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From the Director:

Hello IOOS Community,

This week, I’m participating in the National Academies of Science’s Sustaining Ocean Observations Phase 2 Workshop. There is wide recognition within the ocean observing community that enhanced coordination and partnership among federal agencies, academic and research institutions, the private sector, and others, could contribute to a stronger collective impact. This workshop is exploring how a collective impact organization framework could be constructed and how to help overcome existing barriers to sustained ocean observations—including governance and funding—as well as considering processes which can improve messaging about the value of these observations.

During the first day of the workshop yesterday, much of the discussion focused on communicating success stories and the importance of sustained ocean observing; increasing partnerships, especially with industry; and how best to engage with students and the next generation of ocean scientists. I’m looking forward to the continuing discussion today and tomorrow, which includes panels on governance and enhancing support for sustained ocean observations. Come join the conversation!

Best wishes and stay safe,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

    • HFR Community and Wind Turbine Interference Mitigation: The oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) community has submitted questions to the offshore wind energy industry regarding wind turbine interference mitigation (WTRIM) and draft responses are anticipated this month.  Coordinating for IOOS is Surface Currents Program Manager Brian Zelenke as lead for the U.S. HFR network and Vice President, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Tom Vinson for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  If you know someone who would like to contribute to this effort to synergize oceanographic HFR and offshore wind energy operations, please contact brian.zelenke@noaa.gov. 

    • 2020 Radiowave Operators Working Group Meeting: Planning of the 2020 Radiowave Operators Working Group (ROWG; http://www.rowg.org/) meeting for oceanographic/liminographic high-frequency (HF) radar operators worldwide is underway.  This next ROWG meeting will be virtual and is tentatively scheduled for November 17–18, 2020 from 2:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M. EST both days.  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 meeting’s organizing committee.  A finalized agenda and further meeting information are planned to be distributed by the ROWG meeting’s organizers this month.

    • 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Deployments in Full Swing: NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) currently has 12 gliders deployed on missions in the Caribbean Sea and tropical North Atlantic off Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and US Virgin Islands and in the Florida Current off the SE US coast. The goal of this work is to enhance our understanding of air-sea interaction processes during hurricane force wind events. This pilot network of hurricane underwater gliders is implemented to assess the impact of hurricane force winds on upper ocean density structure and the impact of ocean profile data from underwater gliders in operational hurricane intensity forecasts. Click here to view the latest observations from these gliders and check out the IOOS Glider map to see the tracks of the gliders and download data.

    • ATN and OCG: The GOOS Observations Coordination Group (OCG) has a plan to develop a data/metadata strategy that will be uniform across all of the OCG networks, especially with regard to providing metadata to JCOMMOPS. Kevin O'Brien, PMEL and OCG Vice-chair for Data and Information, is leading this work and has asked to use the ATN  and its role in AniBOS as a pilot activity for this effort. We are providing him with example metadata templates and files from the ATN DAC.

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

  • 2020 DMAC Annual Meeting Update: Like many other groups, the IOOS Ops Division has decided against planning in-person events for the time being.  Therefore, the dates we had tentatively rescheduled this year's DMAC meeting for (Tuesday Oct 13 - Thursday Oct 15) will be used to hold a virtual DMAC plenary/presentation session and group breakout discussions. Please save the hours of 2 - 5 PM ET, Oct 13 - 15 if you'd like to participate. More details to follow, however our plan at the moment is for a daily schedule of:

    • 2 PM - 3:30 PM: Presentations and project updates

    • 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM: Breakout discussions

    • 4:45 PM - 5 PM: Daily Recap

  •  QARTOD (National Coordinator Mark Bushnell, mark.bushnell@noaa.gov): 

    • Real-Time Quality Control of Water Level Data Manual Update: We will begin to update the Manual for Real-Time Quality Control of Water Level Data in October. This manual is targeted because of the importance of water level due to sea level rise, storm inundation, and the proliferation of contracted private sector deployments. See the present manual at
      https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/manual-real-time-quality-control-water-level-data/ and let us know how it might be improved.

    • Ocean Best Practice System: Registration for the 4th OBPS annual workshop (https://tinyurl.com/y3c7dz4n), which begins on September 17th, has approached the 500 count limit and registration is now closed. The overarching goal of the workshop is to gather recommendations to help the OBPS serve communities and advance:

      • Sharing of information and knowledge

      • Endorsement of methodologies

      • Convergence of methodologies

      • Guidance – how can the OBPS support your region/community in building best practices?

      • More information is available at https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/#events 

    • U.S. CLIVAR Ocean Uncertainty Quantification Working Group: OceanUQ working group members and others with an interest in uncertainty quantification will virtually meet during the 4th annual OBPS workshop, in an Ocean Uncertainty Quantification session. The session goal is to develop recommendations which guide OBPS activities that support and promote uncertainty considerations and standards. Ten speakers will address uncertainty in: 1) Argo, carbonate chemistry, HF radar, and drifting buoy observations, 2) data assimilation, mapping, and representation errors, and 3) the U.S. CLIVAR Ocean Uncertainty Quantification Working Group effort, and use of metrology standards for UQ estimates. Two additional discussions will focus on water level UQ, and application of metrology standards for other observations. At last count, 55 individuals have selected this as their primary session of interest.

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

  • No update.

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

    • MBON Sampling Site in the Gulf of Maine: MBON, NERACOOS, Sofie Van Parijs, and Leila Hatch are working with Jen Miksis-Olds as one of the acoustic bottom landers for her current project in the Northeast is being co-located with a Gulf of Maine MBON sampling site (Wilkinson Basin). Discussion includes how best to focus the collaboration. 

    • BIO-ICE Task Team: The Integrated Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) has approved a new task team - “Biology - Integrating Core to Essential Variables (BIO-ICE). The goal of the task team is to advance integration of biological observations from local, regional and federal sources using best practices to inform national needs as well as the Global Ocean Observing System. The task team will focus initially on marine mammals and corals to: 1) Reconcile the IOOS core biological variables with GOOS Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and the Group on Earth Observations’ Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), identifying synergies in spatial and temporal observing requirements and existing observation infrastructure and delivery including best practices/standards; and 2) Identify and improve pathways for data flow for observations of these variables from IOOS Regional Associations and Federal sources into IOOS.  Information about the task team will be kept up to date at: http://www.iooc.us/task-teams/bio-ice/ (POC: BIO-ICE Task Team Co-Chair Gabrielle Canonico)

  • SURVEY | OceanObs'19: Challenge for the Decade and Beyond: A major outcome of the Ocean Obs’19 meeting, Frontiers in Marine Science Community White Papers, follow-up Town Hall, and OceanObs Research Coordination Network workshop is the Living Action Plan. This Plan summarizes goals and recommendations for the design, interoperability, and governance of interdisciplinary, integrated ocean observing initiatives that address critical societal and operational needs. The Living Action Plan is also relevant to address the Ocean Decade Challenges. The Living Action Plan is a reference that will be continuously revised over the next decade with your input. Many members of our community have not been able to participate in developing the recommendations captured in the Living Action Plan. This survey seeks input on priority elements that may not have been captured in these efforts. Complete the survey now!

  • New OOI Data Explorer Tool Coming Online in October: To help make the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) data more accessible, useable, and easily integrated into research and classrooms, the OOI data team has spent the last year developing a new tool that will allow users to discover the data required to meet their needs.  The new “Data Explorer” has been undergoing user testing for the past three months and will be ready for broad distribution in early October. Data Explorer will allow users to search and download cabled, uncabled, and recovered data, compare datasets across regions and disciplines, generate and share custom data views, and download full data sets using ERDDAP. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2020/08/new-data-explorer-tool-coming-online-in-october/ 

  • Building a Community of Practice for OOI Biogeochemical Sensor Datasets: The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) includes sensors that measure key biogeochemical properties (pH, pCO2, bio-optics, nitrate, dissolved oxygen) on both moored and mobile autonomous platforms across arrays in the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans. To broaden the use of OOI biogeochemical sensor data and increase community capacity to produce analysis-ready data products, OOI has acquired NSF support to bring together scientists with expertise in biogeochemical sensor calibration and analysis from both within and beyond the current OOI user community to develop guidelines and best practices for using OOI biogeochemical sensor data. This activity was initially planned as a small workshop in conjunction with the 2021 Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry (OCB) summer workshop (June 2021 in Woods Hole, MA). OOI would like to identify potentially interested participants early and query their preferred level(s) and mechanism(s) of engagement with this activity to help inform our planning efforts. If you have any interest in potentially participating in this activity at any level, please fill out this google form. Responses received by mid-October are greatly appreciated. Additional information and questions about this activity can be directed to Hilary Palevsky, <palevsky@bc.edu>; Sophie Clayton, <sclayton@odu.edu>; and Heather Benway, <hbenway@whoi.edu>. 

  • Save the Date & Register Now: Sep 23-24, 1pm EDT - NOAA HSRP Public Meeting (Webinar): The NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) Federal Advisory Committee will have a virtual public meeting via webinar on September 23, 1-5:30pm EDT, and September 24, 2020, 1-5pm EDT, to focus on NOAA's navigation services, address implementation plans for the two ocean and coastal mapping strategies, and other HSRP topics. Public comments are requested by September 15th. For more information, see the meeting announcement published in the Federal Register here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-27/pdf/2020-18892.pdf. Please register in advance of the meeting at the following link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1862145392808727819   

  • NOAA is 50! Next month we celebrate NOAA's 50th birthday -- the agency was established five decades ago and has been changing what we know about the world ever since.  Check out the new story map, NOAA at 50, to get a glimpse of our unique heritage of science and service, and learn how that history has helped shape some of our incredible achievements.

  • NOAA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon: NOAA together with NVIDIA will host a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon with prep meetings on November 23rd and December 1st and the actual programming event December 7-9th. GPU Hackathons provide exciting opportunities for scientists to accelerate their AI research or HPC codes under the guidance of expert mentors from National Labs, Universities and Industry leaders in a collaborative environment. The NOAA Hackathon is a multi-day event designed to help teams of three to six developers accelerate their own codes on GPUs using a programming model, or machine learning framework of their choice. Each team is assigned mentors for the duration of the event. This Hackathon is open to all NOAA scientists and their collaborators with the event limited to 10 total teams. For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.gpuhackathons.org/event/noaa-gpu-hackathon. 

  • NOAA Bathymetric Data Helps Scientists Model Tsunami Risk of Unstable Slope in Alaska: In May of 2020, local geologists identified a steep, unstable slope that has the potential to become a tsunami-generating landslide in Barry Arm, a glacial fjord 60 miles east of Anchorage, Alaska. One critical piece of missing information was water depth at the base of the slope. Given the importance of this foundational data, the U.S. Geological Survey worked with the Office of Coast Survey to fund a bathymetric survey and expedited processing of data for Barry Arm. Read more here: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/updates/noaa-bathymetric-data-helps-scientists-more-accurately-model-tsunami-risk-within-barry-arm/ 

  • New Video for Tidal Analysis Datums Tool: Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) worked with offices from across NOS to develop a new video lesson demonstrating why and how to use the NOAA Tidal Analysis for Datums Calculator (TAD). TAD reads a time series of water level data and calculates several tidal datums. The video provides step-by-step instructions on using TAD. It describes data and metadata requirements, the processes TAD uses to compute datums, and the information contained in the output files. CO-OPS consulted with NOS’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Office for Coastal Management, and National Geodetic Survey to create content for the video. Accurate tidal datums are important to the viability and safety of marine navigation; water level regulation and forecasting; coastal zone management and shoreline-use planning, mapping, and habitat restoration; and storm surge prediction.

  • NGS Collects Hurricane Laura Aerial Imagery: National Geodetic Survey (NGS) collected aerial damage assessment images of areas affected by Hurricane Laura. Imagery was collected in areas identified by NOAA in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other state and federal partners. The flight crew flew over 7,000 square kilometers during the course of 29.3 hours and collected 23,401 images of storm damage. NOAA’s aerial imagery aids safe navigation and records storm damage to coastal areas. Aerial imagery is a crucial tool used to determine the extent of the damage inflicted by flooding and to assess 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.

  • Survey: 2020 IOC Capacity Development Needs Assessment: Help in contributing to assessing your country’s capacity development needs in ocean science related issues by filling in the IOC Capacity Development Needs Assessment Survey. Capacity Development (CD) is an essential tenet of IOC’s mission. It enables all Member States to participate in and benefit from ocean research and services that are vital to sustainable development and human welfare on the planet. The vision contained in the IOC Capacity Development Strategy 2015-2021 identifies capacity development as the primary catalyst through which IOC will achieve its four high level objectives in the current 2014–2021 IOC Medium-Term Strategy. By completing this survey you will be contributing to assessing your country’s capacity development needs in ocean science related issues. In addition, the information gathered by this survey will contribute to addressing capacity needs related to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Read more here.

  • EMODNet News - #ExploreYourOcean in 24 languages: With the newest release of the European Atlas of the Seas today, citizens from all around Europe now have access to stunning marine maps and interactive oceanic information in their own language, making the Atlas an even more accessible and useful educational tool. From now on, visitors can navigate the Atlas in the 24 official languages of the European Union, as well as explore a wide range of popular marine topics, such as tourism, litter, environment, energy, aquaculture, and much more! Read more here: https://www.emodnet.eu/en/exploreyourocean-24-languages 

  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:

    • Request for Proposals to Enhance Regional Ocean Data Sharing: SECOORA is soliciting proposals that focus on geospatial data required by states and regional organizations in addressing coastal and ocean management issues. The funding for this award was appropriated by Congress to enhance capacity for sharing and integration of data from Federal and non-Federal sources to support regional coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes management priorities. Proposals are due October 30, 2020 at 5 PM ET. Total funds available are $180,000. SECOORA intends to award between 1 and 5 proposals.  Click here for more information and how to apply. 

    • 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.

Delivering the Benefits:

  • ACCESS Marine Mammal and Seabird Observations Now Available through the CeNCOOS Data Portal: Marine mammal and seabird observations from the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies program are now available through the CeNCOOS Data Portal. ACCESS was formed in 2004 as a multidisciplinary collaborative between Point Blue Conservation Science, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. It supports marine wildlife conservation and healthy marine ecosystems in northern and central California through scientific research that informs resource managers, policy makers and conservation partners. These data were acquired during ACCESS research cruises in 2004 and 2005, when visual surveys of the air and water were conducted. All seabirds and marine mammals observed were taxonomically identified to the species level, and the density of each species observed was reported. 

  • CCFRP Nearshore Fishes Observations Now Available through DataONE: Spatially-explicit observations of nearshore fishes from the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program are now available to download through the Ocean Protection Council DataONE repository. CCFRP aims to develop rigorous survey methods and collect data on the species, size composition and relative abundance of fishes associated with shallow rocky habitats inside proposed and established Marine Protected Areas and nearby fished reference areas. These data were acquired during drifts conducted annually by volunteer anglers on CCFRP cruises between 2007 and 2019. Each fish caught was taxonomically identified to the species level and measured, enabling the calculation of biomass, Catch-Per-Unit-Effort, and Biomass-Per-Unit-Effort.

  • Local Help for HF Radars in Alaska: The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is working with coastal communities to get three coastal High-Frequency Radar (HFR) field sites on the North Slope and two in the Bering Strait region up and running for the 2020 field season. UIC Science in Utqiagvik has been able to travel to Nuvuk (Point Barrow) and Cape Simpson to get things operational, and Michael Ahkinga Sr. in Wales is onboard to help with the system there, while the Bering Strait School District is facilitating a new power source for a site in Shishmaref. Integrating help from local communities has always been a long-term goal for the HFR systems, and in a way the COVID travel restrictions are helping to make this goal more achievable. Read about this and more in the AOOS Summer e-News! 

  • 20-Year Time Series from Mōkapu Wave Buoy: The PacIOOS wave buoy off Mōkapu on the windward side of Oʻahu celebrates its 20th anniversary! On August 9, 2000, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology deployed the Mōkapu wave buoy as its first wave buoy in Hawaiian waters. Two decades later, this wave buoy site is still going strong and recording wave conditions every 30 minutes. Over the years, nine other wave buoys were added to the network in the Hawaiian Islands, and an additional five in the insular Pacific. All data for the Mōkapu wave buoy (and all other sites) can be accessed through the PacIOOS website or the Coastal Data Information Program.

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • CARICOOS seeks collaboration EOIs: CARICOOS has requested expressions of interest for collaborations on the operation, maintenance, enhancement, and outreach of the program. We welcome submissions from academic institutions, profit and non-profit organizations, and federal & state governments. EOIs to operate, maintain, and enhance our existing infrastructure, as well as pilot projects to further develop our observing and modeling subsystems are welcome. Projects that augment the reach of CARICOOS data and products are especially encouraged. The deadline to submit your EOI is October 7th, 2020. Read more about this opportunity and how to submit here. 

  • Navocean joins SECOORA: SECOORA is excited to welcome new member Navocean. Navocean is a small business that designed a “mobile buoy”, known as a Nav2 ASV, to provide persistent observations over large or small areas. The Nav2 ASV is a 2-meter self-navigating sailboat designed for versatility and easy logistics. It is equipped with a wide variety of sensor payloads and can perform short to long duration missions. Nav2s are small, efficient and safe to operate, making them well suited for lakes, estuaries, coastal or offshore areas. Click here to read about one of their projects monitoring algae in Lake Okeechobee.  Read more here. 

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

  • Sustaining Ocean Observations Phase 2 Workshop, 16–18 September 2020, Virtual: There is wide recognition within the ocean observing community that enhanced coordination and partnership among federal agencies, academic and research institutions, private industry, and other sectors could contribute to a stronger collective impact. This upcoming workshop will bring together this diverse groups of stakeholders of ocean observing. The goal of the workshop is to explore partnership and organizational models to foster efficiency, continuity, and quality of the most critical ocean observations to support the broad spectrum of applications and users, both now and in the future. An outline of the workshop topics can be found on the registration page. The full agenda is coming soon to the registration page and the project website.

  • Ocean Best Practices Workshop IV, 18, 21–25, & 30 September 2020, Virtual: The workshop will host plenaries on September 18 and 25 with a final mini-plenary on September 30. Working groups will meet at selected times during the period of September 21 to 24. The format of the meeting has evolved to focus more on conversations and smaller working groups. There will be two instances of the second and third plenary to support the challenges of time zones. See https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/events/evolving-and-sustaining-ocean-best-practices-iv/ for more information.

  • Restore America’s Estuaries 2020 Summit, 29 Sept–1 Oct 2020, Virtual: The National Coastal Estuarine Summit will be held virtually September 29 – October 1, 2020.  This will be a highly interactive, state of the art, virtual opportunity to network with colleagues, share lessons learned, and hear from experts on the latest in coastal restoration and management. More than 300 expert panels, presentations, and posters have been selected and more than 30 sponsors have already committed to support this year’s virtual Summit. For more info and to register: https://estuaries.org/summit/

  • Great Lakes TechSurge Lakebed 2030, 1–2 October 2020, Traverse City, MI: This premier event, hosted by Marine Technology Society, will bring together science and research, policy, government, and industry professionals to:

    • Focus on Great Lakes marine mapping and observation data.

    • Develop a strategy to catalog new and existing lakebed information for shared used.

    • Share the latest technology advancements with Great Lakes community and advance business development in the region.

  • Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast, 5–30 October 2020, Virtual: The organizing committees have decided to combine forces and invite worldwide community participation to a single virtual conference “Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast”, which will feature a mix of live and on-demand events available to all registrants at a very affordable rate, October 5-30, 2020. For more information or registration click here. 

    • The Gulf of Mexico – A Case Study in Resilience - October 8th 4:30pm-6pm ET / 3:30pm - 5pm CT:The Gulf of Mexico is a place where the environment and economy both coexist and contend. This is possible because the Gulf is also a resilient large marine ecosystem and a living case study of absorbing our demands and like a stretched rubber band, rebounding from that exploitation. The Gulf is home to a diverse cadre of marine species.  From nearshore oyster beds to offshore billfish, the Gulf is teaming with life and many residents rely on this dynamic ecosystem for their livelihood.  Additionally, land-based and offshore aquaculture is gaining interest in the region, addressing the growing need for sources of high-protein food.  The Gulf is also plagued by recurring phenomena such as hypoxia and harmful algal blooms,  challenging both ecosystem and coastal community health and productivity. This track focuses on these issues and explores the drivers and pressures that buffet the resilient and productive Gulf.

    • Moderator/Panelist: Dr. Larry McKinney, Harte Research Institute

    • Panelists: 

      • Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, Gulf Coast Ocean Observing System (GCOOS)

      • Dr. Kelly Lucas, University of Southern Mississippi

      • Carl Goldman, U.S. IOOS

  • OAR/IOOS Virtual Workshop: Enhancing Coastal and Ocean Observation, 6–7 October 2020, Virtual: GLOS and NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab staff are working together with the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) leadership to organize a workshop around improving coordination and collaboration across line offices. This virtual workshop will discuss current and future opportunities for IOOS-OAR collaborations to implement new and emerging technologies in ocean and coastal observing systems. Click here for more information. 

  • GLOS Annual Meeting, 14 October 2020, Virtual: Join GLOS to hear from leadership about the exciting year they’ve had and where they’re headed, including:

  • 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

  • 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.

    • 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.  

  • Oceanology International Americas, 15–17 February 2021, San Diego, CA: As part of the three-day conference program, OI Americas will run a series of technical tracks exploring the latest developments in ocean technology and its application in support of scientific research, safe and sustainable use of the ocean and ocean resources and the protection of the marine and coastal environment. The technical track program will cover all stages of ocean technology innovation; connecting technology push with application pull. Scientists, technologists and engineers engaged in the ocean technology innovation chain, and those concerned with application of technologies in support of scientific understanding of the ocean, the use of the ocean and ocean resources and protection of the marine and coastal environment are invited to submit abstracts to the Oi Americas 2021 conference program covering one or more of the following topics:

    • Sensors and Instruments

    • Vessels, Vehicles and Platforms

    • Data Communications

    • Data Management

    • Data Analysis and Interpretation

    • End-use Case Studies

 

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol (SOMP) Symposium (Virtual) - October 6-7, 2020 - 12pm-5pm ET: The IWG-OCM wants your input! The June 2020 National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (at iocm.noaa.gov), calls for federal agencies to develop a Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol in order to facilitate mapping the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. This SOMP symposium gives non-federal stakeholders an opportunity to learn about the protocol and provide written or verbal comment on it. Academia, private sector, state/local government, and non-governmental organizations are invited to register to attend or speak at the symposium, and/or comment in writing. Please access the registration and comment form HERE or at iocm.noaa.gov. 

  • Drones in the Coastal Zone, 14 October 2020, Virtual: SECOORA's Drones in the Coastal Zone in-person workshop https://secoora.org/drones-in-the-coastal-zone-workshop/ scheduled for October in Beaufort, NC has been cancelled due to ongoing concerns for gatherings of over 100 people. The planning team recognizes the importance of the hands-on drone work and the desire for in-person training, therefore they are changing gears and developing a new format that will permit for virtual and (limited) in-person participation. Ideas discussed include a webinar series in fall 2020, online activities/ trainings, and the potential for an “air show” in 2021 (limited capacity workshops in different states). Please save the date for the Drone Workshop kick off webinar on on October 14. If you have further questions, please contact Abbey Wakely at abbey@secoora.org.

  • 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:

  • NOAA Environmental Data (NED) Talks: Mark your calendar for NOAA's Datafest in September & October with a series of NED talks, available online. The series continues September 18th, 2-3pm ET.  Check them out, and don't miss out on the #Datapalooza twitter chats.  Get all the details on the Datafest site! 

  • 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:

    • September 17th, 2020 - MTS Technology Forum - During this 90 minute virtual panel, we will hear from a diverse group of experts that will lead us through technology trends and challenges which will include: unmanned systems, maritime cyber security, oceanographic platforms and sensors, and more. For more information and to register: https://www.mtsociety.org/2020/08/20/mts-technology-forum/ 

  • 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:

    • 9/17: Navigating the Future V: The cells of ecosystem functioning: Towards a holistic vision of marine space

  • Atlantic International Research (AIR) Centre Networking Fridays Webinar Series:

    • Argyro Kavvada will review innovative Earth observation solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals. Her presentation will illustrate innovative endeavors that aim to integrate Earth observation data, tools and model outputs to support countries in target setting, tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and informing sustainable development planning and decision making. The moderator will be Samy Djavidnia, member of the Steering Committee of the GEO Blue Planet Initiative.

    • Friday, September 18th, 1-2 PM UTC - Argyro Kavvada (NASA) - Earth observation solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals. Register here.

  • Celebrating 10 Years of EMODnet, 22 September 2020, 14:00-17:00 CEST: 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. Register for the webinar here: https://www.emodnet.eu/webinar

  • Virtual SHARKTOBERFEST! September 26, 2020 10am-1:30pm PDT: Join the Greater Farallones Association, NOAA, and other partners for an online celebration of sharks to raise awareness of the importance of elasmobranchs in our marine ecosystem, coinciding with the arrival of white sharks to the San Francisco area to feed on our abundant seal and sea lion populations. Tune in for fun and educational activities for adults and kids, shark art, shark science, shark films, shark conservation, and lots of great ukulele tunes! Free event. No registration necessary. Event Info: farallones.org, sheintzelman@farallones.org Stream the event here on Sept 26th. 

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • No update.

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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