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From the Director:

As we all move deeper into fall and look toward winter, we are all facing significant changes and challenges in the coming months. I’m hoping we all rally together as a community and continue to communicate the importance of what we do. As we all work to observe our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes, I am always impressed that our community is truly strong because of the people who come together to do our important work.  

On that note, I am saddened to have to share the news that we lost one of our champions this past Saturday, November 7, 2020, when Dr. Ru Morrison passed away after battling brain cancer for over a year.  Ru served as director of NERACOOS for more than a decade bringing technical expertise, a keen intellect, and infectious enthusiasm to the role which invigorated the organization and expanded collaboration. I am personally devastated by this loss and also impressed with the outpouring of positive reflections and memories of Ru that I have been part of just in the last week and throughout the past year.  A recent Congressional tribute by Senator Shaheen’s office does a very good job honoring Ru, and I encourage everyone to take a moment to read it.  Ru is an irreplaceable part of the IOOS family—an incredible scientist, leader, colleague, friend, father, husband, and so much more—and we will miss him. 

Best wishes,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • IOOS Association is Seeking Nominations for the 2021 Caraid Award: The IOOS Association created the Caraid Award in 2020 as an annual 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.” These are the attributes - caring and the courage to do what matters - that makes IOOS work. The first recipient of the award was Dr. Ru Morrison whose Scottish heritage and collaborative nature inspired us to learn about Caraid, not only as a word, but also as an ethos he brings to all of his work. Nominations for the 2021 CARAID award are now open through December 11, 2020. Candidates can be an individual, a group, or an organization that has contributed to observing and understanding the oceans, coasts, and/or Great Lakes through collaboration, innovation, and/or a commitment to working with stakeholders. Click here to learn more and submit a nomination!

  • IOOS Director to Speak on MTS 2020 Virtual Symposia: IOOS Director Carl Gouldman, along with Dr. Charlie Colgan, Director of Research at the Center for the Blue Economy and Dr. Ralph Rayner, Industry Liaison for U.S. IOOS, will speak on the upcoming MTS 2020 Virtual Symposia. This special webinar, The Ocean Enterprise Study: Changes Within the Last Five Years, will introduce the 2015 Ocean Enterprise Study and the importance of its results. The follow-up 2020 study will then be introduced and preliminary results will be discussed as they relate to ocean observing and the Enterprise. Register here.

  • Ocean observing prize open for stage 2 competition: The U.S. Department of Energy and NOAA announced the opening of the DEVELOP competition within the Ocean Observing Prize, a multi-stage prize that challenges innovators to integrate marine renewable energy with ocean observation platforms. The DEVELOP Competition challenges problem solvers to develop technologies to help us better map, monitor, and understand the ocean, improving our ability to forecast hurricanes and providing an invaluable service to coastal communities. Offering $2.4 million in cash prizes, access to testing in tanks and at sea, and in-kind support, the DEVELOP Competition comprises three contests—Design, Build, and Splash. Now open, the Design Contest will remain open for 120 days, closing February 16. 

  • Welcome to AOOS, Sheyna Wisdom! The Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) and AOOS Board of Directors are pleased to announce the appointment of Sheyna Wisdom as incoming Executive Director (and we're glad to welcome her to the IOOS family!).  Wisdom, who is currently managing director of Fairweather Science, will replace Molly McCammon, current AOOS executive director and AOOS founder, in January 2021.  McCammon has been AOOS’ only director since its founding in 2004.  Read more about Sheyna here! 

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov): 
    • HFR Community and Wind Turbine Interference Mitigation: In addition to answering questions submitted by the oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) community, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has replied with questions of their own.  A discussion of responses in the context of HFR WTRIM research & development is ongoing.  If you know someone who would like to join in this discussion to synergize oceanographic HFR and offshore wind energy operations, please contact Surface Currents Program Manager Brian Zelenke at brian.zelenke@noaa.gov 
    • 11th ROWG Workshop - November 17–18, 2020: The 11th international oceanographic/liminographic Radiowave Operators Working Group (ROWG) workshop is going virtual for the first time and will be held 1400–1700 EST (1100–14:00 PST) on November 17–18, 2020.  Free registration is open at this link. A draft agenda for the meeting is now available here. It includes introductions, short presentations, and open discussions on a variety of technical topics related to oceanographic/liminographic HF radar.  Additionally, in lieu of the epic Icebreakers of the past, we are planning a group toast to honor Jack Harlan’s retirement.  The HF radar operator community looks forward to this opportunity to connect before the next in-person meeting and hopes to expand participation.  If you are new to the HF radar community, or perhaps time constraints and travel costs have not allowed you to participate in previous workshops, we welcome you to join us for this virtual event!  Anyone with suggestions to add to the meeting’s agenda is encouraged to e-mail Surface Currents Program Manager Brian Zelenke (brian.zelenke@noaa.gov) who will coordinate submissions received with the ROWG organizing committee (viz. [in alphabetical order] Tom Cook, Brian Emery, Lisa Hazard, Mike Muglia, Mark Otero, Hugh Roarty, Trip Taylor, Teresa Updyke, and Brian Zelenke).
    • Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Update:  A huge thanks and welcome to all that have joined the Underwater Glider User Group (UG2). The overarching goal of UG2 is to establish a glider community that facilitates sharing and cooperation within the areas of ocean monitoring, operational reliability, and data management. This includes:
      • Glider and sensor technology,
      • Scientific and operational accomplishments,
      • Approaches to logistical and operational challenges,
      • Methods for data management, quality control, formats, and distribution, and
      • Opportunities for sharing gliders when feasible.
    • UG2 Webinar Series: We will kick off UG2 with a Webinar Series on December 9th, 2PM EST.  The agenda topics will include (flyer and link will be forthcoming):
      • NOAA Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division (AERD) Glider Operations
      • IOOS/Partners 2020 Hurricane Glider Efforts 
      • UG2 Glider Website Demonstration
      • For those that have not yet joined UG2 and are interested please use the below link to register: http://eepurl.com/gYzHrr
    • 2021 Glider Training: The University of Southern Mississippi is planning 2021 sessions for the undergraduate Unmanned Maritime Systems Certificate Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs. The Tier 1 course is scheduled for March 15-April 16 in-person in Gulfport, with a maximum capacity of 15 students. The Tier 2 course is scheduled for a glider field project in Gulfport in October and November with a maximum capacity of 10 students. (Dates to be designated, but will coincide with the second half of the fall semester.). The Tier 1 program is normally a prerequisite to the Tier 2. Read the curricula flyer here and read more about the program.
    • Mid-Atlantic Telemetry Observation System (MATOS) Recognized: Congratulations to Kevin T. Schabow, NOAA/NMFS/Chesapeake Bay Office, for receiving the NOAA Administrator’s Award for development of the Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (MATOS).  MATOS is a primary component of the recently integrated OTN-ATN acoustic telemetry tracking system along the Atlantic coast from Maritimes to the Caribbean which enables single point researcher access to thousands of moored receivers.
    • MBON Team Documents Impacts of Oil Spills on Biodiversity in Mexico: On October 29, MBON Pole to Pole partners published a paper on the impacts of oil spills on the biodiversity of sandy beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.589656/full). This study was carried out following the sampling protocol for assessment of marine diversity on sandy beaches designed and implemented by the MBON Pole to Pole network and published in the Ocean Best Practices System (https://repository.oceanbestpractices.org/handle/11329/1145). MBON Pole to Pole is facilitating the integration of biological and environmental data for countries along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the Americas, from the Arctic to Antarctica. Changes in marine biodiversity are being documented in these regions and effective decision-making requires a detailed understanding of these changes. Learn more at https://marinebon.org/p2p/index.html 
    • Video tutorial now available: Puerto Rico Long-term Coral Reef Monitoring Program (PRCRMP) Data Visualizations in the MBON Data Portal. On November 6, MBON and CariCOOS partner Miguel Figuerola hosted a webinar demonstration about the value of aligning PCRMP data to Darwin Core, submitting it to the global Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), and visualizing those data through the tools available in the MBON Portal. The webinar recording is available on the CARICOOS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI73hAsxK38. The video description contains a time index for viewers interested in going straight to the demo. The PRCRMP map view in the MBON Portal is available here: https://mbon.ioos.us/?ls=592c4f40-6b37-4c77-df28-84c5a1d9dcbd#map 
  • New Optical Oxygen Sensor Developed and Deployed on BGC Argo Float: A revolutionary new optical oxygen sensor for Argo floats has been developed, completing the first stage of the biogeochemical (BGC) Argo float redesign project. This sensor was mounted on UW Float 1173 and deployed in the tropical Pacific on November 4, 2020. The newly developed SBE83 oxygen sensor will allow for the collection of air oxygen samples while the float is on the surface and it will calibrate upon each float profile. UW Float 1173, fabricated jointly by the University of Washington and Sea-Bird Scientific, is equipped with three oxygen sensors for intercomparison. The goal of this project is to produce an improved version of the SeaBird BGC-Navis profiling float that can be purchased commercially for use in future BGC-Argo-like field experiments. Read more here: https://globalocean.noaa.gov/News/new-optical-oxygen-sensor-developed-and-deployed-on-bgc-argo-float

Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC System Architect Micah Wengren and IOOS Data Management leads: data.ioos@noaa.gov, or the 'ioos_tech' listserve: https://groups.google.com/g/ioos_tech):

    • QARTOD Board of Advisors Meeting: The QARTOD Board of Advisors held their quarterly meeting on 02 November, 2020 to review the present status and intentions. The QARTOD project is fortunate to have a diverse Board of twelve very well qualified volunteers, tasked with providing highly valued guidance and vision to the project. See the new “Meet the BoA Members” posting at https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/qartod-board-of-advisors/. 
    • Ocean Best Practice System: A Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) best practice endorsement process has been developed in cooperation with the IOC/OBPS, and was approved by the GOOS Steering Committee on 01 October, 2020. It can serve as an example of an endorsement process for communities in ocean science outside of the GOOS. See “GOOS Best Practice Endorsement Process. Version 1” at http://dx.doi.org/10.25607/OBP-926, and contact OBPS (https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/contact/) if you feel your community would benefit from endorsement of your best practice.

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

  • Mark Your Calendars - Ocean Visions 2021 Summit: The next Summit will be held on the campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography between May 18-20, 2021. We anticipate having three satellite campuses virtually linked in Australia, South Africa, and Germany. Details to follow. The summit is being planned as "in-person" on all campuses with the ability to also participate virtually thanks to our partner the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Please save the date and sign-up for updates, we will soon release a draft Program & Agenda and share the link on social media. https://www.oceanvisions.org/summit-2021. Join the Ocean Visions Network here: https://www.oceanvisions.org/support-us  

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • Yana Gevorgyan Appointed as the next GEO Secretariat Director: The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Yana Gevorgyan as the next GEO Secretariat Director, effective 1 July 2021. Yana Gevorgyan is an expert in international relations whose career spans humanitarian relief and development, international think tanks, and government organizations. Currently she is the GEO Program Manager at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS). Ms. Gevorgyan has represented the United States to GEO in many capacities for the past eleven years, earning her a special recognition with NOAA’s Silver Sherman award for her outstanding leadership. Ms. Gevorgyan’s passion and dedication to GEO and its core principles have manifested in her thought leadership, spearheading policy and organizational change to meet GEO’s strategic objectives. She is the architect of GEO’s landmark policy on GEO Associates, the GEO Awards and GEO Pledge Campaign initiatives. Read more here. 
  • UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: Call For Decade Actions No. 01/2020Now Open! The vision of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. 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 ten years. Proponents of endorsed Decade Actions will have the opportunity to join a highly visible, shared, global effort that builds on decades of achievement in ocean science. There will be opportunities to create new collaborations across disciplines, geographies and generations, as well as opportunities to access new sources of support. Via this first ‘Call for Decade Actions’, partners are invited to request endorsement under the Ocean Decade for transformative Decade Actions that contribute to the Ocean Decade vision. Interested parties should complete and submit the relevant online “Request for Endorsement” before 15 January 2021. This Call for Decade Actions is the first of series that will launched as part of the Ocean Decade and it focuses specifically on:
    • i. large-scale, multi-country, transformative Decade programmes; and
    • ii. large-scale contributions of in-kind or financial resources for Decade Actions or coordination costs.
  • The United States National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council (NOMEC Council) Seeks Public Input on Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Efforts in the U.S. EEZ: The National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council (NOMEC Council), a group of federal agencies established to carry out the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, is requesting your input on developing an Implementation Plan and setting strategic priorities for the effort to map the entire U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2040 and explore and characterize strategic areas. The public may provide written input by November 12 and participate in online sessions November 16 and 18.
    • REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: The public is particularly encouraged to provide comments via email on the development of the NOMEC Implementation Plan and strategic priorities. Please submit comments and letters by email no later than Nov 12, 2020, to nomec.execsec@noaa.gov, with subject line "Public Comment on Implementation Plan for the National Strategy" for request #1 and subject line, "Public Comment on Exploration Priorities for the Implementation Plan" for request #2. All responses and questions can be addressed to nomec.execsec@noaa.gov. Please reach out for additional information or questions regarding NOMEC.
  1. Implementing a National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. EEZ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a notice stating that the NOMEC Council requests input from all interested parties on the development of an Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. EEZ (“National Strategy”). Input should be provided by 12 November. 85 Fed. Reg. 64446(10/13/20) [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/13/2020-22411/request-for-comment-implementation-plan-for-the-national-strategy-for-ocean-mapping-exploring-and].
  2. Strategic priorities for mapping, exploring, and characterizing the U.S. EEZ NOAA issued a second notice stating that the NOMEC Council requests input from all interested parties on the strategic priorities to be included in the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy. Input should be provided by 12 November. 85 Fed. Reg. 64448 (10/13/20) [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/13/2020-22413/request-for-information-implementation-plan-for-the-national-strategy-for-mapping-exploring-and].
  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Pioneer 15 Underway: On October 28th, ten scientists and engineers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution departed aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong headed to the Pioneer Array, about 75 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard in the Atlantic Ocean. This trip is the 15th time that a team has traveled to the Pioneer Array to recover and deploy equipment at the site. The team will recover and deploy three coastal surface moorings and a profiler mooring, and deploy two winter coastal profiler moorings. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2020/10/pioneer-15-underway/
  • OOI Data Explorer Makes Data Come Alive: In case you missed it, here is an opportunity to see a live demo of the new Data Explorer tool. OOI Data Deliver Lead Jeff Glatstein provides a quick look at how the Data Explorer was developed. Craig Risien of the Coastal Endurance Array Team follows with a live demonstration of the tool’s capabilities using Endurance Array data to create a data view. Axiom Developer Brian Stone concludes the demo by answering questions and digging deeper into the many features of this outstanding new tool. See the demo here. 
  • Listen Now - NOAA Ocean Podcast on Marine Precision Navigation: NOAA's Precision Marine Navigation team is creating new online services to enable more efficient access to the NOAA data that powers private-sector marine navigation products. In this episode, Julia Powell and John Kelley from the Office of Coast Survey share how the team is working to foster innovation, improve navigation safety, aid in more efficient coastal route planning, and help mariners make informed decisions as they navigate our nation's waterways. Listen here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/oct20/nop41-precision-marine-navigation.html
  • Adrift NTAS Buoy Successfully Recovered: On October 20, 2020, after a 450 mile drift lasting over 5 months, the Northwest Tropical Atlantic Station Mooring(NTAS, located at 15°N, 51°W, 5055 meter water depth) buoy and all of its subsurface instrumentation were successfully recovered. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) science team was able to prepare the replacement buoy on short notice, and it was deployed during the same cruise to re-establish NTAS. It was a significant effort, both ashore and at sea, and many thanks are owed to those involved. The NTAS buoy was first discovered to be adrift on April 28, 2020. It was most recently deployed in January 2020, just prior to the NOAA’s Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign (ATOMIC) field campaign. The buoy was drifting in the EEZ of Barbados. Read more here:https://globalocean.noaa.gov/News/adrift-ntas-buoy-successfully-recovered
  • NGS Collects Damage Assessment Imagery after Hurricane Zeta: NGS collected aerial damage assessment imagesin the aftermath of Hurricane Zeta. NGS flight crews collected images in specific areas identified by NOAA in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other state and federal partners. The crew flew more than 6,770 square kilometers during 13.5 hours and collected 8,605 images. NOAA’s aerial imagery aids safe navigation and captures damage to coastal areas caused by a storm. Aerial imagery is a crucial tool to determine the extent of the damage inflicted by flooding and to assess the damage to major ports and waterways, coastlines, critical infrastructure, and coastal communities. This imagery provides a cost-effective way to better understand the damage sustained to both property and the environment.
  • OCS Team Conducts Surveys Following Hurricane Zeta: OCS’s navigation response team (NRT)from Stennis, Mississippi, completed hydrographic surveys in the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi, at the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Port of Gulfport is located just five miles from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and 16 miles from international shipping lanes. The port also supports steel service industries and is designated a strategic seaport by the Department of Defense. NRTs help identify dangers to navigation after a storm, ensuring ports have the necessary information to reopen after severe weather.
  • CO-OPS Stations Capture Tsunami Signal from Alaska Earthquake: Observations from the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) stations at Sand Point and King Cove, Alaska, along with three of NOAA’s buoys, were critical in helping the National Weather Service National Tsunami Warning Center assess the tsunami threat from the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred on October 19, 2020, off Sand Point, Alaska. In addition, CO-OPS stations at Kahului Harbor and Hilo, Hawaii, helped provide critical information to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center after a wave height of over 1 foot was observed. Tsunami advisories were issued for parts of Alaska and Hawaii. The tsunami was observed by a station at Crescent City, California. CO-OPS’s tsunami-capable tide stationsprovide valuable data to the tsunami warning centers, directly impacting the tsunami watches, warnings, and advisories issued to the public.
  • NOAA Improves Marine Navigation Near two East Coast Naval Bases: Two new Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems, also known as PORTS ® , are improving maritime safety near Kings Bay, Georgia, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by two U.S. Navy installations. NOAA and the U.S. Navy partnered to install the first new PORTS in two years, the 34th and 35th in the nationwide network. Read more here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep20/new-east-coast-ports.html
  • Study Shows Economic Value of NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: A study published in the Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics found that NOAA electronic navigation charts (ENC®) reduce accidents and provide significant economic benefits. When coupled with NOAA’s Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®), ENCs are even more effective. The authors, NOS Chief Economist Eric Wolfe and OCS’s Percy Pacheco, examined rates of marine accidents compared to the availability of ENCs and PORTS products. The study results show that these products provide $27.6 million in annual benefits by helping to prevent allisions, collisions, and groundings. For locations with ENCs but without PORTS, the authors calculated a further $1.8 million in annual benefit from the ENCs. NOAA maintains more than 1,600 ENC datasets over U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes.
  • NCCOS Measurements Show Mild 2020 Lake Erie Algal Bloom: October marked the end of the Lake Erie’s summer harmful algal bloom season. The 2020 bloom had a final severity index (SI) of 3.0, indicating a mild bloom. NCCOS forecasted this year’s bloom severity at between 4 and 5. An SI above 5 indicates a potentially harmful bloom, and the index is based on the amount of bloom biomass over the peak 30 days of the bloom. The 2020 bloom developed in late July and reached a peak during the last week of August. It weakened rapidly in the first week of September. The Lake Erie forecasts are part of a NOAA ecological forecasting initiative to deliver accurate, relevant, timely, and reliable ecological forecasts directly to coastal resource managers and the public.
  • Grants & Funding Opportunities: 
    • RFP to fill regional product and observational gaps: SECOORA is soliciting proposals focused on filling product and/or observational gaps defined in the Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System Strategic Operational Plan 2020 – 2025.  This document presents the SECOORA priorities for contributing to our improved understanding, management, and stewardship of valuable coastal ocean resources. Proposals are due November 30, 2020 at 5 PM ET.  Access the Operational Plan and find out more about the RFP here. 
    • Knauss Fellowship Opportunity Now Open! The notice of federal funding opportunity for the 2022 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is now open. The fellowship provides a one-year, paid experience for highly-qualified early career professionals to work on issues related to coastal, marine and Great Lakes science and policy in offices within the executive or legislative branch of government in Washington, D.C. Graduate students interested in marine science policy should explore the information about the fellowship as soon as possible and talk to their local Sea Grant program (or the National Sea Grant Office) at least one month prior to the February 19, 2021 deadline. Learn more about becoming a Knauss FellowandRead the official opportunity on grants.gov.
    • NOAA Sea Grant & Ocean Acidification Program Funding Opportunity: Shellfish Aquaculture Partnerships: The National Sea Grant Office and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program are funding a joint competition to fund proposals that seek to establish, continue, and/or expand collaborations between researchers and the shellfish aquaculture industry. Specifically, applications to this competition should utilize new or existing research/industry partnerships to study how ocean and coastal acidification in combination with other stressors impacts shellfish aquaculture. Applications must include at least one researcher and one shellfish grower acting as co-Principal Investigators, and the proposed work must utilize a co-production of knowledge framework. Read the formal announcement on Grants.gov NOAA-OAR-SG-2021-2006704. An informational webinar will be held in November, date to be announced. Letters of Intent due December 15, 2020 via email (oar.hq.sg.aquaculture@noaa.gov). Full proposals due March 16, 2021 via Grants.gov. This information is also available at https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Funding. 

Delivering the Benefits:

  • Latest on Ocean Acidification in Alaska: Included in this year’s Alaska Ocean Acidification State of the Science report update are new research on species response in herring, bivalves, and pteropods; 40 years of change in the Gulf of Alaska; two years of ocean acidification monitoring on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries; and observations from Alaska’s Burke-o-Lators. The update is available in hard copy and if you’d like some to circulate in your community, please email dugan@aoos.org.

  • Virtual Presentation on Modeling Coastal Dynamics: At the beginning of October, Dr. Assaf Azouri, researcher in the PacIOOS Coastal Modeling group under the supervision of co-investigator Professor Douglas Luther, presented remotely at the Virtual International Conference on Coastal Engineering. Dr. Azouri discussed how three phase-resolving numerical models (XBeach, FUNWAVE, and BOSZ) can be used to replicate wave dynamics over a complex reef environment. The model simulations, which were implemented over a large portion of Oʻahu's North Shore, including Haleʻiwa Harbor, reveal good qualitative agreement among the models and field observations. It is shown that when such models are implemented over sufficiently large domains, they can be used as forecasting tools to predict wave variability at the coast, and in semi-closed basins such as harbors. Conference proceedings presentations will be made available online.

  • Kodiak Wave Buoy Turnaround Completed: In July 2019, AOOS entered a two-year agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to take over the operations and maintenance of their offshore wave buoy near Kodiak Island in order to keep the asset operating in this important maritime region through 2021. This moored buoy is located approximately 17 nautical miles southeast of Chiniak Island, and consists of a Datawell Mark III directional buoy at a depth of 282 ft. It measures significant wave height, wave direction, sea surface temperature, and derived information on dominant and average wave periods and wave energy spectra and climatology. As with the other two AOOS supported wave buoys, CDIP is providing quality controlled data in real time, which is shared via the AOOS data portal, CDIP webpage, National Data Buoy Center (Station WMO 46264).

  • September CA HAB Bulletin Now Available: Please check out the September CA HAB Bulletin for the latest collection of model output, observations, and advisories. Major contributors to the bulletin content are SCCOOS, CeNCOOS, HABMAP, NOAA CoastWatch, California Department of Public Health, The Marine Mammal Center, the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute, CA Wildlife Center, Marine Animal Rescue, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, and SeaWorld.

  • CeNCOOS pH Sensors in Morro Bay: Two SeaFET sensors deployed in Morro Bay are streaming data live to the data portal. The sensors, deployed and maintained by researchers at Cal Poly, will inform aquaculture operations and research on the resilience of the Morro Bay to ocean acidification. Read more about the project here and access the data here. 

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • NANOOS at MEOPAR ASM: Jan Newton (NANOOS) moderated the opening session of the MEOPAR Annual Scientific Meeting.  MEOPAR, Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction, and Response Network, a Canadian Center of Excellence, which complements the Canadian IOOS effort.  Jan has been on their International Scientific Advisory Committee from its start and was recently asked to be chair.  She looks forward to working with MEOPAR and exchanging ideas both from and with U.S. IOOS and NANOOS. 

  • IOOS at SACNAS 2020 hosts NOAA Booth: Thanks to coordination by NOAA and their direct invitation to IOOS RA directors, many RAs participated by giving lightning talks at the NOAA Virtual Booth during the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science 2020 Virtual Conference.  Jan Newton (NANOOS) and Darcy Dugan (AOOS) shared the booth for a joint presentation on ocean acidification, working at local through global scales, and engagement with tribes on OA observations; Carl Meyer (HIMB/PacIOOS) shared cutting edge shark research being conducted by female graduate students at the University of Hawaiʻi.

  • End User Experience: Prepared for the Rescue! Benny Ferris, a firefighter, surfer, and farmer on the island of Kauaʻi, has grown up spending lots of time in and around the ocean. Checking wave conditions and wave forecasts has always been fascinating to Benny and a part of his daily routine. "PacIOOS' forecast is by far the most accurate and detailed I have ever seen. Many forecasts only give expected wave size and there is so much more to know than that," says Benny. The PacIOOS forecast provides details on the expected wave height, direction, and period of an upcoming swell. "This not only tells size but also gives insight to the expected power and consistency of the swell, which is key information when planning for work and surf." Both the real-time data from the PacIOOS Hanalei wave buoy, as well as the forecast, help Benny to get the most out of his surf and ocean sessions. More importantly, it allows him and his rescue team to be more aware, prepared, and safe when responding to emergencies in and around the ocean.

  • CeNCOOS Strategic Plan (2020 - 2025) is Finalized: With the addition of a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guiding Principle, the IOOS Central and Northern California region association has finalized the CeNCOOS Strategic Plan (2020-25): Advancing Ocean Observations in Central & Northern California. Read it here.

  • CARICOOS expands its kiosk network: Enhancing awareness and appropriate utilization of CARICOOS products and services is an essential part of the CARICOOS mission. To accomplish this goal, CARICOOS offers workshops, one-on-one sessions with users to help them read CARICOOS forecasts, produce video tutorials, among others. Along with these services, CARICOOS recently expanded its information kiosk network to include two new sites, Marina Pescadería at Cabo Rojo and La Parguera Yacht Club at Lajas. In each of those places, screens were installed and step-by-step fact sheets on how to access CARICOOS products were placed. We hope this initiative will encourage new users to explore CARICOOS products that are available on its webpage and cell phone applications.  Read more here. 

  • GCOOS Fall Meeting Recap: GCOOS presents a recap of their fall board meeting, including a recording of the full meeting.  Check it out here. 

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

  • TMA BlueTech Week, 16–20 Nov, virtual: The overall theme this year is “AquaOptimism™, BlueTech & SDGs”. BlueTech Week’s focus is on innovation, collaboration, globalization and sustainability as it brings together academia, government, and industry. The event showcases innovative companies from around the world bringing Ocean and Water solutions to a variety of markets.  Registration is now open.

    • Confirmed keynote speakers:

      • Monday: Craig McLean, Acting Chief Scientist, NOAA

      • Tuesday: Dr. James Green, Chief Scientist, NASA

      • Tuesday: Dr. Jim Delgado, SVP, SEARCH, Inc.

      • Wednesday: John Bell, Director, Healthy Planet, European Commission

      • Thursday: VADM Charles Ray, Vice Commandant, US Coast Guard

      • Friday: Dr. Rick Spinrad, Member, Ocean Studies Board

    • Hear IOOS moderators and speakers during several sessions at BlueTech Week

      • Carl Gouldman, Director IOOS

      • Dr. Clarissa Anderson, Executive Director, SCCOOS

      • Dr. Dina Eparkhina, Senior Policy and Communications Officer, EuroGOOS

      • Dr. Inga Lips –Secretary General, EuroGOOS

    • Click here for more information about BlueTech Week 2020 and to register.

  • Virtual MARACOOS Annual Business Meeting - Monday November 16th - 1pm EST: Join us Monday, November 16th at 1:00pm for a virtual MARACOOS Annual Business Meeting. At this meeting we will do a brief year in review, and discuss plans for the the upcoming year. Login details will be available after registering with the link below. We look forward to "seeing" you on the webinar, and hope to be able to interact face-to-face soon! Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6510063623082036748 

  • NERACOOS Annual Meeting, 19 November 2020, Virtual: Happy belated 10th birthday to NERACOOS! Join in and celebrate NERACOOS, reflecting on the past, discussing the present, and looking to the future.  This year the NERACOOS Annual Meeting will be virtual so please save the afternoon of November 19th for the event. Information about meeting registration and attendance will be coming soon.

  • 2020 AGU Fall Meeting, Dec 7-11, 2020, Virtual: The 2020 AGU Fall Meeting will take place Dec 7-11th. For the first time ever, the conference will be “mostly virtual” meaning much broader participation is possible than in past years. Please note that AGU’s abstract submission portal is now open and accepting submissions until Wednesday, July 29th, 2020 at 11:59 pm EDT. Helpful links: AGU Fall Meeting Website: https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting. Information about abstract submission: https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/2020/Present/Abstracts.

    • The NASA Capacity Building Program is chairing two sessions focused on different aspects of capacity development of Earth observation users. As we strive to build the community of practice around skill building and capacity building of Earth observations users, we hope you will join us for these virtual sessions. Please consider submitting an abstract to one (or both!) of our sessions. AGU’s abstract submission portal is now open and accepting submission until Wednesday, July 29th, 2020 at 11:59pm EDT.

      • Session SY001: Addressing the Need for Earth-Observation Capacity Development at the Local, National, Regional, and Global Scales

      • SY004: Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Conducting Virtual Capacity Building Activities

    • GEO at AGU Fall Meeting: As part of the upcoming 2020 AGU Fall Meeting themed “Shaping the Future of Science,” the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is supporting several key sessions and invites members from the AmeriGEO community to submit their abstracts to take part. Sessions focused on Earth observations (EO) and Capacity Development, COVID-19, the Sustainable Development Goals, and several being led by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) may be of interest and we encourage you to explore the opportunities to support these sessions. Please see all the sessions and how to participate in the following link: https://www.earthobservations.org/geo_blog_obs.php?id=449

  • 3rd Alaska Coastal Mapping Summit - December 9-10: The 3rd Alaska Coastal Mapping Summit, a virtual event, will be held on December 9th & 10th from 9am-1pm each day.  The Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy was released earlier this year, and it’s implementation plan is under development.  We want to build on our momentum and participation with agency updates, public comments, and give opportunity for project presentations and technical talks from our community. For more information contact Marta Kumle.

  • 101st AMS Annual Meeting, 10–14 January 2021, New Orleans, LA: Planning is underway for an AMS EPIC session at the AMS Annual Meeting - panel discussion and then paper session hosted by EIPT, R2O, Python, AI, and HPC communities of AMS.

    • Session Title: The Earth Prediction Innovation Center – Enabling a community-based approach to advance Numerical Weather Prediction

    • Session Description: Congress has mandated that NOAA establish an Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) to accelerate community-developed scientific and technological advancements into the operational applications for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). The EPIC is responsible for enabling collaboration among scientists and engineers in areas important for improving operational weather prediction and for creating a community global weather research modeling system. Meeting the goals of EPIC will require the efforts of all segments of the weather enterprise. This session invites papers presenting progress to date in this initiative as well as papers presenting innovative technologies and capabilities with potential for adoption by EPIC to enable the collaborative community, establish the community modeling system, and advance operational NWP.

    • Dr. DaNa Carlis has agreed to be the EIPT participant in the panel discussion.

    • Abstract submissions for this session, and all AMS sessions are due 3 August.  The meeting is in early January 2021.  Originally scheduled to be in New Orleans, a decision on whether it will go virtual will be made soon.  

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • WMO Data Conference, 16–18 November 2020, Virtual: The WMO Data Conference aims to develop a common understanding among entities from all sectors of society of the roles, requirements and arrangements for international exchange of observations and other data for monitoring and prediction of the Earth System environment, including weather, climate and water. The World Meteorological Organization and its predecessor, the International Meteorological Organization, have coordinated and regulated the free and unrestricted international exchange of observations and other meteorological data for the last 150 years. Building on this exchange, dramatic progress has been made in weather forecast and climate analysis capabilities over the last few decades. The Conference is expected to formulate recommendations to WMO and its partner organizations and stakeholders regarding current needs and modalities for data exchange and specifically regarding the ongoing WMO review of its data policies. Participants interested in contributing a paper should submit an abstract (max 250 words) to the DataConference@wmo.int by 23 August. For more information: https://public.wmo.int/en/events/WMO-Data-Conference 

  • 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.  

  • 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.

Webinars:

  • Atlantic International Research Centre Networking Fridays: The AIR Centre hosts a series of Webinars that take place every Friday, from 1pm to 2 pm UTC. During these Networking Fridays, researchers, technology innovators, representatives of multilateral organizations, government officials, and social entrepreneurs will present to and discuss with the audience their current work and, most importantly, explore ways of future collaboration. More info here: https://www.aircentre.org/netfridays/ 

    • November 13th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC: Networking Friday with Dava Newman (MIT)

      • Dava Newman and her students will talk about Physics-informed GANs for coastal flood visualization.

      • Description: As climate change increases the intensity of natural disasters, society needs better tools for adaptation. As stakeholders ranging from local to national governments cope with increased flood risks due to climate change, visual explanations can aid their decision-making process. And while today’s flood modeling capabilities include both high-level, color-coded maps, as well as intimate, street-level images, decision-makers would benefit from imagery that is both holistic and intuitive. Accordingly, the MIT-Portugal / NASA / AIIA Earth Intelligence Engine team has produced satellite images of future coastal floods: physics-informed, photorealistic images that look like real satellite imagery. The proposed visualizations will enable a variety of stakeholders in climate resilience planning and disaster preparedness to communicate flood risks to decision-makers.

      • Register here!

    • November 20th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC: Networking Friday with Maria Buraimoh, University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria

    • November 27th, 2020, 1-3 PM UTC: Networking Friday Thematic Special Session on Green and Blue Amazonia

    • December 4th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC: Networking Friday with Kwame Agyekum, University of Ghana, Ghana

  • What’s all that racket! Estuarine soundscapes in South Carolina, 17 November 2020, 12pm ET: The Estuarine Soundscape Observatory Network in the Southeast monitors underwater sounds using passive acoustic recorders in four estuaries of South Carolina. Soundscape data are used to monitor animal behavior at multiple levels of biological complexity (i.e., from snapping shrimp to fish to marine mammals) and at time scales ranging from minutes to years. The soundscape approach allows the ability to ‘eavesdrop’ on key behaviors of marine animals that can change rapidly or gradually in response to environmental changes and human impacts, thus providing a measure of resilience or shifting baselines for economically important or protected species. This webinar will discuss how passive acoustics can provide information on the ecological response of estuaries to climate variability and can assist in monitoring fish reproductive output of an estuary. Click here for more information and registration. 

  • 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 upcoming & past symposia on the MTS Events page. Upcoming webinars: 

    • 11/18: The Ocean Enterprise Study: Changes Within the Last Five Years

      • This special webinar will introduce the 2015 Ocean Enterprise Study and the importance of its results. The follow-up 2020 study will then be introduced and preliminary results will be discussed as they relate to ocean observing and the Enterprise. Register here.

      • Moderator - Zdenka Willis, President, Marine Technology Society

      • Panelists:

        • Carl Gouldman, Director, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®)

        • Dr. Charles Colgan, Director of Research, Center for the Blue Economy

        • Dr. Ralph Rayner, Industry Liaison, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System

  • Webinar: Restorative Aquaculture in California, 19 November 2020, 8pm ET: California Sea Grant and Save Our Shores is pleased to present a short introduction to three of the restoration and conservation oriented aquaculture activities underway in California. Tune in to this webinar and hear about endangered white abalone’s road to recovery, efforts to rebuild decimated Olympia oyster populations, and sea urchin ranching with a view to restore our kelp forests.  For more info and to register, click here. 

  • National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides 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.

    • November 19th 12 pm Hawaiʻi / 2 pm Pacific / 5 pm Eastern - Reframing wahi kūpuna: The tangibles and intangibles of cultural heritage in Papahānaumokuākea - Register here! 

  • 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:

    • 11/19: Position Paper 25 on Marine Citizen Science

  • Water Quality Data for Everyone?, 23 November, 3pm CT: Mazarine Ventures and GLOS will partner on an open discussion event where GLOS CIO Tim Kearns will join in on this "repartee-style” event centered around imagining the impact of “a decentralized model for water quality testing, data, information and more.” For more information and to register, click here. 

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • NOAA's William M. Lapenta Student Internship Program opens next month: In recognition of the many contributions of Dr. William (Bill) Lapenta to advance NOAA science and services and his dedication to training the next generation of scientists, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the William M. Lapenta Student Internship Program in 2019. This paid summer internship opportunity builds on the highly successful National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Internship which Bill created in 2017. Applications for summer 2021 open November 20 and close February 1.  For full details and how to apply, click 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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