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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

I’m excited to share that Nicole LeBoeuf has been appointed as NOAA’s new Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management.  Nicole’s experience and leadership in this critical role will be instrumental in helping NOAA support the Biden Administration's priorities. 

Nicole is a longstanding member of the NOAA family, having first joined NOAA in 1997 as a Fishery Biologist with the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.  Over the last 24 years with NOAA, she has held numerous roles in NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Headquarters, and the National Ocean Service, most recently serving as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for NOS beginning in 2016, and acting Assistant Administrator since 2018. Many congrats to Nicole on her appointment. 

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • ECO Special Edition: Rising Seas: It’s one of humankind’s greatest challenges: keeping back the tides. As such, ECO partnered with NOAA and The Ocean Foundation to develop this special issue on Rising Seas. The stories within these pages highlight the international efforts underway to create resilient coasts with nature-based solutions and green coastal development. We explore the societal impact of sea level rise and take a look at the latest modelling tools and data collection technology for measuring coastal change.  See particularly "Helping Coastal Communities Adapt & Respond to Rising Seas," (p. 30) from the IOOS Enterprise. 

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov): 
    • EuroGOOS HRF Task Team 3rd Biannual Newsletter Available: Our colleagues across the pond with the EuroGOOS HFR Task Team have published their 3rd biannual newsletter, available here.  This newsletter details the latest news and events across the European HF Radar community.
      • Shark Week Glider Deployment: MARACOOS/Rutgers scientists (Chip Haldeman, Travis Miles, and a Rutgers intern Becca Horwitz) deployed the 3rd Navy glider of the hurricane season, as part of the NOAA-Navy partnership made possible with funding from OMAO. The deployment off the New Jersey coast was well-attended by several hammerhead sharks and a great white shark ~ 7 - 10 feet long!  A gentle rev of the boat engine kept the sharks at bay as the glider safely made its way out to sea. Thankfully, it appears the sharks found a tastier snack, as the data have been flowing through the Glider DAC to NOAA for assimilation into the Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS). This glider joins the suite of Atlantic basin gliders that are currently collecting profiles of temperature and salinity data used to improve the ocean representation in RTOFS, which provides the initial conditions for coupled NOAA regional hurricane forecast models.
      • Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Updates: 
        • UG2 Underwater Gliders Deployments: Please visit http://underwatergliders.org/index.php/deployments/ and update your 2021 and early 2022 operations and plans to share with the UG2 community.
        • UG2 Webinars: Please submit interest to brief for the upcoming August series that includes glider sensors and/or operational lessons learned. Please contact Bill Lingsch, bill.lingsch@noaa.gov if you’d like to provide a briefing!

           

    • Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) (National Coordinator Bill Woodward, Bill.Woodward@noaa.gov):
      • Tenth Meeting of the Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) Steering Group, SG-10, convened July 14, 2021: SG-10, co-chaired by Dr. Sam Simmons (Marine Mammal Commission) and Bill Woodward (ATN Network Coordinator), brought the SG Members together to: I) Review ATN program updates and report on Actions from SG-9,  II) Present Team Activity progress on developing ATN DAC Data Management Services to support Agency PIs, on preparation of the next 5-year ATN Implementation Plan on implementing a Telemetry Hardware Loaner Program for ATN researchers and, III) Discuss draft revisions/updates to the Terms of Reference document that governs the SG. The Meeting Minutes will available shortly on the ATN website, under the Meetings tab:   https://ioos.noaa.gov/project/atn/ 
      • Animal Telemetry Represented on Discovery’s Shark Week: The research of three members of our U.S. ATN community was showcased on the Discovery Channel's  Shark Week. Several captivating episodes during last week’s program lineup documented the exciting  porbeagle and white shark studies underway by Dr. Greg Skomal (Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries), Dr. James Sulikowski (Arizona State University) and Dr. Neil Hammerschlag (University of Miami). Also, Dr. Skomal received two Shark Week Gold Awards for his 2014 “Jaws Strikes Back” and his 2011 “Jaws Comes Home”  episodes and a Silver Award for his “Jaws of the Deep 2015” episode. Dr. Hammerschlag received a Gold Award for his “Tiger Beach” episode in 2016. Congratulations to all.  
    • Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov):
      • Applications open! MBON Plankton Workshops: On October 13-14, 2021, MBON will host three online workshops titled: "Plankton ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and forecasting - research requirements and applications".  The full call with participant application information can be found here: https://eqmh.github.io/MBON-Plankton-Workshop/. As the ocean changes, the many ecosystem functions of plankton - their biodiversity, distribution, nutrient and carbon flows, timing of life stages and blooms - change in ways that also alter ecosystem services that other organisms, including humans, depend on. There is a need to better understand and predict how these ecosystem functions of the plankton community change on different time scales. This series of virtual workshops brings scientists together to provide an overview on the state-of-the-art of field, lab and modelling approaches used to study plankton biodiversity and discuss data needs for improving our understanding on the value of plankton, its functions and ecosystem services. Each workshop will gather a diverse group of around 25 participants, each with recognized expertise in their field of interest from the following disciplines: oceanography, theoretical ecology, data science, citizen science, socioeconomics, art, policy. 
      • Report Released for Observing Life in a Changing Ocean: Exploring a 'Census of Marine Life' Today: The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) is pleased to announce the release of a summary report for the virtual symposium held earlier this year, Observing Life in a Changing Ocean: Exploring a 'Census of Marine Life' Today. You can view and download the report by visiting the COL website: https://oceanleadership.org/observing-life-in-a-changing-ocean/ The Symposium was well attended by over 230 individuals from the ocean science and technology community. COL looks forward to continuing to work with this community to advance efforts for sustained, systematic, and coordinated marine biodiversity research and observation.

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

  • NOAA Ecosystem Indicators Working Group: Hassan Moustahfid (IOOS) and Zac Cannizzo (NMS/CPO) are working to add a new indicator (Species Shifting from Centroids) to the list of Ecosystem Indicators. The new indicator will be based on NOAA NMFS long time series of trawl surveys and a new updated script to compute the centroids of distribution of species.
    • QARTOD 5-Year Plan: The initial draft of the next 5-year QARTOD plan (2022-2026) has been distributed to the eleven members of the working group established to support the development of this plan. Working within the guidance provided by the Board of Advisors (https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/qartod-board-of-advisors/), over the next few months the working group will review and comment on the emerging plan. Contact Mark if you’d like to participate.
    • Ocean Best Practice System: The proposed OBPS Ocean Practices for the Decade (OceanPractices) has been endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade as a transformative Decade Action. Ocean Practices has five high level objectives: 1) Enable the development, adoption, and continuous evolution of context-sensitive methodologies and best practices related to ocean research, operations and applications to support the UN Ocean Decade objectives and goals, 2) Accelerate the co-development and convergence of methodologies across ocean communities into community-accepted, trusted and interoperable best practices and standards, 3) Sustain a trusted and FAIR- and CARE-compliant system through which the ocean community permanently archives and accesses its methods, standards, guidelines and other methodological content, 4) Facilitate the creation of a federated network of complementary and seamlessly interoperable methodology management systems, bringing together UN IGOs, non-UN IGOs, NGOs, regional and global programs, projects and the private sector, and 5) Foster community-led capacity development in ocean best practices to enable equitable access to information, technology and knowledge and facilitate more ocean science that is fit for purpose.

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

  • NOAA Annual ROMS Meeting: The NOAA Annual ROMS meeting took place on July 15th to discuss current and future projects, NOS Vision, and Community Modeling.
  • Modeling Presentation at Weather Research Forecasting Symposium: Tracy Fanara, NOS Modeling Portfolio Manager, presented at the Priorities in Weather Research Forecasting Task Team Symposium on a panel focused on the present and future of coastal modeling. 

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates: 
  • Ocean Decade Co-design Workshop for the Caribbean - A Transparent Ocean - Thursday, July 29 | 9H00 COLOMBIA TIME (10H00 AST, 14H00 UTC): You are cordially invited to the Tropical Americas Transparent & Accessible Ocean Co-design Workshop. The workshop will be hosted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, via its Sub-commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE). Register here: http://iocaribe.ioc-unesco.org/webinarseries/ataao/regataao 
  • Call for Nominations to the Ocean Decade Advisory Board: The Decade Advisory Board will be a multi-stakeholder advisory body that will assist the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in performing its function as coordinator of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030 (the 'Ocean Decade'). The Board will report both to the IOC Governing Bodies and the IOC Executive Secretary. The Board’s advice to the IOC Governing Bodies will concern strategic elements of the Decade implementation, such as reviews of the Decade progress in moving towards the Decade societal outcomes and on the research work in the domains of Decade challenges, identifying gaps and opportunities, advising on data stewardship strategies, the development of resource mobilisation strategies, and supporting the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework of the Decade. The Board will also provide advice and operational support to the IOC Executive Secretary to facilitate the endorsement process of Decade Actions, specifically at the programme level. The Decade Advisory Board will comprise up to 15 expert members drawn from government, private sector, philanthropy, civil society, and the scientific community. They will serve in their individual capacity.  Five representatives of United Nations entities will also sit on the Board. Nominations are due 15 September 2021
  • Nominations Sought for Positions on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee: NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. MAFAC advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The Committee researches, evaluates, and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency policies that address science and regulatory programs critical to the mission and goals of the NOAA Fisheries Service. Nominations are being accepted through July 29, 2021. Full nomination instructions and guidelines are available on the Federal Register. Interested individuals can learn more about MAFAC, its work, current members, charter, subcommittees and task forces, and reports and advice by going HERE.  For questions or more information, please contact Heidi Lovett, MAFAC Assistant Director, heidi.lovett@noaa.gov
  • National Weather Service Survey Opportunity: NWS Hazard Messaging Headlines: On March 4, 2021, the National Weather Service (NWS) announced plans to change its hazard messaging headlines no earlier than calendar year 2024. The NWS is currently seeking public input on this change via a survey that will remain open until July 31st. At the heart of the change will be the removal of all "Advisory" headlines from the Watch, Warning, and Advisory system in favor of clear, plain language headlines focused on impact. These same plain language headlines will also replace current "Special Weather Statements" and will be equipped with Valid Time Event Code (VTEC). Additional details can also be found at the NWS Hazard Simplification Project website and the team can be contacted at hazsimp@noaa.gov.
  • NOAA Celebrates 30 Years of Safer Marine Navigation Through PORTS®: In the early 1980’s, two shipping vessel collisions at the Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge happened within weeks of each other. These accidents spurred Federal legislation leading to the development and establishment of NOAA’s first Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS®) in 1991. This July, PORTS celebrates 30 years of providing commercial vessel operators with accurate and reliable real-time environmental conditions to enhance the safety and efficiency of maritime commerce. Learn more about the PORTS program here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/navigation/ports/ 
  • NOAA releases 2020 State of High-Tide Flooding and 2021 Outlook: On July 14, NOAA released this report documenting changes in high-tide flooding patterns from May 2020 to April 2021 at 98 NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. coast. It also provides a flooding outlook for these locations for the coming meteorological year, May 2021 to April 2022, and projections for the next several decades. William Sweet, CO-OPS, is the lead author of the report.  The press release and report can be found here
  • Help us fill the gaps! Do you have ocean mapping data to share? Let us know at https://iocm.noaa.gov/data-sharing/provider-engagement-form.html. Your contribution is more important now than ever, as it will support U.S. national mapping strategies, The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO global Seabed 2030 Project to map 100% of the ocean floor, and many other activities. Seafloor mapping of U.S. oceans, coastal zones, and the Great Lakes is a critical element of NOAA’s mission. These data are key to a vibrant maritime economy, providing the scientific foundation for applications such as habitat mapping and restoration, seafood production, tourism and recreation, climate adaptation strategies and coastal flood mitigation.
  • Now Available: Enhanced Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasting Products: NOAA’s newly enhanced HAB forecasts are now available to the public in real time. The forecasts are higher resolution, providing hourly observations at the individual beach level. Analysis of "red tide" algal bloom locations and reported impacts are now automated, and reports include forecasts of potential development, intensification, transport, and impacts of algal blooms. The interactive dashboard from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science displays the following products:
    • Respiratory Irritation Forecast: Provides an estimate of the risk of respiratory irritation at individual beaches over the next 30 hours. It is updated every three hours with any new information and is supported by volunteer citizen scientists equipped with the GCOOS HABScope tool.
    • Intensification Forecast: Shows the likelihood that a bloom will develop or change and displays animated coastal bloom initiation and intensification. It is based on modeled oceanographic conditions. Offshore winds and upwelling are responsible for bloom formation and intensification at the coast when the bloom begins.
    • Real-time Satellite Imagery: Shows bloom location and extent using images from the Copernicus Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI). Colored circles overlaid on the satellite imagery indicate concentrations of K. brevis cells in seawater samples provided by several sources to help confirm blooms.
  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:
    • FY2022-2023 Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship Request for Proposals: NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2022 - 2023 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship request for proposals. This program offers graduate students admitted to or enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program the opportunity to conduct estuarine research within a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Davidson fellowship supports research projects that help scientists and communities understand the coastal challenges that will likely influence future policy and management strategies, and offers professional development opportunities geared to build the next generation of coastal professionals. NOAA is committed to reaching applicants from minority serving institutions, and to partnering with these universities for collaborative science initiatives and fellowship opportunities within the research reserves. NOAA will award one fellowship at each of the 29 reserves in the national system. Each two-year project will employ the tenets of collaborative research, including engaging end-users, incorporating multi-disciplinary perspectives, and ensuring outcomes are applicable to local coastal resource management needs and decision-making. The fellowship honors the legacy of Margaret A. Davidson, a true visionary and pioneer in the field of coastal resource management. Applications are due December 10th, 2021. A link to the request for proposals can be found here. Additional information about the program can be found on our website.
    • RFP: Request for Pre-Proposals for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Analogues: ClimateWorks Foundation and Ocean Visions has released a request for proposals (RFP) to help close key knowledge gaps to advance ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Ocean-based CDR approaches have the potential to capture significant amounts of CO2. Ocean Visions’ road maps to accelerate the development and testing of ocean-based CDR approaches have identified the critical role of small, controlled field trials as a next key in providing real-world evidence of carbon sequestration potential, environmental co-benefits, and environmental risks. Together, ClimateWorks Foundation and Ocean Visions seek to award up to two, 18-month grants to evaluate the effectiveness and environmental impacts of ocean-based CDR approaches via the study of field-based analogues. Submission deadline: Pre-proposals are due by August 11, 2021. For more information, see https://oceanvisions.org/request-for-proposals-ocean-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-analogues/ 

Delivering the Benefits:

  • SCCOOS Red Tide project selected by NASA DEVELOP:  A team of five students will be working with SCCOOS and our colleagues at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and California's Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment on this project to commence in Fall 2021.
    • Project Synopsis: This project aims to better understand the frequency, drivers, and remote detection of red tide blooms in California, specifically Lingulodinium polyedra, which in 2020 reached unprecedented levels in southern California, causing massive mortality of fish and invertebrates as well as widely reported respiratory distress in humans. DEVELOP will partner with California’s Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), California’s Department of Public Health (CDPH), and Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) to apply ocean color detection algorithms to answer important biodiversity questions with real-world application. The team would utilize earth observing sensors including GCOM-C, Landsat8, Aqua MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-3, and DESIS in conjunction with time-series data collected at Scripps Pier to apply cutting-edge band-ratio algorithms on the red tide blooms spread. Maps highlighting bloom areas and seasonal water quality time series analysis will further inform partners’ decision-making practices related to L. polyedra management efforts.
  • New IFCB deployed at Newport Beach Pier: As part of the "Implementation of an Automated Early Warning System for Harmful Algal Bloom Events in California" funded by CA Ocean Protection Council and leveraging funds from IOOS, the CA IFCB Network has recently deployed two new IFCBs. One on Del Mar Mooring and the second on Newport Beach Pier. The Scripps Pier IFCB funded by NOAA ECOHAB was also recently deployed on the summer CCE-LTER cruise to collect phytoplankton biodiversity and composition data offshore. SCCOOS and CeNCOOS are working with Axiom to ingest the real-time IFCB data and add classifiers and create custom data displays. 
  • Tracking the Ocean Response to Tropical Storm Elsa: Researchers from Rutgers are analyzing the response of the ocean to the recent passage of Tropical Storm Elsa.  The storm was modelled in real time by the Rutgers Weather Research and Forecasting model (RUWRF).  The animation shows the surface winds as the storm moved past the Jersey Shore.  The ocean surface currents were captured by the MARACOOS High Frequency Radar (HFR) Network which is supported by U.S IOOS. Read more here
  • Supporting Aquaculture at Nomilo Fishpond: Kaua‘i Sea Farms is participating in PacIOOS' Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program, deploying a water quality sensor for a one-year period at Nomilo Fishpond, Kaua‘i. The fishpond is a naturally formed resource within an ancient volcanic caldera located in Kalaheo, Kaua‘i and has a centuries long history of food production. However, it has been underutilized in the past 100 years and is undergoing a renaissance. To reduce excessive phytoplankton and prevent oxygen depletion events, the seawater channel between the pond and ocean has been restored and shellfish farming has been introduced. A research project is expected to begin later this year to introduce native sea cucumber aquaculture to better cycle nutrients along the pond bottom. The PacIOOS water quality sensor will be utilized to measure changes in three areas of the pond throughout the year, to assist with spatial planning and optimization of aquaculture activities, and to determine potential impacts of these activities on the aquatic environment of the fishpond.
  • New Quileute/UW Real-time Hypoxia-Monitoring Moorings: The Quileute Indian Tribe, UW-APL, and NANOOS collaborated on a project to improve responsiveness to and understanding of WA shelf hypoxia events, particularly in relation to the Quileute Treaty Dungeness crab fishery. The Quileute Indian Tribe has long recognized the need for real-time oxygen data to evaluate hypoxia and guide fishing and management decisions. Funds were made available to the tribe through the Fishery Disaster Relief Program for Tribal Fisheries under the Bi-partisan Budget Act of 2018 in response to a crab fishery disaster in 2015. The Quileute Natural Resources Program worked with UW-APL to build, deploy, and initially maintain two real-time oceanographic moorings, which are equipped with near-bottom oxygen sensors and profiling current meters allowing for detection of hypoxic water and measurement of the transport of this water. Deployed 18 June, the near real-time data are viewable on NVS directly at this link
  • FHLOO is live on NVS:  NANOOS is pleased to announce that the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories’ Ocean Observatory is now transmitting near-real time data to the NANOOS Visualization System, viewable directly at this link. Variables include temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, pH, CO2, and turbidity, which complement continuous monitoring of microplankton using an Imaging FlowCytoBot. FHLOO was funded by the National Science Foundation (Project Reference #1418875) and the UW College of the Environment. This will be a key observing asset for the area; the FHLOO occupies a central position in the Salish Sea, influenced by both Fraser River conditions and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
  • The newest NOAA national marine sanctuary will soon have three buoys: The NOAA Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary (WSCNMS) was designated in June and, after a 45-day review period, it will become effective. And the 962 square mile sanctuary that stretches from Port Washington to Two Rivers will soon have three new buoys. The sanctuary is a relatively under-observed area, leaving gaps in scientists’ and forecasters’ understanding of lake dynamics and their potential future effects on coastal communities. That is why, this year, GLOS funded this project through a Smart Great Lakes mini-grant. NOAA Sanctuaries, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL) and the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) hope to have the buoys in the water by late summer. Once the buoys are deployed, information will be available through GLOS's GL Buoys, GLERL, and the National Data Buoy Center.
  • Red Tide Respiratory Forecast Team Mobilizes in Pinellas County: Community scientists and partners continue to monitor the ongoing Karenia brevis bloom along Florida's west coast. While the intensity of the bloom has recently subsided near Naples and Sanibel Island, higher levels of K. brevis — the organism that causes Florida red tides — and bloom conditions are now being recorded in Pinellas County in areas from St. Pete Beach to Clearwater, meaning that volunteers have been mobilized in those areas to regularly gather water samples that allow for the measurement of red tide concentrations. This data is used to create the Red Tide Respiratory Forecast, which allows residents, tourists, and businesses along the beaches to know whether impacts from red tide are expected to occur where they are and what the level of impact is expected to be. Read more about this effort here
  • New reports available:

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network: In addition to the monthly HAB update, Thomas led a HAB identification workshop in June. This workshop was part of a 2-day training on HAB monitoring and event response done in collaboration with the Kachemak Bay Estuarine Research Reserve. The identification workshop brought together six experts to share their expertise on how to identify harmful bloom species under the microscope. The workshop was recorded and is available online through the AHAB website. Thomas will now work on putting together a short reference guide for Alaska HAB identification based on this workshop.
  • GLOS launches new website: Launched on July 13, the new GLOS.org features:
    • A deeper dive into the observing system’s technologies.
    • A reimagined (and simplified) navigation.
    • Improved resources for data providers. 

Having issues with the new site? Try clearing your cache or contact david@glos.org.

  • Understanding Coastal Resilience Through Virtual Exploration: SECOORA is proud to announce the winner of their Education and Outreach request for proposals: Nina Sassano from the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. Her project, Understanding Coastal Resilience through Virtual Exploration, will develop a series of learning modules that use Virtual Reality technology to teach Georgia middle school students how the quality, biodiversity, and overall health of wetland habitats connect to coastal resiliency. The modules will be implemented at Title I schools to expose students to exciting opportunities in STEM education. Read more about this new project here.
  • CORRECTION: Video! Spotter buoy handoff: CIGLR and University of Michigan SEAS worked with Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak to deploy a new spotter buoy in the Great Lakes.  Spotter buoys are expanding coverage of the Great Lakes and, with GLOS support, there will be as many as 20 out on the Lakes this summer. Sleeping Bear, in northeastern Lake Michigan, is now taking care of SPOT-1275. [the previous item had the incorrect video link and we have added a link to the buoy data.]

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

  • Polar Data Forum IV, 20 - 24 September 2021, The Hague and virtual: Polar Data Forum IV will be co-hosted online by the Royal Belgian institute of Natural Sciences and the European Polar Board (EPB) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in The Hague (NL) from September 20th to 24th, 2021. This event will be co-organized with the Second Southern Ocean Regional Workshop for the UN Ocean Decade and Hackathon and focus on the polar oceans. It will combine a two-day conference style meeting (September 23-24) in support of information exchange, with the remainder of the week using a “hackathon” approach that will build on the development work done in previous meetings and workshops (September 20-22). The forum registration deadline is September 10. More information and a link to the abstract submission system (abstracts due July 4) are available on the conference website: https://polar-data-forum.org/conference/abstracts/.  
  • MTS 14th Buoy Workshop, 25 - 27 October 2021, Wilmington, NC: The MTS 14th Buoy Workshop has been rescheduled for October 25 – 27, 2021 and will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina.  This year’s theme is Moored Systems for the Future. Areas and topics will include, but are not limited to: Ecosystems Monitoring, Long-Term Observing Systems, Reliability & Harsh Environments, Power Systems, Data, Sensors & Instrumentation, Mooring Design and Synergy.  Registration opens and the call for speakers begins April 15, 2021, and abstracts are due September 1, 2021. Please see the Buoy Workshop homepage for more information.
  • SECOORA Annual Meeting, 2 - 3 December, St. Petersburg, FL: Join SECOORA for an in-person meeting on December 2-3, 2021 hosted in St. Petersburg, FL. The meeting will focus on Harmful Algal Blooms, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and new SECOORA observing projects. The deadline to register is November 15, 2021.  Click here for more information and to register for the free meeting

 

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • 3rd NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences, 13 - 17 September 2021, Boulder, CO and Virtual: This hybrid workshop is a continuation of the NOAA series of workshops on “Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences.” The third event continues the successes of previous workshops and encourages participation by scientists, program managers, and leaders from the public, academic and private sectors who work in AI and environmental sciences. The theme for this year’s workshop is “Transforming Weather, Climate Services, and Blue Economy with Artificial Intelligence.” As a hybrid event, in-person capacity at Boulder will be limited in accordance with the most recent public health guideline while the virtual event will be open broadly to the public.  The call for abstracts is open until 6/18/21.  Find all the details here
  • OCEANS 2021 - San Diego - Porto , 20 – 23 September 2021 (In person and Virtual): Global thought leaders and innovators in the areas of marine technology, engineering, science, research, and education will gather together to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science, hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward. Registration is now open from the event home page
  • OBPS Community Workshop: An Ocean of Values, 20 - 24 September 2021, virtual: The Fifth Annual OBPS Community Workshop, "An Ocean of Values", will be held from the 20th to the 24th of September.  All members of the ocean community - including educators, scientists, citizens, artists, conservationists, cultural ambassadors, policy makers, and ocean explorers - are invited to co-develop this workshop by proposing sessions, tracks, or other contributions by the end of June. As an overarching theme, participants will be asked to help understand how to better represent and safely archive the methods, policies, guides, or standard specifications that bring value to their communities. The workshop will be facilitating value mapping activities across all groups, so we can better connect "how" things are done to "why" they are done as well as why they matter. Early Information and pre-registration are available here
  • Lakebed 2030, 29 Sept - 1 Oct 2021, virtual: Momentum continues to build behind Lakebed 2030, the initiative to map the Great Lakes at high-density. This past year, partners across sectors continued to connect around the goals of  mapping new areas, sharing data, and building a free, publicly accessible, highly detailed map. With only 5% of the lakefloor mapped at high-density, there is a lot of exciting work to be done. This year’s conference theme is “Let’s dive in!” and will help connect leaders dedicated to the Lakebed 2030 vision. Presentations will feature keynote speakers Geneviève Béchard and Nicole Raineault.  Conference organizers are seeking proposals for presentations and student lightning talks.  Abstracts are due by July 30, 2021.
  • CERF 2021, 1 – 4 & 8 – 11 November 2021, virtual: You and our colleagues will come together to network, celebrate our work, learn from each other, and grow within our amazing field as we endeavor to connect science and society in the collective goals of preserving coastal and estuarine habitats, resources, and heritage. Collaborate and discuss with more than 1,700 scientists and researchers from all over the world. Registration is now open from the event home page
  • SAVE THE DATE! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum,  3 – 4 November 2021: This forum brings together the growing community of weather, climate, and ocean science professionals to share advances in data collection, analysis, and our understanding of climate and ocean interactions. Join this community as it forges new and better concepts in ocean and atmospheric analytics and applications.
    • Call for Lightning Talks! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum November 3-4 2021: We are now accepting submissions for Lightning Talks. If you have used Esri GIS technology for collecting data, performing analysis, and advancing our understanding of climate and ocean interactions, we want to hear from you. Submit an abstract for the chance to share your extraordinary work with an audience of engaged peers. In these eight-minute presentations, you can earn recognition as a GIS thought leader and inspire the ocean, weather, and climate community to better conserve our natural world. The deadline for submissions is August 20, 2021 See the conference website for more details
    • Call for Maps! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum November 3-4: Contribute to the Virtual Map Gallery by showcasing your most successful GIS creations. Inspire your peers by illustrating how you are using Esri's powerful GIS capabilities to let others explore beautiful, innovative stories through your map. Deadline October 1, 2021.
  • International Ocean Data Conference 2022 - The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want - 14-16 February 2022: The conference, to be held in Sopot, Poland 14-16 February 2022, The will be held as a hybrid event with a number of participants on-site while others will participate through video conference. The conference programme includes the following topic areas: Global Strategies and Policy, Implementing the Digital Commons, and Looking Forward. Learn more on the conference website
  • 9th annual Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Symposium, 15 - 16 November 2021, virtual: The 9th annual Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Symposium will take place on November 15-16, 2021. This free online event will feature presentations, panels and workshops. The Symposium is an annual event that brings together researchers from across the globe to collaborate, develop strategies and seek new opportunities for the sustainable management of aquatic animals in changing ocean environments. It's open to Network members, early career researchers, and those interested in aquatic species research. Abstracts are currently being accepted through August 16. You can find further information on the symposium webpage. https://oceantrackingnetwork.org/2021-otn-symposium/
  • Call for Proposals - 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5): From 23-30 June 2022, the world’s leading ocean conservation professionals will meet in Vancouver, Canada to chart a course towards protecting 30% of the global ocean by 2030. The call for proposals for the Congress program is open now until 20 September (23:59 PDT) 2021. For more information, see https://www.impac5.ca/congress-details/program/proposals/ 

 

Webinars: 

  • Oxygen and Carbon Dynamics from Texas to the Arctic, 22 July 2021, 2-3pm ET: The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) webinar series explores topics related to ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico and other regions. The series is presented by GCAN and NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP). The next webinar — “Oxygen and Carbon Dynamics from Texas to the Arctic” — will be presented by Dr. Hongjie Wang, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Washington Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) and the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). Wang’s research focuses on the marine carbon cycle, as well as new technology development and ocean acidification monitoring. Meeting Link.
  • Behavior Change for Climate Action for the Oceans and Beyond, 26 August 2021, 1pm ET: More and more environmental practitioners are incorporating behavior change into their efforts to increase pro-environmental action, building off the success of the medical community in using behavior change to improve health. Cities, national governments, and utility agencies are some of the groups driving this trend. By increasing response efficacy (the belief that one can actually do something), we can help drive the behavior and social change needed to solve our climate crisis; response efficacy is one of the strongest influencing factors for public action. This webinar by The Center for Behavior and Climate (CBC) (Co-sponsors: OCTO (EBM Tools Network, The Skimmer, OpenChannels, MPA News, MarineDebris.info)) will teach you nine principles behind behavior change and how to apply these interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary principles to increase individual and collective climate action for the oceans and beyond. From tackling habits to worldview to social influences to framing, they will provide case studies showing the impact of each behavioral tool. Find out more and 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:
    • 19 August: Navigating the Future V
    • 16 September: Involving Stakeholders in Co-creation of Ecosystem Services Research
    • 21 October: Deep Sea
  • SERIES: Esri Applied Meteorology Using ArcGIS Webinar Series: GIS is a foundational tool for weather and climate research and analysis. With tools to ingest multi-dimensional weather and climate data, process and analyze, and attain informative forecast products for preparedness and adaptation, ArcGIS advances our understanding of the atmosphere to benefit science and society. In this free series, you will gain insight into how you can incorporate ArcGIS into your work from fellow scientists and GIS experts. Register here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/lg/industry/government/applied-meteorology-using-arcgis
    • August 25, 2021, 8 am – 9 am PDT – Use Cloud-Based GIS Technology to Deliver Briefings to Build Resilient Communities
  • SERIES: Mapping the Great Lakes: A virtual webinar series focused priorities for building a comprehensive detailed bathymetric map of the Great Lakes. The events will engage the audience with presentations and discussions from leading scientists and researchers on the technologies and issues impacting the Great Lakes ecosystems.  Click here for more info and registration
    • Sept 15: Archaeology/Geology, 12:30 – 2 PM EST
    • Sept 29 - Oct 1: Lakebed 2030 Conference, 1 – 5 PM EST
    • Nov. 18: Collaboration, 12:30 – 2 PM

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • Environmental Response Physical Scientist, Genwest: Genwest Systems Inc., an equal opportunity employer, is currently accepting applications for an Environmental Response Physical Scientist. This position will primarily support our clients at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), Emergency Response Division and will be based from NOAA offices either at the Western Regional Center in Seattle, WA or at the Disaster Response Center in Mobile, AL. The Physical Scientist will use and develop models used in oil spill fate and transport forecasting as part of the ERD response support group. In particular, this person will be responsible for learning and becoming familiar with and utilizing the General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME).  GNOME is an ERD-developed oil and chemical spill modeling system used to support oil spill response.   The successful applicant will be expected to be able to understand GNOME sufficiently well to apply it for spill response and suggest and implement research and development on model improvements.  Over time, this role will also serve as part of the core ERD scientific support team, providing assessments and analysis on pollution behavior, pathways, fates, and potential impacts in order to inform operational response decisions and outcomes. Open until closed, preference to applications received before July 20. Click here for more info and how to apply
  • Environmental Data Engineer, Axiom Data Science: Axiom Data Science is recruiting for an Environmental Data Engineer to contribute to the advancement of our scientific data management tools. Data science exists at the intersection of three domains: computer science, mathematics and statistics, and scientific expertise. We are seeking a candidate who can contribute to each of these domains through prior experience handling and analyzing marine, atmospheric or geospatial data. Experience with community standard open-source tools and scientific data formats is important, but inspiration, vision, motivation, determination, and commitment are the qualities Axiom values most. Closes July 31. Click here for more info and how to apply
  • NEW! Postdoctoral Fellowship: Microbial & Molecular Ecology, CIGLR: The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/ at the University of Michigan is seeking a highly motivated candidate for a Postdoctoral Fellow position. This position will develop and use cutting-edge novel methods in metagenomics and metabarcoding, such as CRISPR Cas9 to investigate uncharacterized prey-predator interactions in the lower food web in the Great Lakes. This research will also investigate the role of prey-predator interactions in the dynamics of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. The successful candidate will participate in sampling trips in the Great lakes, data collection, data analysis, and writing manuscripts. The postdoc will work closely with a group of scientists at the University of Michigan and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor, MI. The postdoc will be expected to maintain a strong record of scholarly publication and presentations at scientific conferences and public meetings. Closes August 8, 2021. Click here for more info and how to apply
  • Data Manager GOOS Biology, OBIS: You will work under the supervision of the OBIS project manager and in close consultation with the OBIS data manager and the members of the Biology and Ecoystems expert panel of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS BioEco). You will be (i) managing the information about observing systems, networks, and data assets provided via a portal for the Global Ocean Observing System, Biology and Ecosystems Panel (GOOS BioEco) for official launch by the end of 2021 and (ii) provide coordination with the observing systems, networks, and data-producing projects contributing to biological and ecosystem Essential Ocean Variable (EOV) with the aim to bring more of the data from these facilities fully online through OBIS, and become interoperable and reusable as part of an integrated global ocean observing system. Closes August 10.  Click here for more info and how to apply
  • NEW! Capacity Building Liaison Officer, Micronesia Conservation Trust: Under the supervision of the Capacity Building Program Manager, the Capacity Building Liaison Officer (CBLO) will receive training and assistance from PacIOOS staff, and will, over time, be expected to extend this knowledge to communities and agencies interested in the collection and analysis of oceanographic data to inform their programs across Micronesia. PacIOOS has a stated goal in their 5-year strategic outlook to “Increase observation and model coverage to fill gaps and achieve a more balanced system across the region,” and an objective to “Foster the capabilities for ocean observing throughout the Insular Pacific.” Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic a series of regional workshops were planned across the region to raise awareness of ocean observing, and a central workshop was to be held in Honolulu for selected trainer-of-trainers from the region. Due to travel restrictions, there is a need to look for alternatives to raise capacity and conduct outreach in the region. Closes August 13. Click here for more info and how to apply
  • Scientific Director of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and Professor of Biology: The Faculty of Science at Dalhousie University invites applications for a tenured Full Professor of Biology to serve as the new Scientific Director of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN, https://oceantrackingnetwork.org). The primary faculty appointment will be in the Department of Biology with potential cross-appointments in other departments across the university. The Scientific Director serves as the primary OTN grant holder and will provide leadership for OTN strategic planning and facilitate and grow scientific activities, leveraging the assets of the network and seeking mutually beneficial partnerships and synergies with other science networks and groups. The Scientific Director also leads the internal OTN management team, and oversees the management of 22+ permanent staff, as well as rotating interns and co-op students working on operations and maintenance activities. Using the OTN platform, the Scientific Director will provide leadership for the engagement of the Canadian and international scientific community in related research work and oversee the funding and science planning associated with these programs, together with OTN’s Executive Director. Open now: the review process will commence on 15 Sept 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Click here for more info and how to apply
  • Biogeochemistry Research Assistant in Support of GSFC's Ocean Ecology Lab (SSAI for NASA): Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) is seeking a Biogeochemistry Research Assistant to support the Ocean Ecology Laboratory (OEL) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the quality assurance and quality control of oceanographic biogeochemical and optical measurements including the collection, laboratory analysis, processing, and evaluation of biogeochemical and inherent optical properties. Open until closed. For more 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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