the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Center, reports that this is the longest-ever tracking duration for a green turtle in the eastern Pacific Ocean, breaking the previous record by several months! The longer tag retention time is likely due to the new technique Jeff’s team is using for attaching the satellite tags using quickset epoxy and Kevlar cloth, which are more durable and flexible attachment materials. This turtle measured 76.4 cm straight carapace length and weighed 60 kg when it was tagged on 16 May 2019. It was still transmitting as of 1 June 2020 ! This project is a partnership among NOAA-Fisheries, U.S. Navy, and the IOOS-based U.S. Animal Telemetry Network.
    • Successful ATN Argos Fees Program Continues to Grow: Currently the ATN is committed to paying the Argos data collection and location fees for 1,333 Tags belonging to 35 separate tagging programs.

Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Subsystem and Tools Built on IOOS data (DMAC listserv – contact Micah Wengren, DMAC System Architect, data.ioos@noaa.gov)

  • POSTPONED: 2020 DMAC Meeting, Silver Spring, MD: The DMAC meeting originally scheduled for June will be postponed with tentative dates 13 – 15 October 2020 in Silver Spring, MD.  More information to follow.
  • IOOS/ESIP Biological Data Standards Workshop, July 13, 2020, Burlington, VT VIRTUAL:  This Biological Data Standards workshop, sponsored by the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (US IOOS) in partnership with ESIP, OBIS and BCO-DMO, invites participation from data providers and data managers across the marine community. See more in the “Upcoming Events with IOOS Participation” section below.
    • Real-Time Oceanographic Data Quality Control Flags QC Manual: An update of the Manual for Real-Time Oceanographic Data Quality Control Flags QC has been distributed to the Regional Associations and the DMAC community for review. Substantial progress has been made in implementing QARTOD QC testing, and the importance of updating manuals has again been made clear in this draft. While the flag definitions remain the same (they are identical to those adopted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in 2013), recent standardization of flag variable names, better code examples, and much improved documentation of these developments replace outdated content. We are very grateful to those who have already helped with this update! Please provide your thoughts or comments to Mark Bushnell by June 15.
    • Ocean Best Practice System Update: Work continues on the (re)development of an OBPS forum, albeit slowly. The first effort was quickly overwhelmed by spam bots, so we’re verifying a stable and secure forum before opening it again. Read the full story - Where’s the Forum? (aka Mark's Spam War) – in the latest edition of the OBPS newsletter at https://us13.campaign-archive.com/?u=ab89e583ff8a6a2e366e1fdcf&id=15b8dfa938.
    • CLIVAR Ocean Uncertainty Quantification Working Group Update: The working group co-chairs presented a webinar on June 2nd to the U.S. CLIVAR Scientific Steering Committee, Interagency Group, and its three panels. The purpose of the webinar was to inform the US CLIVAR community on WG activities, which will then feed into discussions at the Summer Panel Meetings to be held virtually this upcoming July and August. See the presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kgu5KqDv4U&feature=youtu.be. 

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

  • Coastal Flooding Modeling and Prediction Workshop - July 2020: A Workshop on Modeling, Prediction, and Sensor Networks for Coastal Flooding in the US East Coast will be held as four morning (9AM-12PM) virtual sessions in the second half of July. Please enter your availability here https://doodle.com/poll/k99amu7u7ek8v3ay -- if you have not registered yet, we will use the email from the doodle poll as registration. The goal of the workshop is to bring together several groups that are working on quantitative frameworks for monitoring and predicting coastal flooding along the coasts of the US East Coast and draft a strategy for co-developing observing networks and coastal earth system models that can be linked to urban and natural infrastructure layers to address the solutions needs of coastal stakeholders (e.g. emergency management, prediction, planning).

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov):
    • MBON, NERRS and NASA team develops automated, satellite-based method to evaluate damage caused by hurricanes and severe storms in coastal areas.  A team assembled under the NERRS (National Estuarine Research Reserve System) Science Collaborative and including IOOS, NASA, NERRS, University of South Florida, and MBON partners developed an automated method to map large numbers of satellite images using a supercomputer to evaluate the damage from storms in coastal areas.  The effort is described in a recent paper in the journal Remote Sensing (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/11/1740).  Wetlands in coastal areas serve as fish and bird nurseries, serve as areas of recreation and fishing, and are locations of important towns, cities, ports and marinas. Mapping natural resources and the damage from storms to individual trees, other wetland vegetation and property is required to plan and implement restoration and reconstruction efforts.  Very high spatial resolution commercial satellite images acquired through a NASA databuy program allows mapping at a spatial resolution sufficient to quantify damage to individual trees, other wetland vegetation and property. Other satellite data are coarser and the damage cannot be viewed and quantified as well.  The commercial satellite data allowed the team to see individual trees and the pattern of damage from hurricanes. The high resolution maps showed that about 17% of the mangroves in the area of Rookery Bay were damaged by Hurricane Irma. About 35% of the damaged mangroves recovered over the following year, but the rest did not recover and many mangroves died off. The new strategies for processing large amounts of high resolution satellite data paved the path to use massive amounts of satellite data previously not available for coastal management, including conservation and restoration efforts. 
    • New podcast & feature on MBON: Check out the feature story and podcast NOAA’s National Ocean Service ran on MBON ahead of CHOW!  Many thanks to everyone who helped get these posted and reposted in time for Capitol Hill Ocean Week, with this year’s biodiversity focus!
    • Seminar: New Research: Marine Biodiversity Dialogues, June 23rd: Global marine biodiversity plays a vital role in maintaining essential ecosystem functions, including primary productivity, food provision, and shelter. In the United States, marine sanctuaries and other strategically placed habitat protections can safeguard biodiversity hotspots, enhancing ecosystem resilience and sustaining ecosystem services upon which human communities depend. Join us on Tuesday, June 23rd at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT for a seminar (register for the seminar here. Learn more about the project and download the fact sheet on our webpage) featuring Dr. J. Emmett Duffy, Smithsonian Institution, and Dr. Daniel Dunn, University of Queensland, on their work convening teams of experts to develop a technical framework that will enable managers and scientists to:
      • holistically assess the adequacy of marine biodiversity protections;
      • target areas most in need of management action; and
      • facilitate adaptation to changing ocean conditions.
  • Virtual 2020 NSF Frontiers of Ocean Sciences Symposium, June 18th: Join the NSF Geosciences Directorate Division of Ocean Sciences on Thursday, June 18, 2020, 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM EST for the virtual 2020 Frontiers in Ocean Sciences Symposium. The theme of this year’s Symposium is Partnerships. Four NSF-funded scientists will share their pioneering research, their stories, and how they have fostered and learned from partnerships in their career. A panel of alumni from last year’s Symposium will convene for an update on their research and for an engaging discussion with you. Register at: https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_JVk3FalnSPiHuWsKLxtL_g 
  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Team Headed to Pioneer Array: After ten weeks of preparation and two weeks of isolation, nine science team members from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) departed on the R/V Neil Armstrong from Woods Hole, MA on Sunday 7 June 2020 for an 11-day expedition to service the Pioneer Array, a collection of ocean observing equipment off the New England coast, 55 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. The Pioneer mission is the first science expedition to leave Woods Hole following a “pause” in research expeditions imposed in March by UNOLS (University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System). The journey aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong is the second UNOLS science expedition to leave port with new stringent health protocols in place. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2020/06/team-headed-to-pioneer-array/
  • New NOAA Story Map: Our Dynamic Marine Economy: America’s marine economy is growing fast, and NOAA is an important part of it! In NOAA’s new story map, Our Dynamic Marine Economy, the marine economy contributed $373 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2018 and supported more than two million jobs, growing at a pace that outstripped U.S. economic growth as a whole. This story map highlights some key findings from a first of its kind ocean economic statistics report released last week by NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis and showcases a sampling of the ways NOAA supports these dynamic industries.
  • Deadline Extended! Notice of solicitation for members of the NOAA Science Advisory Board: NOAA is soliciting nominations for members of the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB). At this time, individuals are sought with expertise in tsunami science; extreme weather prediction (including tornadoes); social sciences (including geography, sociology, behavioral science); Great Lakes research; cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data management; unmanned, autonomous system technology; `omics science and eDNA; weather modeling and data assimilation; and ocean ecosystem science. Individuals with expertise in other NOAA mission areas are also welcome to apply. Nominations: Interested persons may nominate themselves or third parties. Applications: An application is required to be considered for Board membership, regardless of whether a person is nominated by a third party or self-nominated.  The application package must include: (1) the nominee’s full name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information; (2) the nominee’s area(s) of expertise; (3) a short description of his/her qualifications relative to the kinds of advice being solicited by NOAA in this Notice; and (4) a current resume (maximum length four [4] pages). For more information on the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB), please refer to the SAB Website and for details on how to submit applications, please refer to the Federal Register Notice. Applications should be submitted electronically to noaa.sab.newmembers@noaa.gov by June 22, 2020.  
  • Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) Releases Summer High Tide Bulletin: CO-OPS has published the Summer High Tide Bulletin which predicted many coastal regions of the U.S. will experience higher than normal high tides June 3-8. These dates coincide with a perigean spring tide, a phenomenon that only happens a few times a year when the moon is either new or full and closest to Earth. The ability to predict when these high-tide events occur can help citizens and resource managers prepare for flooding impacts. The Bulletin is issued seasonally in December, March, June, and September. It alerts coastal communities to periods of extreme tidal fluctuation using data from National Water Level Observation Network tide gauges.
  • National Geodetic Survey (NGS) Featured in Article on Modernizing Nation’s Positioning System: To explain the value of the NGS effort to modernize the nation’s coordinate system to the public, NGS Director Juliana Blackwell, NGS chief geodesist Dan Roman, and a former NGS director were interviewed by the New York Times. The article breaks down how recalibrating the position of the United States on the Earth’s surface and taking into account the effects of gravity on heights will not only be of significant benefit to surveyors, engineers, construction workers, and everyone who uses GPS, but will usher in a new era of scientific breakthroughs and innovations in fields like early warning systems for natural hazards, autonomous vehicle navigation, precision agriculture, and coastal wetland monitoring. 
  • Gulf of Maine 2020 Red Tide Predictions Released: Researchers with NCCOS and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are predicting a low to moderate red tide for the Gulf of Maine this summer, continuing the pattern of smaller blooms observed in the region over the last few years. Gulf of Maine red tides, caused by the algae Alexandrium catenella, produce a toxin that can accumulate in shellfish and result in serious or even fatal illness in people who eat contaminated shellfish. The magnitude and severity of the blooms, and the subsequent need for shellfish harvesting closures to protect human health, vary considerably from year to year and between decades. Shellfish toxicity was severe and widespread from 1978 to 1988 and again from 2003 to 2009, but has been lower since. The causes of the variations are the subject of ongoing research.
  • NOAA Seeks Feedback on Precision Navigation Prototype: NOAA’s Precision Navigation Program is seeking early adopters and industry feedback for its prototype data gateway. The gateway will allow users to discover, visualize, and disseminate NOAA’s marine navigation products and services. The machine-to-machine dissemination built into the system will allow mariners to use their existing navigation software to automatically discover and access new data from NOAA. These integrated services will help mariners optimize routes and save fuel, as well as reduce lightering and delays based on environmental conditions at ports. The initial release of preliminary services for surface currents and high-resolution bathymetry is planned for July 2020. Engagement with industry partners throughout this process is critical to ensuring that the final services NOAA releases meet user needs.
  • NOAA Sanctuaries Debuts 360-degree Virtual Reality Videos: In celebration of World Ocean Day, immerse yourself in the ocean and your national marine sanctuaries without getting wet! These virtual reality voyages use 360-degree videos to highlight the amazing habitats, animals, and cultural resources you can find in each national marine sanctuary. Whether you live on a coast or in a community far from the shore, we invite you to experience the power and beauty of America’s underwater treasures. You can form your own lasting memories through these virtual opportunities and maybe later as a visit. Along with these videos, lesson plans have been developed for educators to further engage middle school students with the virtual dive experience. These lessons take you deeper into each video and align with leading science standards and ocean literacy principles.
  • Congratulations to NOSB Team from Ladue Horton Watkins High School: On World Oceans Day, the 2020 National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) Champions from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Missouri again proved their mastery of all things ocean during the inaugural NOSB Battle of the Ages: NOSBs vs. PhDs. The Ladue team competed against “The Sages of the Sea,” a team of ocean science experts from Stanford University, the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of New Hampshire, the New England Aquarium, and Shell. After two rounds of close competition, the Ladue team won 124-118. Congratulations to Chris Ye, Jason Ding, Jason Xu, Max Yang, and Eric Yin on their hard-fought victory! And a big round of applause to the Sages of the Sea — Dr. Rob Dunbar, Dr. Monty Graham, Dr. Jennifer Miksis-Olds, Dr. Kelly Kryc, and Dr. Ruth Perry — for their incredible efforts. If you missed the event, you can view the full video here.
  • Group on Earth Observations Symposium is Going Virtual - Save the Date! - 15-19 June 2020: You are invited to participate in the first-ever GEO Virtual Symposium 2020 - which will take place entirely online. The global GEO community will benefit from a series of interactive webinars over the course of one week that will provide in-depth discussions from experts on a range of relevant issues to the GEO Work Programme Flagships, Initiatives and Activities. At this first year of the 2020-2022 GEO Work Programme, the Symposium will focus on strengthening the capability of GEO Work Programme activities to implement their plans effectively. A special session on Earth observations for Pandemic Response and Recovery will start off the week to mark the contributions of the GEO community to this significant challenge. All sessions will encourage interactive participation from attendees. Be the first to receive updates, register your interest for the GEO Virtual Symposium 2020: http://earthobservations.org/reg_2020_wps.php
    • SECOORA 2020 Education and Outreach Request for Proposals: There is increased demand for high-quality online science education resources today and so SECOORA is soliciting proposals to develop online or online accessible K-12 marine science curricula and/or activities that can be implemented by parents, teachers, and other educators. The goal is to promote the development and implementation of innovative approaches that engage students in using coastal and marine information to improve understanding of our coastal environment. All materials developed through this request for proposals will be made available on the SECOORA Education website.  Deadline 5pm 6/18/2020. Read more and how to apply here. 
    • NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research FY2021 Federal Funding Opportunity: The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research has decided to extend the FY21 Federal Funding Opportunity pre-proposal deadline to July 8, 2020 to allow the broadest participation in the funding opportunity. The fall deadline for full submissions remains October 22, 2020. The full announcement for this opportunity may be found online at https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/about/funding-opps/welcome.html.
    • ROSES-20 Amendment 30: Ocean Salinity Field Campaign Final Text and Due Dates Released: This Ocean Salinity Field Campaign program is intended to clarify the role of salinity in ocean-ice interactions by characterizing salinity signatures and possible salinity-ice feedback mechanisms in rapidly-changing polar environments. Outcomes of this field campaign are also expected to inform the development of new concepts of future remote sensing capabilities that improve salinity retrievals in cold waters. Notices of intent are requested by August 27, 2020 and the due date for proposals is September 24, 2020. Read more about this opportunity on SARA's ROSES blog.

Delivering the Benefits:

  • New Comprehensive Ecosystem Model for Hawaii: The PacIOOS ocean modeling team, led by co-investigator Professor Brian Powell, has recently developed a comprehensive ecosystem model that captures the physical and chemical dynamics of the ocean, as well as the base of the food web to better understand the ocean waters around Hawaii and the life contained within. Read more about this new model here. 

  • New additions to PacIOOS Voyager: 

    • Real-time data plots from the Kilo Nalu Nearshore Observatory are now accessible through PacIOOS Voyager's "Ocean Observatories" category. The shallow water cabled ocean sensor network off Kakaʻako Park west of Waikīkī, Oʻahu, was reinstalled last month and is now collecting observations of wave parameters, water properties, and ocean currents. The observatory is led by the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering (ORE) and supported by PacIOOS, the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), and the Applied Research Laboratory at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. PacIOOS' operational wave forecast was utilized in conjunction with the Pearl Harbor wave buoy data to determine a timeframe for safe deployment conditions.

    • 562 new marine mammal sightings are now available through PacIOOS Voyager. Observations were collected around the Hawaiian Islands by Robin Baird and his team from Cascadia Research Collective between February 2013 and November 2018. The data set includes 7 dolphin species (bottlenose, Fraser's, pantropical spotted, Risso's, rough-toothed, spinner, and striped) and 13 whale species (Blainville's beaked, Cuvier's beaked, dwarf sperm, false killer, fin, humpback, killer, Kogia, melon-headed, pygmy killer, pygmy sperm, short-finned pilot, and sperm). 

  • New proposals funded in Alaska: 

    • AOOS received word this week that a proposal from UAF’s Seth Danielson and Hank Statscewich, partnering with the National Marine Fisheries Service and  University of Washington, will receive funding this year from NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. This project will use AOOS/IOOS funded gliders to support a NOAA International Year of the Salmon cruise in the Gulf Alaska next winter (2021). Congratulations team!

    • AOOS and data contractor Axiom Data Science also received a 2-year award from the Office of Naval Research to continue to host the national Animal Telemetry Network Data Assembly Center (ATN DAC). Those funds were previously routed through the IOOS Program Office, but now are coming directly to AOOS from ONR. The portal recently reached a milestone of incorporating data from 1,000+ satellite telemetry tags.

  • California Red Tide Bulletin Released: SCCOOS has released a special Red Tide Bulletin for Spring 2020 as part of their ongoing CA HAB Bulletins.  Access the Red Tide Bulletin here, and the full archive of HAB bulletins, including the new April 2020, here. 

  • New Ecosystem Forecast: NANOOS is pleased to present the J-SCOPE experimental April-initialized forecast for the 2020 upwelling season. The forecast includes Washington and Oregon coastal waters and is referenced by state and tribal resource managers.  As a teaser:  Bottom oxygen is forecast to be lower than normal in the Washington and Oregon shelf waters over the upwelling season and throughout the fall, and bottom Ω is forecast to be undersaturated throughout the upwelling season, with the exception of supersaturated conditions in shallow coastal regions of Washington early in the upwelling season.  J-SCOPE, a partnership led by Dr. Samantha Siedlecki (U Conn), is funded by NOAA OAP and MAPP and presented by NANOOS.

  • FHL weather station back on-line in Pacific Northwest:  After a long hiatus, the University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) weather station is back on-line with the NANOOS Visualization System!  Data transmission for this asset has been fully overhauled. Many people rely on this weather station for day-to-day decision making and research.  Kudos to the FHL staff and post-doc Kirk Sato who worked with NANOOS' Emilio Mayorga to make this happen.  

  • CMOP stewardship transitioned to CRITFC: The Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction has transitioned from Oregon Health & Science University to Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission effective June 1.  To read more about this transition, click here.

Congressional:

  • IOOS Act Update: No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • Gulf of Mexico Hurricane data resources: Want to know what GCOOS resources are available to help you track Cristobal (and other hurricane season storms in the Gulf? Click here! 

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

  • SAVE THE DATE: IOOS/ESIP Biological Data Standards Workshop, 13 July 2020, VIRTUAL:  This Biological Data Standards workshop, sponsored by the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS) in partnership with ESIP, OBIS and BCO-DMO, invites participation from data providers and data managers across the marine community. Scientific observations of marine biodiversity and biology are essential for effective conservation of ocean species. These observations are collected at great cost, and are fundamental to advance scientific understanding of life in the sea. Marine ecological data are complex and heterogeneous, and there are unique methods and approaches to their collection, curation, sharing and distribution. To allow these observations to be reused for scientific, pedagogical and policy purposes, they need to be managed and well-described using standardized methods and formats. There is a pressing need in the marine community for standardized approaches to integrate biological data at local, regional, and global scales. This applies to observations spanning genetic to population data types, and across space and time. Major global databases such as OBIS and GBIF rely on Darwin Core, Ecological Metadata Language, and the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to help manage taxonomic information. The observing community, focused on abiotic data collections, evolved to leverage netCDF and climate and forecast conventions, while the biological research and applications communities have traditionally operated outside of common standards; this landscape makes it difficult to assess the status and trends of critical indicators of living marine resources and ecosystem services. 
  • OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast, 19-20 October 2020, Call for Abstracts Deadline has Been Extended: The deadline to submit your abstract for consideration has been extended until June 2nd. If your abstract is selected, it is your chance to present your innovative research in the marine technology field to the brightest minds in the industry. The Call for Papers will be open to abstracts in the following categories: 
    • Regular Technical Program: (this includes both OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast topics and standard OCEANS topics): if abstract is chosen, authors will then submit a full paper which they’ll present as part of the technical program. Following the conference, the paper will be published in IEEE Xplore.
    • Student Poster Competition: if abstract is chosen, students will then submit a full paper and poster which they’ll present during the conference in the student poster section of the exhibit hall. Following the conference, the paper will then be published in IEEE Xplore. *This competition is open to any full-time student in an accredited program. Student must be listed as the lead and corresponding author. Selected applicants, based on abstract reviews, will have travel and registration expenses subsidized.
    • Second Annual General Student Poster Session: Students are also welcome to submit abstracts for consideration in the General Student Poster Session. If abstract is chosen, students will submit a poster, which they will present at the General Student Poster Session in the exhibit hall. Posters will not be published in IEEE Xplore following the conference. **This competition is open to any full-time undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited program, including those who may not have been accepted into the Student Poster competition. Student must be listed as the lead and corresponding author. Selected applicants may register at a reduced student rate that includes conference attendance, but not all social events, which can be purchased separately.
    • Special Sessions (this includes Town Halls and Panels): abstract and presentation are required; however, submission of a full paper is optional. Participation for non-paper sessions is at the discretion of the Technical Program Committee and/or Special Sessions Chair.
    • For more information on the OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast Conference topics or paper submission process, please visit the OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast website. 

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • 2020 NOAA Environmental Data Management Workshop, 17 – 21 August 2020, VIRTUAL: The NOAA Environmental Data Management Workshop will be entirely online this year! This is an opportunity to expand the workshop beyond the usual audience, and we're being careful to hold the sessions later in the day to accommodate western time zones. All the latest schedule info is on the workshop website. https://noaaedm2020.sched.com/ 
  • 22 September 2020 - EMODnet: Showcasing a decade of achievements connecting marine data to knowledge: Celebrate 10 years of EMODnet by joining us at a virtual gathering on 22 September 2020 14:00-17:00 CEST. This webinar will be an opportunity to take stock of key EMODnet achievements over the past decade with showcases and testimonials from data providers, users and partners – as a celebration moment. This online event will also set the stage for a forward look at the Open Conference in June 2021 to co-design the next phase of EMODnet. Save the date and pre-register by email to events@emodnet.eu!
  • EMODnet 2nd Open Conference and Jamboree - New Dates Announced: 14-18 June 2021: 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.
  • SAVE THE DATE! 2nd International Operational Satellite Oceanography Symposium, 25 – 27 May 2021, Darmstadt, Germany: The Executive Steering Committee of the 2nd International Operational Satellite Oceanography Symposium, co-chaired by EUMETSAT and NOAA, is pleased to announce the next Symposium will be held in Darmstadt, Germany May 25-27, 2021.  The Committee will share more information, including the meeting website and the Programme Committee members in the coming months.  

Webinars:

  • SERIES NOAA Live! Webinars: While you are home, NOAA's Regional Collaboration Network, in conjunction with Woods Hole Sea Grant and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is offering this series on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 EDT during school closures. The series started on March 16 and will go through June 12th, 2020.  Each webinar features a different NOAA expert/topic and a moderated question and answers session throughout so that you can get a peek at what our NOAA scientists do in all the various NOAA offices.  These webinars are geared toward grades 2-8 and allow students to connect with scientists.  Webinars are streamed via GoToWebinar, are between 45-60 minutes in length, and are recorded.  Visit the website to see upcoming webinars and access previously recorded webinars as well!
  • SERIES National Marine Sanctuaries Live Interactions: Join NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries as they connect you to the network of underwater parks encompassing over 600,000 square miles of pristine marine ecosystems. National marine sanctuaries span from the warm waters of the Florida Keys to the cool waters off the Washington coast and from the kelp forests off California to the freshwater of the Great Lakes. These places hold significant value for conservation, recreation, ecology, and culture, as well as aesthetic beauty. These treasured places are preserved for generations through efforts in research, monitoring, management, resource protection, and education.  Live events, tailored for students and run through Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, will connect viewers with national marine sanctuary experts in research, education, and exploration in real time. Through these programs, you will be able to learn about national marine sanctuaries and ask questions to leading experts in their field. Check out the schedule here! 
  • SERIES MTS’ 2020 Virtual Symposia: An Online Series for Marine Technology Professionals: With the cancellation/postponement of a number of events in 2020 and many working from home or remotely, MTS is bringing together a series of virtual seminars of interest to the marine technology community. You are invited to attend these free, interactive symposia where you can learn about cutting-edge topics from some of the best and brightest minds working the field.  Keep up with all the symposia on the MTS Events page. https://www.mtsociety.org/events/ Upcoming webinars include:
    • Virtual Conference: Industry Role in Seabed 2030, Thursday, June 11, 2020, 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EST), Register Here
    • Virtual Conference: LakeBed 2030, Wednesday, June 24, 2020, 12 Noon – 1:00 PM (EST), Learn more and register here.
  • Webinar Recording - The Rip Current Challenge: A Coastal Hazard with Far Inland Implications: SECOORA, along with a team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office Wilmington, North Carolina presented this webinar on May 26th discussing rip current information, important demographics and statistics, the Hurricane Lorenzo case, and future forecast and outreach efforts. See the webinar recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJGuYmPWvsg
  • Webinar: Deep Ocean Discovery: Dive down into the dark and cold of the deep ocean to explore the octopods and squids that live there, with Mike Vecchione, a NOAA scientist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. He shares how he uses technology, such as telepresence and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), to study cephalopod species rarely or never seen before. The webinar aired May 21, 2020, as part of the Smithsonian Science How series. Watch a recording here https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/life-science/webinar-deep-ocean-discovery-octopods-and-squids

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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