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From the Director:

Hello IOOS Community,

Our U.S. IOOS Federal Advisory Committee has been hard at work, mobilizing around three priorities: partnerships; requirements; and honing in on a clear vision & strategy for the IOOS enterprise. In June, the committee held an administrative call to prepare for the upcoming August 4-6 (virtual) public meetingand report out on the progress of the working groups. At the upcoming meeting, I am looking forward to hearing the committee’s perspectives on their three priority areas as well as the discussions focused on partnerships with the private sector, engagement with the IOOC, and advancing ecological forecasting capabilities.

There are currently two vacancies on the IOOS Advisory Committee that we are eager to fill. For more information on how to apply for these vacancies, see the notice published in the Federal Register. The deadline to apply is just one week away: July 30th, 2020.

On the topic of vacancies, the board of the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) has initiated a search for a new Executive Director to replace Molly McCammon, who will be stepping down as the organization’s current director in late 2020. Molly will remain with AOOS as a part-time Senior Advisor. She has been executive director since starting the organization in 2003. Please see the Position Announcement and Specific Duties and Responsibilities to find out more about the role, and circulate them broadly to your contact lists. 

Best wishes,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • The Ocean Enterprise Study 2020 - Survey Ending Soon: Your business matters, help NOAA assess the Ocean Enterprise Sector! IOOS/NOAA are requesting input from businesses who provide infrastructure or products that support or conduct ocean observation and measurement by participating in the Ocean Enterprise Study 2020.  We will use the results to help inform NOAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce about the changing needs of the Ocean Enterprise sector in a report to be published in 2021. “NOAA strongly supports the IOOS Ocean Enterprise Study 2020. Applying data and services to grow the American Blue Economy is a top priority for our agency, and the information provided by this study will help us further the sustainable economic contributions of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator. “We are proud of our IOOS Program and partners that have enabled NOAA’s leadership in Ocean Science and Technology.”  We invite any company, large and small, working in this sector, to contribute to this important study through participation in an online survey. Survey results will be compiled in September, so please respond soon! To find out more information or to take the survey click here. The study will deliver an update to the initial studyconducted in 2015. Thank you to the Marine Technology Society for featuring the study on their website and in the May issue of Currents. 
  • LAST CALL! IOOS Advisory Committee is Looking for New Members! Applications due July 30: NOAA is seeking new members for the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee, which is a Federal advisory committee. The Notice of New Member Solicitation has been published in the Federal Register to fill two vacancies that occurred in late 2019. These vacancy appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of the vacancy, which ends August 15, 2021. As a Federal Advisory Committee, membership on the IOOS Advisory Committee is required to be fairly balanced in terms of viewpoints represented and the functions to be performed, as well as including the interests of geographic regions of the country and the diverse sectors of our society (business and industry, science, academia, and the public at large). To learn more about eligibility and requirements to apply, please refer to thefederal register notice (FRN). Nominations should be submitted no later thanJuly 30, 2020. Information on the committee and the current board members can be found here:https://ioos.noaa.gov/community/u-s-ioos-advisory-committee/. 
  • IOOS Federal Advisory Committee Public Meeting (VIRTUAL): The next public meeting of the IOOS Advisory Committee will be held virtually August 4-6, 2020. The meeting will focus on ongoing committee priorities, including the role of ocean observations in forecasting, strategy and vision for the System, partnerships for a successful System, and requirements for the System, in order to develop the next set of recommendations to NOAA and the IOOC. The latest version of the agenda is now available on the Advisory Committee webagehttps://ioos.noaa.gov/​community/​u-s-ioos-advisory-committee/​. Please direct any questions toLaura.Gewain@noaa.gov.

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov): 

    • U.S. IOOS Oceanographic HF Radar Network Webinar: July 27, 2020, 11:00 A.M.–1:00 P.M. EDT: The Wind Turbine Radar Interference Mitigation (WTRIM) Working Group—a consortium of federal agencies composed of the DOE, DOD, FAA, NOAA, BOEM, and DHS—will be hosting a webinar specifically on the NOAA-IOOS U.S. Oceanographic HF Radar Network.  Presentations on mission impacts, technical issues, and mitigation options will be given by:  Brian Zelenke for NOAA; partner Federal agencies the USCG and BOEM; academic partner institutions Rutgers University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the University of California, Santa Barbara; HF radar manufacturer CODAR Ocean Sensors, Ltd.; and others. See the website here to register by 7/24/2020.

    • Gliders in Action:

      • SCCOOS: Since May, there have been 9 Spray glider deployments by Scripps, WHOI (Loop Current), and MBARI. In addition, one glider has remained deployed since January.  Inclusive of these the California Underwater Glider Network (CUGN) is back up to full operational coverage with 5 sustained gliders currently in the water. Pandemic-related deployment restrictions had briefly limited the CUGN to just 1 glider a few months ago. All are reporting to the glider DAC.

      • CARICOOS/NOAA/AOML: 2020 hurricane glider deployments are underway! This partnership continues this year and is on track to deploy and operate 9 NOAA and 2 US Navy gliders in the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic to provide high-quality ocean data used for weather forecasts. These gliders are part of a larger NOAA, US Navy and research university efforts that will operate approximately 30 Atlantic glider missions to transmit in real-time thousands of ocean temperature and salinity profile observations used in ocean models with the goal of improving hurricane intensity forecasts.

      • RU COOL blogs about hurricane gliders: Dig into data with Rutgers University's Center for Ocean Observing Leadership blog. Last week, their analysis ahead of Tropical Storm Fay showed ahead of eye cooling (~6C) which appears to have drawn energy out of the storm.  Another post highlights the new capabilities of the WRF-ROMS coupling for better understanding the heat exchanges in that region, highlighting use of gulf stream glider data along with other observation sources to analyse the cooling.

    • Upcoming Training Announcement: The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will be conducting UxS certificate classes this summer and fall.  This two-tiered training gives the working knowledge from ocean science to engineering (ocean, electrical and mechanical) for operators and pilots to safely and successfully execute UxS missions.  This will be the first offering of Tier 2 program with a heavy focus on buoyancy gliders. These courses/certificates have been developed in collaboration with NOAA, Navy, academia, and industry partners to meet the user’s needs.  This is a great opportunity for operators/pilots at all levels that are planning and conducting UxS missions. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: UNMANNED MARITIME SYSTEMS CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, PHONE: 228.688.3177 • FAX: 228.688.1121. Admissions Information: https://www.usm.edu/ocean-science-engineering/unmanned-maritime-systems-ums-certification.php

      • Unmanned Maritime System (UMS) CERTIFICATE PROGRAM — TIER 1 - Aug 24 - Sep 25, 2020 - Students will learn foundational material in oceanography and ocean engineering related to unmanned undersea and surface vehicles (UUVs and USVs), such as powered gliders. This 10-credit hour program compressed into five weeks of instruction is intended to provide sufficient background to safely operate vehicles in challenging marine environments as well as work with a variety of sensors.

      • Unmanned Maritime System (UMS) OPERATOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM — TIER 2 - Oct 12 - Nov 13, 2020 - The Tier II follow-on Curricula will be focused on specific types of vehicles, but with topics generalized across vehicle types where appropriate. In this first module focused on gliders, students will learn about glider operations including mission planning, mission execution and management and maintenance and management of assets.  The curriculum draws knowledge from real- world case studies of specific situations, sensors, and platforms. Students will apply these concepts in developing and conducting operations during a short field project.  The UMS Operator Certificate program consists of four courses totaling 12 credit hours compressed into five weeks of instruction including a field project during which students will conduct mission analysis & planning, specific vehicle and sensor matching, specific vehicle preparation, launch, operation, and recovery, followed by quality review of collected data.

    • From Canada’s Ocean Tracking Network (OTN):

      • OTN Hosted Webinar on Marine Animal Response and Necropsy: On Monday July 20th, OTN and the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) hosted the second live webinar in their North Atlantic right whale series. The webinar, shown on Facebook Live, featured Sean Brillant, Senior Conservation Biologist at CWF, and Tonya Wimmer, Executive Director of the Marine Animal Response Society for a conversation on the importance of responding to marine animal emergencies, how necropsies (or autopsies) can help us better understand and conserve marine wildlife, and the essential conservation role people play by reporting marine animal incidents. 

      • OTN Hosts Weekly Virtual Study Hall: Join OTN for a weekly study hall, where they explore data analysis tools and methods, and help users find solutions to any problems you may be having! Past events have brought together participants from Europe, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and North America and have featured walk-throughs for packages such as GLATOS, VTrack, and Actel. The next study hall will be Thursday, July 23. It’s free to join, but space is limited—email otndc@dal.ca to save your spot!

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

  • IOOS/ESIP Biological Data Standards Workshop: The Biological Data Standards workshop, sponsored by the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (US IOOS), will take place in three stages: 

    • Stage 1 (Completed): June 2020 - Workshop participants were invited to view pre-recorded videos on a number of biological data standards, with the intention that participants will enter Stage Two of the workshop with a broad overview of the standards landscape. See videos here: https://www.esipfed.org/biostandards-overview 

    • Stage 2 (Completed): July 13th, 2020 - 64 participants came together online to catalyze community efforts around biological data standards and discuss topics including:   

      • Data standard and stewardship best practices 

      • Vocabularies and ontologies 

      • Shared technology, shared knowledge, and knowledge transfer 

      • Development of methodologies 

      • Data transformation and management processes 

    • Stage 3 (starting next month) : Participants will be invited to join the ESIP Biological Data Standards Cluster, which will meet monthly and work towards the following objectives:  

      • Plan for additional steps for standardizing marine biological data 

      • Refocus US participation in global standards bodies (TDWG)

      • Develop a consortium among US Federal agencies, non-Federal, and academic partners around standardizing biological data and providing guidance

      • Develop guidance for data submitters and providers

  • 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 Board of Advisors Meeting - August 3, 2020: The next QARTOD Board of Advisors  meeting is scheduled for August 3rd and FY 2021 activities are on the agenda. We’re specifically seeking thoughts on which existing QC manual should be updated next. Contenders are HF radar surface currents, water levels, and wind speed and direction. Let us know if you have a preference. Any suggestions for future QARTOD work would also be appreciated since we’ll also be updating the five-year plan.

    • 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. See https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/events/evolving-and-sustaining-ocean-best-practices-iv/ for workshop details. Please join us and share your aspirations, methods, and needs – we certainly need to talk about uncertainty!

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

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov):

    • New Global MBON Secretariat Established: On July 10, MBON announced establishment of a new global Secretariat, hosted by the AIR Centre located in Terceira island, Azores. The new Secretariat complements US MBON coordination supported by US IOOS and the Secretariat for Asia-Pacific MBON supported by JAMSTEC.  The AIR Centre and its Earth Observation Laboratory (EO Lab- https://www.aircentre.org/eo-lab/) will provide technical and logistical support to MBON with the allocation of dedicated staff.  See the full announcement here: https://www.aircentre.org/mbon-secretariat/

    • Workshop Summary: Envisioning the Future of eDNA Sampling and Sample Processing: To foster discussion about the challenges and obstacles to collecting and concentrating samples for eDNA, participants met online at the end of June to discuss. Following a short introduction of the overall effort and quick presentation of the preworkshop survey results, the workshop participants were separated into three breakout rooms, each charged with questions to further the conversation about current barriers in the different aspects of eDNA sample collection and processing. To read the full summary, click here.

    • MBON and AOML characterize seascapes biogeographic regions to understand phytoplankton assemblages in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.  MBON, with NOAA/AOML, has characterized seascapes for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and southwest Florida shelf nearshore environment using multivariate satellite and in situ measurements (MBON/CoastWatch Seascapes products:  The effort illustrates best practices developed by MBON in collaboration with the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Research (SFER) project and NOAA/AOML.  The work is described in a July 15 paper in Frontiers of Marine Science here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00575/full; MBON Seascapes products are produced by CoastWatch and available here: https://coastwatch.noaa.gov/cw/satellite-data-products/multi-parameter-models/seascape-pelagic-habitat-classification.html#:~:text=MBON%20Seascapes%20identifies%20spatially%20explicit,at%205%20km%20spatial%20resolution.

    • MBON Contributions to GEO OSC and All Hands Meeting: The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) showcased the latest thinking, discoveries, and plans for reporting trends in ocean life at the recently GEO BON virtual Open Science Conference & All Hands meeting on 6-10th July 2020 (https://conf2020.geobon.org/index.php#intro). The Marine BON session took place on 7 July, with 16 flash talks attended by more than 40 participants of 11 different nationalities. Further MBON network participants made presentations to other GEO BON working groups sessions: community composition, species population, genetic composition, species traits, and EBV data. Discussions focused on building a global community of practice for the collection, curation, and analysis of marine biodiversity data. The community seeks to promote: i) common and best practices for marine biodiversity observations and their integration with other ocean observations, ii) publication of observations in open access databases (e.g. OBIS), iii) support regional and national MBONs, iv) address conservation plans, sustainable development, and human needs. Capacity building, engagement with other GEO BON groups, and strengthening relationships with policymakers were seen as key MBON activities. The new MBON Secretariat, now hosted by the Atlantic International Research (AIR) Centre located in Terceira island, Azores, was presented. The Secretariat will help coordinate and focus this community of practice. On 9 July MBON and the Freshwater BON held a joint workshop on Darwin Core and OBIS, with case studies. Both observation networks are committed to collaborate to improve global capacity in aquatic biodiversity monitoring and operationalizing Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) in aquatic ecosystems across the world.

    • Global Efforts to Observe Marine Life Featured in EcoWatch: MBON and GOOS Biology and Ecosystem Panel efforts to establish a global network to understand and measure changes in ocean life were featured in the July 10 issue of EcoWatch - read the article "Ocean Scientists Create Global Network to Help Save Biodiversity" at https://www.ecowatch.com/ocean-scientists-biodiversity-network-2646381356.html?rebelltitem=7#rebelltitem7

    • GEO and Google Earth Engine announce funding for 32 projects to understand our changing environment:  Several projects focused on coastal and marine systems - see the list here: http://earthobservations.org/article.php?id=447

  • CCE-1 Mooring Rescued Days After Breaking from Anchor! On June 6, it was discovered that the Global Ocean Monitoring and Observation (GOMO) Program and NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) co-funded California Current Ecosystem (CCE-1) surface mooring broke away from its anchor. This mooring is typically recovered and redeployed annually, but due to COVID-19 setbacks, it had exceeded its one year station. Since breaking from its anchor, the mooring drifted approximately 70 nautical miles to the south and 260 nautical miles offshore of San Diego. Working swiftly, Dr. Uwe Send and his team at Scripps Institution of Oceanography chartered the M/V Merlin to mount a rescue mission to retrieve the buoy. By June 11, the buoy was safely onboard the ship and on the morning of June 12, the buoy and associated instrumentation were safely back in San Diego. This is a significant achievement, even for non-COVID-19 times. For other mooring breakages, it can take months before a drifting buoy can be recovered. Read more here.

  • Global Drifter Program partners with the National Data Buoy Center to support US Navy-funded Deployments: For many years, the Global Drifter Program’s (GDP) drifter operations center at NOAA/AOML has partnered with the National Weather Service’s National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) to coordinate drifter deployments during TAO and DART operations. These deployments help the operation center maintain a distributed global array of GDP drifters for improved weather prediction and ocean monitoring. Recently, GOMO and the GDP extended this collaboration to support deployment of US Navy-purchased commercial Spotter drifters alongside GDP drifters, on the upcoming NDBC TAO/DART mooring servicing cruise of the R/V Discovery. Read more here.

  • NOAA’s Precision Marine Navigation - Meet the next generation of integrated marine navigation services, tailored for our nation's busiest waterways: 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. The goal is 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. Read more here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/navigation/precision-navigation/ 

  • Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Seasonal Forecast Released: NOAA and Ohio Sea Grant released their annual Lake Erie harmful algal bloom seasonal forecast. The forecast allows coastal managers, lake users, and drinking water facility operators to make informed decisions based on the potential severity of the upcoming bloom season. NOAA and its research partners predict western Lake Erie will experience a moderate harmful algal bloom this summer, measuring 4.5 on the severity index. The severity index is based the amount of its harmful or toxic algae over a sustained period. Blooms over 5 have substantive impacts, with noticeable areas of scum and have larger areas and duration of impact. This year’s forecast includes a new model showing where the bloom is within the water column, filling a critical gap for drinking water managers. NOAA also launched a new website to provide bi-weekly forecast analysis and daily visualizations.

  • NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) Prepares For Autonomous Surveying in Alaska: OCS’s regional navigation manager for Alaska participated in a virtual familiarization training for a new type of autonomous, self-contained, single beam surveying system. The system is well suited to small surveys near Alaskan coastal communities. OCS is working with NOAA’s Alaska Region Team, the state’s Coastal Hazards Program, and the Alaska Ocean Observing System to develop a collaborative means for acquiring quality nearshore bathymetry in Alaska. This work is part of NOAA’s response to the Presidential Memorandum on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore of Alaska. The training covered basic operations for the recently acquired surveying system, and NOAA’s participation ensured the system is ready to deploy once travel resumes.

  • The Nautical Chart Manual turns 100: First published on July 10, 1920, as Special Publication No. 66, “RULES AND PRACTICE RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION OF NAUTICAL CHARTS,” the 34-page pamphlet codified the essential guidelines to be used by cartographers of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. This first edition Nautical Chart Manual formed an important backbone for the organization by providing a consistent framework for chart production. To learn more about it, check out the blog story. 

  • GOA-ON North American Hub Meeting Report: The second in-person meeting of the GOA-ON North American Ocean Acidification Hub was held 16-18 December 2019 at the Universidad del Mar, Huatulco, México, and was attended by 26 hub members from Canada, México, and the United States. This workshop built upon the goals and initiatives established in the hub’s inaugural meeting in 2018. The meeting included updates on current ocean acidification research efforts in the region, future capacity building opportunities and reassessing the near and long-term priorities of the regional hub. Find the meeting report here: http://goa-on.org/regional_hubs/north_america/activities/workshops/huatulco2019/docs/nahub-huatulco2019-meeting-report.pdf

  • Workshop Announcement - Ocean Heat and Freshwater Storage and Transports, 26 - 30 October 2020, Exeter, UK: The OOPC, CLIVAR, and the UK Met Office will be hosting a workshop on Ocean Heat and Freshwater Storage and Transports in Observations and Climate Models at the UK Met Office in Exeter, UK from 26-30 October 2020. Abstract submission is now open and details are available on the workshop website. Participation is limited to 70 participants and abstract submissions will close on 22 May.

  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:
    • In preparation for the new 5-year funding cycle, several U.S. IOOS Regional Associations have put out public calls for information, interest, and proposals.
      • AOOS: Previously advertised, closed
      • CARICOOS: Needs assessment / Consulta de Necesidades, open until closed
      • CeNCOOS: Previously advertised, closed
      • GCOOS: Call for proposals, closes 7/24/2020. Informational webinar available at the link
      • GLOS:  Previously advertised, closed
      • MARACOOS:  Previously advertised, closed
      • NANOOS: Call for Expressions of Interest, closes 7/25/2020
      • NERACOOS:  Previously advertised, closed
      • PacIOOS: Previously advertised, closed
      • SECOORA: Previously advertised, closed
      • SCCOOS: Previously advertised, closed

    • ROSES-20 Amendment 30: Ocean Salinity Field Campaign Final Text and Due Dates Released: This Ocean Salinity Field Campaign program is intended to clarify the role of salinity in ocean-ice interactions by characterizing salinity signatures and possible salinity-ice feedback mechanisms in rapidly-changing polar environments. Outcomes of this field campaign are also expected to inform the development of new concepts of future remote sensing capabilities that improve salinity retrievals in cold waters. Notices of intent are requested by August 27, 2020 and the due date for proposals is September 24, 2020. Read more about this opportunity on SARA's ROSES blog.

    • 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:

  • NANOOS observing asset operators get back to sea:  a) On 2-4 July, a team from UW redeployed the Cha'ba mooring and NEMO moorings off the coast of La Push, WA, from the R/V Robertson. Data are available in near real-time on NVS.  b) The OOI Endurance Array cruise sailed 3 July on the R/V Thompson. Moorings deployed in Fall 2019 were recovered and replaced with moorings containing newly calibrated sensors. Data are available at NVS and from OOI. Also, several gliders were deployed on the cruise, with data are available at the IOOS Glider DAC. c) On 8-12 July, a team from UW with partners at NOAA sailed on a Washington Ocean Acidification Center cruise continuing a seasonal timeseries for water chemistry and plankton and eDNA sampling throughout the Salish Sea aboard the R/V Rachel Carson.

  • Spotter buoys bolster summer 2020 Great Lakes obs:  With observing infrastructure deployments impacted everywhere, the Great Lakes has been no exception. Some deployments are underway now although some delays will continue. Operators at Michigan Tech University and the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research purchased and deployed basketball-sized Spotter buoys at key locations to fill critical data gaps until the larger counterparts could join them. GLOS began displaying the data this season and is testing the technology for increased future use. 

  • The Mid-Atlantic 2020 Glider Season is here!: The Mid-Atlantic 2020 Glider Season began last week with the launch of RU_33 off the coast of Tuckerton, NJ. This is the first of many Mid-Atlantic glider launches for the season. Glider RU_33 was launched by Rutgers University and is part of a partnership that includes NOAA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. IOOS (including MARACOOS) and many academic partners to study atmospheric/ocean interactions during hurricane season. The 30 gliders launched up and down the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico this year as part of this partnership will provide data to help improve hurricane forecast models. Click here to read more.

  • Experimental Weekly Sargassum Report Available: Over the past few weeks, coastlines in the Caribbean at high risk for sargassum blooms have already begun to show evidence of the arrival of the algae, and Puerto Rico is no exception. In May CARICOOS was able to document the arrival of sargassum on the southwest coast, which coincides with Sargassum Inundation Reports (SIR) projections. For the next few months, CARICOOS will continue documenting more events as they occur. Click here to read more about this or here to read the Experimental Weekly Sargassum Inundation Report for Jul 7-13.

  • May CA HAB Bulletin Published: Please check out the May CA HAB Bulletin for the latest collection of model output, observations, and advisories. A special welcome to Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute as a new contributor to suspected domoic acid marine mammal strandings. Major contributors to the bulletin content are SCCOOS, CeNCOOS, NOAA CoastWatch, phytoplankton counts from HABMAP and California Department of Public Health and stranding data from The Marine Mammal Center, Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute, the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, CA Wildlife Center, Marine Animal Rescue, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, and SeaWorld.

  • A Global Observing System for Toxic Algae: GCOOS is part of national and global efforts to create a Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring network that includes forecasting tools and vulnerability assessments. Using a combination of traditional microscopic cell counts; the Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) and Optical Phytoplankton Discriminator (i.e. BreveBuster) that yield cell counts in near-real-time; advances in satellite remote sensing data processing; and emerging citizen science programs that are improving spatial and temporal coverage of HAB observations to support models and forecasts, GCOOS and the entire IOOS community are advancing capacity building, technology transfer and joint research efforts to scale up to a global HAB observing system. Read more here. 

Congressional:

  • ICOOS Act Update: No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • SECOORA announces 2020 Vembu Subramanian scholar: SECOORA is proud to announce that the winner of the 2020 Vembu Subramanian Ocean Scholar Award is Julie Vecchio, PhD, University of South Florida College of Marine Science. The scholarship will support Dr. Vecchio’s attendance and participation at the 12th International Conference on the Applications of Stable Isotope Techniques to Ecological Studies. The June 2021 event will be held Gaming, Austria. Click here to read more.

  • NANOOS 6-mo Progress Report released: Please see the latest six-month NANOOS Progress Report for information about the latest observations and products. This has been a unique period as NANOOS PIs and partners adapted to today's unique challenges. As explained throughout the report, primary impacts are from suspended or delayed fieldwork and supply chain disruptions. However, some observation asset deployment and maintenance has been possible with strict safety measures in place. NANOOS has been able to continue providing sustained ocean observations and is working virtually with members to further the scientific and operational maintenance of the PNW regional ocean observing system.

  • SCCOOS Progress Report released: SCCOOS has released it’s December 2019 – May 2020 progress report.  Read it here. 

  • Lakebed 2030 Webinar: GLOS will co-host a webinar with Ocean Exploration Trust and NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to introduce attendees to Lakebed 2030, the GLOS-led effort to map the Great Lakes at high-resolution. Click here to watch the June 24 symposium and to subscribe for more information. https://lakebed2030.org/

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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