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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

We are nearing the end of January but we are excited to start up our newsletter again this calendar year. We wish everyone a happy new year and hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. 

With a new year comes lots of new faces in the IOOS Community. This month we welcome Melissa Zweng, the new DMAC Program Coordinator, to the IOOS Program Office. I am also pleased to announce that Ashley Peiffer has started her work as the IOOS Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Fellow for 2022. 

Lastly, we welcome back to NOAA Dr. William (Bill) Burnett. Bill has been selected as the new director of NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center. Previously, Bill served as the Technical Director to the Commander in the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. I am looking forward to working with Bill and am pleased that he’s taking the helm at NDBC. Congratulations Bill!

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • National Ocean Service features Bill Woodward in Career Profile: What's it like to work at NOAA? NOS has published career profiles of NOS employees showcasing a variety of specialties. The IOOS Program’s very own Bill Woodward, U.S. Animal Telemetry Network Coordinator, is featured in one of the career profiles. 
  • Welcome to Melissa Zweng, DMAC Program Coordinator: Melissa is joining the IOOS Program Office to expand our DMAC team and provide support for program and project management as well as strategic planning.  As DMAC Program Coordinator, she will be responsible for guiding the development of the long term program plan that integrates and builds on the activities led by the rest of the Operations Division and across the regional associations. Melissa is a physical oceanographer who has worked on observations, data management, oceanographic product development, and project management. Her professional interests also include team building, facilitation, technology development, and stakeholder engagement and communication. Welcome Melissa!
  • Dr. William Burnett named Director of the National Data Buoy Center: Dr. William Burnett is the new director of NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center — a division of NOAA's National Weather Service. As director, he is ensuring the nation's maritime safety by successfully operating the world’s largest real-time marine observation network. The network includes moored-ocean buoys, fixed coastal stations and mobile observing platforms operating in the open-ocean and coastal zone around the world that observe, report and disseminate atmospheric, oceanographic, climate and tsunami measurements. The NDBC is located at the Stennis Space Center along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Dr. Burnett has a long history working for both NOAA and the Navy since beginning his career in 1985. The IOOS program looks forward to working with Dr. Burnett and continuing to grow our partnerships with NDBC. https://www.weather.gov/news/ndbc-burnett-012121 
  • From the IOOS Association: 

    • Welcome to Ashley Peiffer, IOOS DEIA Fellow: We are excited to introduce Ashley Peiffer, the IOOS fellow working on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues. The Fellowship is a joint project of the IOOS Regional Associations and the IOOS Office, and is administered by the IOOS Association. In this new role, Ashley will work with the IOOS RAs and the IOOS Office to amplify regional work and identify opportunities to improve IOOS’ ability to serve and engage underserved communities. Ashley has a Master's degree from Oregon State University in Marine Resource Management where she focused on community engagement for fisheries in the Horn of Africa, including work related to environmental justice. Prior to obtaining her Master’s, she was a science educator for the Peace Corps in Tanzania where she worked and lived in rural communities developing close connections to build capacity. Welcome!

    • HAB Observing Group Webinar: The next HAB OG Webinar will be on March 16, 2022 from 3:00-4:15 PM EST and will focus on "Making Community Science Work". Our featured panelists, Dr. Steve Morton (NOAA NCCOS), Teri King (Washington Sea Grant), Chris Whitehead (Sitka Tribe) and Dr. George Bullerjahn (Bowling Green State University), will discuss the importance of community science for HABs, share examples of some successes and challenges of HAB community/citizen science, and address how an NHABON can assist with this process through data management and other efforts. We look forward to a great discussion. Please register for the webinar here!

    • Did you miss the most recent HAB Observing Group webinar "Emerging Data Science Tools for Managers and Scientists?” It highlighted three strategies for HAB data portals with panelists Dr. Rob Bochenek, Axiom Data Science, Dr. Mike Brosnahan, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Bob Currier, GCOOS/Texas A&M University. The webinar & presentation slides are available online via the IOOS Association’s National HAB Observing webpage where you can also find additional information about the network or click below to watch it now.

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

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

    • New High Frequency Radar Station in Myrtle Beach State Park Deployed by University of South Carolina: A new High Frequency Radar was installed in Myrtle Beach State Park by the University of South Carolina. The new HF radar system was installed to close a gap in HF Radar coverage between Caswell Beach, NC and Georgetown, SC.  Read more on this here. 

  • Gliders (IOOS POC Kathleen Bailey, kathleen.bailey@noaa.gov; Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) POC Bill Lingsch, bill.lingsch@noaa.gov); Click here to join UG2:

    • Article Highlighting US hurricane Glider Efforts Published: An article - “Uncrewed Ocean Gliders and Saildrones Support Hurricane Forecasting and Research'' (https://tos.org/oceanography/issue/volume-34-issue-04-supplement) - has just been published to The Oceanography Society’s annual supplement to Oceanography magazine (https://tos.org/oceanography) on “Ocean Observing.” This article is a collaboration led by Travis Miles (Rutgers/MARACOOS) with co-authorship from MARACOOS, GCOOS, CARICOOS, SECOORA, IOOS Office and other NOAA OAR, NWS, and nonfederal partners.  It discusses the US hurricane glider efforts in the Atlantic basin and the recent collaboration with the Saildrone team during the 2021 hurricane season. 

    • Loop-Current-Gulf Stream Glider Deployed: A cross-regional, Loop Current-Gulf Stream glider deployed in partnership with the U.S. Navy has just completed its mission. The glider (NG645), owned and piloted by the Navy with operational support from GCOOS, was originally deployed by GCOOS in June in the Gulf of Mexico in support of hurricane intensity forecast improvements.  After over 100 days at sea, the glider was recovered and quickly redeployed by GCOOS on October 10 for an experimental mission that began in the Loop Current, traversed through the Straits of Florida and connected with the Gulf Stream (all the while dodging international EEZs), with recovery by SECOORA on January 19 near the Carolinas. This was mainly a piloting exercise, with the added benefit of capturing gradients and identifying different water masses. The glider was steered by Navy pilots and the Naval Research Laboratory’s automated piloting system (GHOST) under the project direction of Dr. Kerri Whilden (GCOOS/TAMU) and Dr. Catherine Edwards (SECOORA/Skidaway Institute of Oceanography).  This marks the first use of GHOST for a NOAA-Navy partnership glider mission.

    • Successful Hurricane Glider Hotwash: IOOS (Kathy Bailey, Bill Lingsch) led a successful NOAA/U.S. Navy hotwash that examined the 2021 hurricane season successes and identified recommendations and actions for the 2022 season. This past hurricane season, the Navy provided 14 gliders, with an 80% success rate (missions > 15 days at sea).  Several gliders remained deployed well after hurricane season ended, monitoring seasonal changes and dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico, Mid- and Southeast Atlantic, and US Virgin Islands.  The NOAA-Navy partnership has continued to strengthen over the years, which was reflected in a dynamic hotwash discussion. The IOOS RAs (GCOOS, MARACOOS, SECOORA, CARICOOS) each provided regional overviews of the season’s glider operations, then a Rutgers student discussed Hurricane Ida glider-model data highlights, and the hotwash ended with a reflection of the past season’s successes with recommended actions for next season. The NOAA partners look forward to continuing this collaboration, and plan to request U.S. Navy gliders for the 2022 hurricane season.

    • UG2 Updates:

      • UG2 Webinar Series: The UG2 2022 webinar series will begin its 2022 season on February 17th, 2-3:30 Eastern Time, highlighting the hurricane season operations across four IOOS RA’s and impacts on ocean models.  Please mark your calendars.

      • UG2 2022 Glider Workshop: UG2 has established a Workshop Steering Committee made up of representatives from the UG2 community to plan and facilitate the 2022 Glider Workshop.  To date a rough draft of themes and deliverables of the event have been established as well as input from the UG2 community on topics they would like to have at the event. The event will be held in late September/early October.  The location and venue is still being determined by the steering group.  Any inputs on topics to be covered are still welcomed.  Please provide your recommendations to info@underwatergliders.org or bill.lingsch@noaa.gov.

    • UG2 Glider Related Job Postings:  https://underwatergliders.org/index.php/opportunities/ 

Marine Life:

  • New Publication Evaluates Effects of Climate Change and Warming on Animal Movement: Congratulations to MBON, ATN, BioTrack and other colleagues - led by Neil Hammerschlag - for publication of the paper ‘Ocean warming alters the distributional range, migratory timing, and spatial protections of an apex predator, the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)’ in Global Change Biology (http://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16045). “In this collaborative research study, our team used multiple approaches to evaluate the effects of ocean warming on tiger shark movements in the Western North Atlantic. We found that over the past ~40 years, shark distributions have expanded northward, paralleling rising temperatures. Moreover, satellite tracking of sharks over the past decade has revealed their annual migrations have extended farther poleward and arrival times to northern areas have also occurred earlier in the year during extremely warm periods, which has subsequently decreased their protections from fishing. These results are striking and concerning. Potential consequences of these climate-driven alterations include increasing shark vulnerability to fishing, disruption of predator-prey interactions and changes in encounter rates with human water-users.” Link to a video summary https://youtu.be/k-Mdt6GjGm0 
  • ATN and OTN Collaboration: ATN Data Coordinator, Dr. Megan McKinzie, has accepted an invitation from the Canadian Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) to be a member of their International Science Advisory Committee (ISAC).
  • ATN Co-Supporting PIRAT (Pacific Islands Regional Acoustic Telemetry) Node: Guided by recommendations from the PACIOOS ATN Stakeholder Workshop and inspired by the very successful east coast FACT and ACT community-based acoustic telemetry  data nodes, a new Pacific Islands Regional Acoustic Telemetry data node is being established through partnerships among  the NMFS/Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center, PacIOOS/JIMAR, OTN and ATN/SECOORA. 
  • Paper published in TOS on the theme 'Ocean Resources and the Economy Under Changing Environmental Conditions': Please see the newly published paper discussing the value of integrating biology into ocean observing infrastructure. “Integrating Biology into Ocean Observing Infrastructure: Society Depends on It”, Maurice Estes Jr. ,  Frank Muller-Karger,  Kerstin Forsberg,  Margaret Leinen,  Suzan Kholeif,  Woody Turner,  Douglas Cripe,  Yana Gevorgyan,  Peer Fietzek,  Gabrielle Canonico,  Francisco Werner,  Nicholas Bax https://tos.org/oceanography/article/integrating-biology-into-ocean-observing-infrastructure-society-depends-on-it 
  • OSM2022 Town Hall meeting on Bio-GO-SHIP - Feb. 24, 2:00 pm EST: Attend this Town Hall Meeting to learn more about a new 2-year Bio-GO-SHIP (Biological-Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program) pilot effort supported by NOAA and NASA that will add biological measurements to the existing suite of core GO-SHIP physical and biogeochemical measurements on upcoming GO-SHIP lines. For more details on the scientific questions and associated measurements behind this effort, check out a newly published Perspectives article in Frontiers in Marine Science. This Town Hall will start with a brief overview of Bio-GO-SHIP with Q&A, followed by breakout groups to enable participants to interact and form new collaborations around potential scientific applications of these new datasets. (full town hall description)
  •  

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

  • LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! 2022 DMAC Code Sprint April 26-28, Chicago: Registration for the 2022 DMAC Code Sprint closes this week! Register now! IOOS will host the 2022 DMAC Code Sprint in Chicago with our partner GLOS! Save the dates of April 26 - 28, 2022 for the second DMAC community code sprint. We're tentatively planning to host an in person event in Chicago, with the option for virtual participation for those who are unable to travel to be there in person. More information about the sprint cane be found in the #dmac channel in the IOOS Slack - https://ioos.slack.com. Use this link to join our Slack workspace.  As we did two years ago, we expect to use Slack heavily during the sprint. 
  • Register Now! Marine Biological Data Mobilization Workshop: This is a reminder about our upcoming Marine Biological Data Mobilization Workshop to be held virtually: March 14 - 15, 2022. The deadline to register for this event is January 30, 2022. Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNvQwrdG-xg5CqUoJbo0iV35B3X0-CUFYDbbNOqMdc8Lg-eg/viewform. As a reminder: the workshop is jointly hosted by CIOOS, IOOS, MBON, OBIS-USA, and OTN and provides a Contribution to the UN Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the Marine Life 2030 Decade Action. You do not need to be registered for Ocean Sciences to attend this workshop. This workshop is intended to be a hands-on, virtual workshop focused on mobilizing marine biological observation datasets to the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) by helping data providers standardize their data using Darwin Core including species observations from any type of sampling methodologies (e.g. visual surveys, net tows, microscopy, fish trawls, imaging, `omics, acoustics, telemetry). Formal daily activities will take place over a period of 4 hours per day from 1:00pm to 5:00pm ET March 14 - 15, 2022. 
    • Requirements to participate: 
      • Must have a dataset to work on. 
      • Must have some R or Python experience. 
      • Must have a basic knowledge of Github. 
      • Participants must have RStudio or Python software installed on their computer. 
  • IOOS at 2022 ESIP Meeting: Matt Biddle, IOOS PO attended and chaired a session at the 2022 ESIP January meeting on “Recent advancements in marine data management: From ‘omics to imaging and beyond.” You can find the session description and slides at https://2022esipjanuarymeeting.sched.com/event/qkok. The session was recorded and the recording will be shared once available.
  • QARTOD (National Coordinator Mark Bushnell, mark.bushnell@noaa.gov):

    • QARTOD Manual Update: We’re working to update the QARTOD Manual for Real-Time Quality Control of High Frequency Radar Surface Current Data, which was first issued in 2016 (https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/manual-real-time-quality-control-high-frequency-radar-surface-current-data/). We plan to incorporate the QC work that’s recently been accomplished by several members of this community, add relevant definitions, verify & update web links, and include things that emerge during the community review. We hope to complete the update by March 2022.

    • Ocean Best Practice System Update: The OBPS is always looking for interesting short articles or photos for the newsletter. Consider it an opportunity to promote the best practices used by yourself, your project, or a program. If you have something relevant to submit, please send it to newsletter@oceanbestpractices.org.

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:

  • UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates:
     
    • Newly Appointed Group of Global Experts Will Help Drive Ocean Decade Action on Data, Information and Knowledge Management: At the first meeting of the Ocean Decade Data Coordination Group on December 16th, 2021, twenty-five (25) expert members expressed a strong commitment to transforming the UN initiative into a true “knowledge revolution” as they help co-deliver ambitious ocean data and information goals for sustainable development. The Data Coordination Group will be tasked with achieving this ambitious vision. The Group’s work focuses on strategic exchange and coordination between key actors and guidance and advice to various parts of the Ocean Decade community. These experts represent various industries, fields and stakeholder groups who will work to reinforce and focus efforts to significantly enhance ocean data and information over the course of the Decade. Read more here: https://www.oceandecade.org/news/newly-appointed-group-of-global-experts-will-help-drive-ocean-decade-action-on-data-information-and-knowledge-management/ 

    • Launch of Joint Call for Proposals on Underwater Noise in the Marine Environment: The call provides an excellent opportunity to address a systemic approach to ocean challenges, support policy and governance, and support experimental research activities on the emerging issue of the acoustic pollution of oceans and seas. The call is endorsed as a contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which means that selected projects will be endorsed as Decade Actions. The deadline for proposals is 28 February 2022. For more information, see https://www.oceandecade.org/news/launch-of-joint-call-for-proposals-on-underwater-noise-in-the-marine-environment/ 

  • Frontiers in Ocean Observing: Documenting Ecosystems, Understanding Environmental Changes, Forecasting Hazards - December 2021 Supplement: Articles in this inaugural Frontiers in Ocean Observing supplement to Oceanography describe new technologies and reveal some exciting results that advance our understanding of the world ocean and its resources and support its sustainable use and management. Topics covered in the supplement align with the priorities of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) in the following areas: (1) Ocean-Climate Nexus, (2) Ecosystems and Their Diversity, (3) Ocean Resources and the Economy Under Changing Environmental Conditions, (4) Pollutants and Contaminants and Their Potential Impacts on Human Health and Ecosystems, and (5) Multi-Hazard Warning Systems. The sixth and closing chapter describes several exciting new ocean observing technologies. Read the supplement here: https://tos.org/oceanography/issue/volume-34-issue-04-supplement 

  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) News:
    • Battered by Wind and Waves, Irminger Array Continues to Provide Valuable Data: Deployed 140 miles east of the southern tip of Greenland and three miles south of the Arctic Circle, the Irminger Sea surface mooring floats on a cold empty sea named for a Danish naval admiral few people have heard of, in a location that few people could point to on a North Atlantic chart. The Irminger Sea is delineated less by coastlines or geographic basins and more by what is taking place within the deep ocean here, processes only visible with the aid of deep-sea instruments. To oceanographers and climate scientists the region is a confluence of ocean currents where heat carried from the topics gets extracted and cold water sinks into abyss like few other places worldwide and with climate-changing impacts. The Irminger Sea mooring is designed to collect data in this stormy world where meteorological and ocean measurements, especially at the surface, are rare and hard to sustain. Read more about the mooring here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2021/12/irminger-sea-array-overcomes-challenging-conditions-to-provide-climate-insights/ 
    • Tracking Fish with Acoustics: New RAFOS Ocean Acoustic Monitoring (ROAM) tags have recently been designed to allow geolocation of underwater assets, including pelagic fishes, over large areas in the ocean and even deep into the ocean’s twilight zone. An opportunity for OOI to test the new ROAM tags arose in conjunction with the October 2021 Pioneer Array mooring service cruise. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2022/01/tracking-fish-with-acoustics/ 
  • NOAA and BOEM Announce Interagency Collaboration to Advance Offshore Wind Energy: This month, the NOAA Administrator and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director signed an interagency memorandum to advance wind energy while protecting biodiversity and promoting cooperative ocean use. The new agreement underscores NOAA and BOEM’s commitment to responsibly deploy 30 gigawatts of wind energy production capacity in Federal waters by 2030, and leverages the responsibilities, expertise, and relationships of both agencies to support this goal. The new MOU calls for sustained coordination, collaboration, and alignment by NOAA and BOEM at key decision points in support of the Administration’s offshore wind energy goal. It also includes commitments to use the best available science, to improve the efficiency of environmental review and authorization, and to communicate and engage throughout all phases of the offshore wind planning, leasing and permitting process and more. Read more: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-and-boem-announce-interagency-collaboration-to-advance-offshore-wind-energy 
  • 2023 Call for Nominations for the NOAA HSRP Federal Advisory Committee: The NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) announces the 2023 Call for Nominations. The panel advises NOAA on operations and research issues related to navigation, hydrographic surveying, nautical charts, tides and currents, geodetic and geospatial data and measurements, Arctic priorities and coastal data and resilience. Applicants should have expertise in marine navigation, port administration, maritime shipping or other intermodal transportation industries, cartography and geographic information systems, geodesy, geospatial data, physical oceanography, coastal resource management, including coastal resilience and emergency response, or other science-related fields. The full nominations information is here: https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/call-application.html The Federal Register Notice (FRN) including the 5 questions for HSRP Call for Nominations: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/23/2021-27844/hydrographic-services-review-panel  Nominations are due via email no later than April 15, 2022, are limited to 8 pages, require a cover letter with response to 5 questions, a short bio and a resume as noted in the FRN. While nominations are due on April 15 you're strongly encouraged to submit early. There is a rolling admission. If you miss the April 15 deadline, we will keep your nomination on file for future HSRP panel openings.     
  • Save the Date - NOAA Science Advisory Board Meeting - April 27-28, 2022: The NOAA Science Advisory Board will meet April 27-28, 2022. Tentatively planning for this meeting to be held in person in the Washington, DC area. The exact location is TBD. Meeting details and materials will be posted on the SAB website as they are finalized.
  • National Sea Grant Advisory Board Seeking Nominations: The National Sea Grant Office is accepting nominations for the National Sea Grant Advisory Board.  To be considered, please submit the name of the nominee, a CV, resume or detailed bio, and their area of expertise. While nominations are always accepted, to be considered for current openings, please submit your nomination no later than January 31, 2022. Please submit candidate nominations to Susan Holmes via email: oar.sg-feedback@noaa.gov. Current needs for committee members include expertise in coastal management, social and behavioral sciences, state government, and tribal and/or indigenous knowledge holders. The Advisory Board is also looking for regional expertise in the Great Lakes and U.S. Caribbean. 
  • NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program Releases New Strategic Plan - Fiscal Years 2021-2025: The Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) Program is pleased to share our Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2021-2025. This plan will prepare GOMO to improve global ocean knowledge, products, and capabilities that will enable NOAA to better address our responsibilities to the nation in areas of climate, weather, healthy oceans, and resilient coastal communities. We have identified four Strategic Goals that will guide us over the next five years in strengthening the global ocean observing system and the people who contribute to and make up this enterprise. Our thanks to all across NOAA and beyond who contributed ideas and comments during the development of our plan. You can read and download the plan on our dedicated Strategic Plan webpage.
  • National Ocean Service - 2021 Year in Review: The National Ocean Service has released their annual accomplishments report. The report covers staff and program office accomplishments during Fiscal Year 2021, from 36,000 nautical square miles of new seafloor mapping data to $131.9 million dollars in recovered funds to restore contaminated waterways. Visit the “Browse by Hurricane,” “Browse by Office,” and “NOS by the Numbers: 2021” sections of this report to review the many actions NOS has taken, innovative projects we've completed, and scientific endeavors we have embarked upon to advance NOS's priorities.
  • OCS Prepares for 2022 Field Season: The Office of Coast Survey’s Hydrographic Surveys Division is preparing for the 2022 field season, including awarding the season's first hydrographic surveying contract, for survey work near Cape Newenham, Alaska. Preparations are also underway for the 2022 Field Procedures Workshop, which will be held February 1-3 via webinar. The workshop is an opportunity for technical staff at headquarters and field offices, along with interagency partners and hydrographic contractors, to come together and discuss advances in technology, the successes of the past field season, and the expected challenges associated with the upcoming field season. The first session, on Tuesday, February 1, is open only to NOAA employees and affiliates working directly under NOAA. The second and third sessions, on Wednesday and Thursday, February 2 and 3, are open to everyone. If you are interested in attending, please register in advance.
  • OCS Updates Charts Following Navy Dredging Project: OCS updated navigational charts for the Anaheim Bay area in California following a request from the U.S. Navy. The Navy operates a weapons station at Seal Beach in the bay, and they recently dredged a new channel in the area. The new channel allows recreational boaters to access Huntington Harbour without having to pass the weapons station. Before the new channel, boaters used the existing entrance into Anaheim Bay and passed alongside the naval facilities to reach Huntington Harbour. OCS gathered hydrographic data and completed the updates to relevant navigational charts in just three months.
  • Updates to NOAA's Astronomical Tide Calculations: NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) is updating the calculation of Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) and Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT) datums. LAT/HAT are a calculation of the lowest or highest predicted tides for a location based on an analysis of tide predictions over a defined time period. The current values are based on the 1983-2001 National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE). The NTDE is a 19-year time period established by NOS for collecting observations on water levels and calculating tidal datum values. Updated calculations will encompass 40 years, to include the next two planned epochs (2001-2040). For most locations, LAT/HAT heights will change by 1-2 centimeters or less, but everyone should double check the values for their dates and location to be sure. New values will be completed by early February and can be viewed on NOAA's tides and currents website.
  • NOS, USACE Improve Technology Transfer Along Texas Coast: CO-OPS collaborated with the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - Galveston District to establish a new water level and meteorological station at the Sabine Bank Light near Port Arthur, Texas. Located 15 nautical miles offshore, the station will support USACE’s Sabine Neches Navigation Waterway Improvement Project and is integrated with the Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network. As part of the recent installation, CO-OPS supported USACE with datum and tidal zoning determination. Collected data is transmitted in real time to CO-OPS and to dredge vessels during waterway maintenance operations. Data is used to support hydrographic surveys and monitoring for severe coastal storms and will be integrated into NOAA’s Sabine Neches Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System.
  • University of Nevada Helps NGS Measure Tectonic Shifts: The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) held a kick-off meeting with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) for a project describing how the North American tectonic plate moves over time. NGS manages NOAA's nationwide Global Navigation Satellite System network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations, which serves as the backbone of this effort. Partnering with UNR will broaden the information available to include a wider network of stations throughout all of North America, which will help measure the movement of tectonic plates. NGS will use this information to determine the positions of places in the U.S., which change over time because of tectonic motion, subsidence, glacial isostatic adjustment, and other geologic and human-made processes. Work on this project will take place in the summer and fall of 2022. NGS will use these parameters, along with others for the Pacific, Marianas, and Caribbean plates, to replace the official U.S. reference frames for positioning.
  • NCCOS Uses Historical Data to Analyze Florida Red Tides: NCCOS scientists and partners used 60 years of data to analyze harmful algal blooms along the coast of southwest Florida, examining bloom severity and respiratory effects. The research team used historical data on algal cell counts to develop monthly and annual bloom severity indexes. These indexes describe the spatial extent, duration, and concentration of blooms. The researchers also developed a respiratory irritation index using observational data from 2006 to 2019. The study findings confirmed that blooms typically form in August and continue through the winter, and are especially common in October and November. Years with severe blooms caused noticeable respiratory irritation, whereas respiratory impacts were minimal in years with less severe blooms. Local decision-makers can use both of the indexes developed for this study to measure the severity of ongoing blooms and improve response efforts.
  • Celebrating 50 Years of Ocean and Coastal Conservation: Four key pieces of environmental legislation pertaining to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes share a 50th anniversary in 2022: the Coastal Zone Management, National Marine Sanctuaries, Marine Mammal Protection, and Clean Water acts. To celebrate these anniversaries, NOAA, the Marine Mammal Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched the 50 Years of Ocean and Coastal Conservation campaign. This yearlong outreach effort shares the legacy of 50 years of stewardship and revitalizes the nation's commitment to marine and coastal conservation. Join us in celebrating these important milestones by following along on NOS’s social media, and sharing the campaign materials found on the website with your networks.
  • New Sanctuary Soundscape Story Map: The Sanctuary Soundscape Monitoring Project released a story map that highlights what researchers are learning about vessels in national marine sanctuaries by listening underwater. Information about vessel use is important for managing national marine sanctuaries, both to estimate the value of these special places to their many users and to understand the impacts that vessels can have on the marine animals in the sanctuaries. This information will be utilized by the International Maritime Organization’s subcommittee on ship design and construction, which is kicking off a two-year effort to increase the effectiveness of current guidelines for quieting commercial vessels.

 

Delivering the Benefits:

  • CARICOOS releases a new version of the Beach Water Quality product: CARICOOS Beach Water Quality product now includes an interactive tool to assess historical data at each sampling site. The beach water quality map serves results of the latest Enterococci samples collected by the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, Surfrider Foundation and Blue Flag. The product also includes experimental nowcasts providing probability of EPA threshold exceedances for 30+ beaches around Puerto Rico. Latest samples will continue to be provided in the Pa’ la Playa Beach App along with a beach water quality rating spanning the last three months of samples. A new effort to incorporate US Virgin Islands beach pathogen data is underway.
  • Arecibo wave data buoy: a multi-agency collaboration to expand research in energy and energy-related programs: CARICOOS assisted the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) with the deployment of a wave buoy off the coast of Arecibo to provide wave observations for Puerto Rico’s northern coast. Read more here. In addition, the La Parguera MapCO2 Ocean Acidification Buoyhas been completely refurbished and was installed this week.
  • New Puget Sound Metrics Dashboard: To help track water property changes that may have ecological impacts in Puget Sound, several UW scientists developed a dashboard of five metrics using regional real-time environmental measurements. The metrics go beyond simply reporting observations by also placing them in a historical context and giving insight as to what factors may be causing the observed change. This project was funded by the Puget Sound Partnership and is hosted by NANOOS.
  • New papers & reports:

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • RESON Workshop 2: Exploring Technologies to Monitor Coastal Ecosystem Health in California: The Regional Ecosystem Services Observation Network is holding its second workshop to explore various technologies to enhance the monitoring of key species to provide insight into ecosystem health. The focus will include looking at technology that can fill in knowledge gaps under 3 key health indices: biodiversity, animal migration, and ecosystem function. It will also explore and refine tying together social and ecological indicators. Read more about it and register here. 
  • CARICOOS Waves Educational Guide (in Spanish) is ready for download. This guide is designed to serve as an activities curriculum guide for teachers who teach about ocean waves or for those who would like to integrate ocean-related activities into their science classrooms.
  • NANOOS would like your feedback on the Tuna Fishers App: NANOOS has partnered with NOAA to create a survey to better understand how you use the app and what can be improved. We would greatly appreciate your participation. Input about what works well for you and what changes you'd like to see are both incredibly valuable and will help inform future App development priorities. Here's the survey link. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete.
  • NANOOS AGU Fall 2021 Poster: NANOOS’ virtual poster, "Improving access to ocean and coastal data: Engaging coastal communities to develop user-defined products" is now accessible to the public. We presented this as part of the Community Engagement and Capacity Development for Ocean and Coastal Management session at the AGU Fall 2021 Meeting in December. This poster highlights our process for developing user-defined products, which is based on community engagement at every stage: needs identification and concept development, application design and execution, and sustained communication to ensure usability.
  • NERACOOS Annual Meeting available: Last year's NERACOOS annual meeting featured "updates from the field" by partners, plus remarks from NOAA and IOOS. Each presentation is linked in the caption below and in the video's description on YouTube. 

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

  • Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022, Feb 27 - March 4, Virtual: This year’s theme emphasizes the importance of working together. “Come Together and Connect,” focuses on strengthening the ocean sciences community through discussing both basic and applied research while making scientific and social connections. https://www.aslo.org/osm2022/ 
    • Session Title: ME13 Marine Life 2030: Advancing Earth Observations and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) to Measure and Interpret Marine Biodiversity for Global Sustainability
      • Session Organizers:
    • Tiffany Vance and Tim Kearns [GLOS] are co-organizers for a session at the 2022 Ocean Sciences meeting entitled “IoT and Distributed Sensing in Ocean Science and Research” under the Ocean Technologies and Observatories topic.  
    • Tiffany Vance is a co-organizer of a session at the 2022 Ocean Sciences meeting entitled “Democratizing Data: Environmental Data Access and its Future” in the  Education & Outreach topic.
  • NANOOS Community Workshop - Save the Date - March 24-25, 2022: We are pleased to announce that NANOOS is planning a community workshop on March 24-25, 2022 in Astoria, OR. Please mark your calendars! Our goals are to galvanize Pacific Northwest users and stakeholders, connect with old and new partners, and forge new strategies. We want to hear directly from our users about what would strengthen NANOOS products and how to reach broader audiences. This is an opportunity to bring together industries, policymakers, scientists, data experts, tribes, and other interested parties in the region to interact with each other and refine the NANOOS vision. More details will be available soon, please let us know if you have any questions or workshop topic suggestions.
  • Alaska Forum on the Environment: Hands across the Bering Strait, 22 April 2022, Virtual: As seasonal sea ice diminishes and vessel traffic increases, the Bering Strait region’s natural resources, habitat, and people are at greater risk. This session will describe a collaboration between the Alaska Ocean Observing System and US and Russia World Wildlife Fund to develop an interactive, web-based tool that could be used by both US and Russian planners and responders for emergency incidents in the transboundary Bering Strait region. Case studies of Russian spills provide context for how spill response in Russia occurs, and how that compares with the US response system. If you are interested in US-Russia partnerships to address oil spill threats, then this session is for you! Learn more here. 
  • GLOSapalooza, 25 - 28 April 2022, Chicago & virtual: Glosapalooza is made up of four events held in Chicago and virtually:
    • GLOS Annual Meeting (open to all)
    • Seagull Launch Party (open to all, in-person only)
    • Building the Great Map—A Part of Lakebed 2030 (open to all)
    • IOOS Code Sprint (invite upon request)

Click here for registration and more information. 

  • SAVE THE DATE! 2020 DMAC Code Sprint, 26-28 April 2022, Chicago & virtual: We're pleased to announce that IOOS plans to host the 2022 DMAC Code Sprint in Chicago with our partner GLOS! Save the dates of April 26 - 28, 2022 for the second DMAC community code sprint. We're tentatively planning to host an in person event in Chicago, with the option for virtual participation for those who are unable to travel to be there in person. We'll be reaching out in the near future with more details about meeting logistics, sprint/activity planning, technologies we hope to use for the virtual component of the sprint, and all the rest. If you have any suggestions or input about the sprint, please post them in the #dmac channel in the IOOS Slack. Use this link to join our Slack workspace.  As we did two years ago, we expect to use Slack heavily during the sprint. 
  • GlobalHAB Workshop: Modeling and Prediction of Harmful Algal Blooms, 9 - 13 May 2022, Glasgow, UK:This 4-day workshop will combine oral and poster presentations, round-table discussions, and tutorials in order to 1) increase awareness of the range of modelling and observational tools that are in our community toolbox (or should be); 2) help the HAB community speak with one voice regarding climate-change impacts on the global ocean; and 3) help scientists and technologists develop creative approaches to meeting the needs of coastal communities, governments, and industry worldwide. Sessions will include
    • Regional problem-solving: linking models, observations, and stakeholder needs
    • Emerging approaches and technologies: physical and ecological model methods and observational capacities that open up new directions in HAB prediction
    • Global patterns and global change: links between HABs and environmental drivers at large spatial scales and on long time horizons
    • Scalable solutions: applications of global models, remote sensing, and other communal resources to predicting HABs and managing their impacts in data- and resource-poor systems

A priority for this workshop is inclusivity and balance in terms of national origin and career stage. We are able to waive registration fees and cover travel costs for a number of participants in support of this goal. Since the workshop is focused on discussion and small-group, informal interaction, it will not be possible to join it remotely, but we hope to make a number of presentations and other resources freely available online afterwards.  Abstract submission is open now through November 14.  A companion webinar series is running monthly during the second half of 2021, please click here for information and free registration. 

  • RESCHEDULED! MTS 14th Buoy Workshop, September 19-22, 2022, 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.

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • International Ocean Data Conference 2022: The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want, 14-16 February 2022, Sopot, Poland & virtual: The conference 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. Registration closes February 11th. Register now!
  • MTS TechSurge: Florida Estuary and Coastal Monitoring - Looking Ahead to 2030 - 12-14 April 2022: Join us for a TechSurge event with focus on transformative solutions for integrated coastal monitoring systems for Florida's estuaries and nearshore coastal waters. We welcome your revolutionary new technologies and system designs or those that can be adapted for coastal monitoring from other uses for significant impact in this focus area. Help meet the grand challenges and opportunities and guide the development for the future. In addition, guidance and outcomes from this meeting will directly influence Indian River Lagoon monitoring network planning and may feed into the Ocean Decade Implementation Plan (2021-2030).
    • WHEN: April 12 - 14, 2022
    • WHERE: FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (FAU/HBOI), Fort Pierce, Florida
    • Registration Information - Registration will open Tuesday, October 12, 2021
    • More info: https://mtsociety.memberclicks.net/fl-techsurge 
  • 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), 23 - 30 June 2022, Vancouver, Canada: 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/ 
  • Open Science Conference on EBUS: Past, Present and Future’ and the Second International Conference on the Humboldt Current System - 19-23 September 2022: The Open Science Conference on Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS): Past, Present and Future and the Second International Conference on the Humboldt Current System are planned for September 19 - 23 in Lima, Peru. The meeting will bring together PhD students, early career scientists and world experts to understand, review, and synthesize what is known about dynamics, sensitivity, vulnerability and resilience of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems and their living resources to climate variability, change and extreme events. The international community (researchers, scientific programs or projects, etc.) is invited to submit session proposals for the programme of the conference. Deadline for submission: 15 December 2021. The announcement of the final sessions will be issued on February 1st, 2022.

 

Webinars:

  • US-Russia Science Corner Webinar: Sharing About Major Fish Stocks & Commercial Fisheries, 28 January 2022, 9am AST: World Wildlife Fund and the Alaska Ocean Observing System are pleased to host the next in a series of conversations between Russian and Alaskan colleagues studying and observing fisheries in the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Arctic Ocean. As climate change continues to transform habitats and food webs in this region, the goal will be to stimulate broader discussions about the need for more collaboration and identify opportunities to strengthen research and exchange of observations across the border. We welcome you to join this webinar to learn, listen, ask questions, and share your observations. Simultaneous English-Russian interpretation will be provided. Registration is here.
  • SERIES: National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Seriesprovides educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. This series currently targets formal and informal educators, students (high school through college), as well as members of the community, including families. You can also visit the archives of the webinar series to catch up on presentations you may have missed here.
    • February 24, 2022 at 12 pm Hawai`i / 3 pm Pacific / 6 pm Eastern: Inspire your students to dive in as coral scientists-in-training! Introducing the Coral Check-up Lesson Series. Register here.
  • SERIES: Seaside Chats 2022 - National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: Seaside Chats is an annual speaker series about ocean topics associated with Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the Gulf of Mexico. These presentations take place on Wednesday evenings in February, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Central Time). Learn more here: https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/seasidechats.html
    • February 2, 6:30-7:30pm CT: Sex Lives of Corals: From Spawning to Conservation. Register here. 
    • February 9, 6:30-7:30 p.m. CT: Paradise Lost? Future Fisheries in a Climate-Driven Gulf. Register here.
    • February 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m. CT: Discovering Climate History in Coral Skeletons. Register here. 
  • SERIES: EMB Third Thursday Science: The European Marine Board’s webinar series, #ThirdThursdayScience, focuses 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:
    • 16 December: Marine Geohazards in Europe

Grants and Funding Opportunities:

  • Request for Proposals – Contract work: The Alaska Ocean Observing System is working with World Wildlife Fund US Arctic Program and WWF Russia to integrate Russian data and information into the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer. AOOS is making these data and information discoverable and accessible to the public through the AOOS ODE and the associated tools and applications. To make these datasets more informative, narrative metadata (i.e., descriptions of each dataset) is needed. AOOS is seeking a contractor to create these narratives. Proposals for this work are due no later than 5pm AK time on February 4, 2022. See more project information and requirements in the Request for Proposals.

  • NOAA Ocean Acidification Program Education Mini-Grant Program: The Ocean Acidification Program education mini-grant initiative, is a competitively based program that supports coastal and ocean acidification education programs that are responsive to the goals of the NOAA OA Education Implementation Plan and the 2021-2040 NOAA Education Strategic Plan. Priority goals include engaging diverse audiences in ocean acidification education and outreach, matching ocean acidification communication needs with existing research, education and outreach activities, while developing innovative approaches for community involvement. These goals are part of NOAA's efforts to increase Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in ocean literacy, stewardship, and workforce development, particularly in inland and underserved communities. Closes February 10, 2022. Click here for full details. 

  • Pacific Islands Ocean Acidification Masters Student Fellowship: The NOAA Ocean Acidification Program is supporting a competitive graduate fellowship that will support students conducting research, in pursuit of a Masters degree, related to ocean acidification in the Pacific Islands region to help fill a critical gap in capacity for OA research and monitoring in the region. OAP is seeking to fund students who would contribute to the body of knowledge on regional vulnerabilities to OA and potential solutions to build greater resilience against the impacts of OA. Successful applicants will conduct research that addresses physical/chemical oceanographic, biological, and/or socioeconomic questions and concepts. This funding call is part of a broader initiative, which involves multiple international scientific networks and capacity building organizations. Subject to the availability of funding, OAP anticipates up to $300,000 USD total will be available to support approximately 3-6 graduate fellows, with each fellow funded at the approximate level of $20,000 - $32,000 USD per year for 2 years. The closing date for applications is March 10, 2022.  View the funding opportunity here.

Job and 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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