The Eyes on the Ocean™ Bi-weekly is an informal way of keeping you up-to-date on U.S. IOOS® activities.

Click here to subscribe a new address or if you no longer want to receive the bi-weekly.

 Want to read this edition in a browser or check out the archive?  Visit us online!

From the Director:

Hello IOOS Community,

Throughout 2021, I’m inviting voices from the IOOS Community to write guest introductions for our newsletter. This month, PacIOOS Director Melissa Iwamoto reflects on past accomplishments and future visions for observing in the Pacific Islands. PacIOOS is also seeking applications for a new Instrumentation Specialist. Please see the Job & Internship Opportunities section below for more information. 

—Carl

Aloha from the Pacific Islands to the IOOS community, 

Thanks to Carl and his team for the opportunity to introduce this edition of the Eyes on the Ocean and our Regional Association. As we set goals for the new year, it’s helpful to reflect on past milestones to chart our way forward.

Along with our colleagues across the nation, PacIOOS wrapped up last year by submitting our 5-year proposal. In a process that took us well over 6 months, we individually reached out to partners and stakeholders throughout the Pacific Islands to collect input on local and regional ocean observing needs. We received over 350 comments, which guided us in the development of our 5- and 10-year vision and action plan.

Not surprisingly, coastal resilience continues to be at the forefront of our stakeholders’ concerns, as increasing sea levels, temperatures, and storm intensification threaten lives and livelihoods throughout the Pacific Islands. In a culturally diverse region that spans nearly 35 million km2 and includes over 2,300 individual islands, there are many common coastal and ocean observing needs, but we also recognize that nuanced differences necessitate tailored approaches.

While it feels like a lifetime ago, I think back to the in-person OceanObs’19 conference with great joy. Having the global ocean observing community gather in our backyard in Hawai‘i was such an inspiring and unique opportunity for all of us at PacIOOS. I was heartened to participate in and learn from discussions centered around data relevance, maximizing user benefits, and stakeholder-driven approaches. IOOS’ collective strength is the regional connection with users, partners, and stakeholders. Local, regional, national and international relationships and partnerships are the foundation of IOOS, and they help us to navigate both calm and rough seas. We must continue to find ways to monitor the pulse of local needs and to empower stakeholders with the data and tools they require to make informed decisions.

Finally, I am encouraged by the passion and drive among our partners and colleagues across the IOOS enterprise to strive for a diverse and inclusive system that addresses coastal and ocean observing needs at various scales. We look forward to strengthening existing and fostering new collaborations to provide relevant data and fit-for-purpose products and services. 

Mahalo, Fa’afetai, Kommol, Kulo, Kalanghan, Kinisou, Hosa hachigchig, Kammagar, Sulang, Si Yu’us ma’ase, 

Melissa M. Iwamoto

Director, PacIOOS

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • IOOS Advisory Committee Public Meeting - February 5th, 2021: The next public meeting of the IOOS Advisory Committee will be held Friday, February 5th, 12:30pm-2pm ET. A notice of the public meeting has been published in the Federal Register. The meeting will focus on finalizing a letter with recommendations to the new administration. More information will be made available on the IOOS Advisory Committee website. Please contact Laura Gewain (laura.gewain@noaa.gov) if you are interested in joining the meeting.
  • Welcome Jessica Pereira! Jessica Pereira has joined IOOS as our new Office Manager and will handle IT support functions, Ops staff support, event planning, and generally ensuring that our office runs smoothly. Prior to joining IOOS, Jessica worked at the Office of Response and Restoration in NOS as an Executive Assistant. Before becoming a government contractor, she worked at the National Federation of Independent Business, as well as other organizations. She enjoys traveling, biking, and watching British dramas/thrillers.

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

    • Wind Turbine Interference Mitigation: In addition to answering questions submitted by the oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) community, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has replied with questions of their own.  A discussion of responses in the context of HFR WTRIM research & development is ongoing.  If you know someone who would like to join in this discussion to synergize oceanographic HFR and offshore wind energy operations, please contact Surface Currents Program Manager Brian Zelenke at brian.zelenke@noaa.gov.
    • No update.
  • New MBON Pole to Pole Tutorial: MBON Pole to Pole team released a new tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teJhfsSWonE&feature=youtu.be) to guide people through the process of transforming datasets to Darwin Core with new tools the team has developed to publish biodiversity survey data in OBIS.  MBON Pole to Pole is developing a Community of Practice across the Americas to assess marine biodiversity and ecosystem change using field and space observations - learn more here: https://marinebon.org/p2p/index.html.
  • Observing Life in a Changing Ocean: Exploring a ‘Census of Marine Life’ Today symposium: The event saw the participation of over 230 attendees from academic, government, industry, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations around the world. The symposium included high-level discussions around collaboration, leveraging of initiatives and technologies, and amplified impact that can help to engage individuals, programs, government agencies, and other funders. If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit these discussions, you can now view a full video recording of the event on the COL website. https://oceanleadership.org/observing-life-in-a-changing-ocean/

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

  • January's DMAC Tech Webinar: IOOS hosted NCEI to present on Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for data. Given the range of IOOS data collections (Regional Association station data, RA collections, IOOS DACs, etc.), NCEI wanted this to be a discussion of what the community needs are and what requirements there are for issuing DOIs for archived data.  NCEI presented options for DOI minting for IOOS data and examples of data citations, and addressed how DOIs minted by other organizations can be referenced.  A discussion is imperative to understand the full needs of the IOOS Regional Association and IOOS DAC communities. Webinar recording can be found at: https://mmancusa.webex.com/mmancusa/ldr.php?RCID=4bd9c45c4c8a4897be3f8484c4b78d76
  • ESIP Winter Meeting Held January 26th-29th: For over 20 years, ESIP meetings have brought together the most innovative thinkers and leaders around Earth observation data, thus forming a community dedicated to making Earth observations more discoverable, accessible and useful to researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and the public. The theme of this year’s meeting is Leading Innovation in Earth Science Data Frontiers. IOOS staff coordinated with the ESIP Marine Data Cluster to host the Winter Meetinghttps://twitter.com/ESIPfed/status/1354428028865163270?s=20
    • Manual for Real-Time Quality Control of Water Level Data Update: The initial draft of the updated Manual for Real-Time Quality Control of Water Level Data has been completed and is being circulated for review. The incremental update includes added definitions, new references and technology discussions, but doesn’t require changes to QC tests that have already been implemented. Contact Mark to obtain a copy.
    • Ocean Best Practice System: Everyone hesitates to identify their practice as a best practice, it may seem presumptuous. Who gets to decide if a practice best? OBPS partners with Frontiers to provide the research topic Best Practices in Ocean Observing - go to https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/7173/best-practices-in-ocean-observing#articles to see the twenty-three peer reviewed papers that have already been published. Consider submitting your best practice here, to have it identified as best.
    • U.S. CLIVAR Ocean Uncertainty Quantification Working Group: The OceanUQ WG meets virtually for presentations related to UQ and to address the goals of this effort (see https://usclivar.org/sites/default/files/meetings/2020/UQ-WG-Prospectus-Final.pdf). Contact Mark or any WG member if you wish to provide a presentation, a blog for the website being developed, or have interest in the topic of uncertainty quantification.

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

  • Announcing Release of the National Water Model Data Access API 1.0: The NOAA Water Initiative National Water Model Data Access API team is pleased to announce the 1.0 release of the NWM API, available at: https://prototype.ioos.us/nwm. The API provides access to NWM short-range forecast channel data using a standard DAP 2.0 interface and uses data stores provided by the NOAA Big Data Project available on Amazon S3. The time extent of each forecast is 18 hours per model run. Approximately one month of initialization times are kept in the S3 storage, and continuously update as the model runs. The National Water Model Data Access API project was funded by the NOAA Water Initiative to facilitate access to NWM forecasts for use in hydrodynamic model development in connection with the NOAA Coastal Ocean Modeling Testbed. In its native form, the data is somewhat challenging to assemble into full-length forecasts for a region of interest. Each netCDF file consists of all 2.7+ million feature IDs and only a single timestep. The NWM API alleviates this problem by providing two data products: a “latest” time series, consisting of the most recent full forecast cycle (18 hours), and a “best” time series, where users can select a maximum interval of 24 hours over which to display non-overlapping forecast data. Geospatial subsetting is facilitated by custom server-side functions, where users can provide a bounding box or polygon for a region of interest, have the option of filtering terminal points or non-terminal points, and can supply a list of feature IDs for fine-grained requests. Please provide any comments, questions, or general feedback about the API to: us-nwm@rpsgroup.com.
  • FY2021 Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed Project: The U.S. IOOS Program is seeking to fund projects which advance new or existing solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal modeling and forecast product development challenges. This announcement specifically funds activities needed to progress through the transitional stages from research toward full operations (such as system integration, testing, validation, and verification). Projects will be expected to participate in and advance the operation of the U.S. IOOS COMT under a community modeling environment. Funding will be targeted to models, tools or products, with demonstrated operators and end users, that are sufficiently mature for evaluation and transition to long term operations. Total estimated funding for all awards is up to $2 million per year from the U.S. IOOS Program. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds, in amounts up to $300,000 per year for up to three years. Full proposals due February 26, 2021 via Grants.gov. To read the full funding announcement, click here. 
  • Mark Your Calendars - Ocean Visions 2021 Summit: The next Summit will be held on the campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography between May 18-20, 2021. We anticipate having three satellite campuses virtually linked in Australia, South Africa, and Germany. Details to follow. The summit is being planned as "in-person" on all campuses with the ability to also participate virtually thanks to our partner the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Please save the date and sign-up for updates, we will soon release a draft Program & Agenda and share the link on social media. https://www.oceanvisions.org/summit-2021. Join the Ocean Visions Network here: https://www.oceanvisions.org/support-us  

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Officially Starts: On 31 December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) accepted the Implementation Plan of the Ocean Decade (Resolution A.75.L/39). This marks a major milestone in the Ocean Decade and reinforces the commitment of the Member States of the United Nations on the central role of ocean science in sustainable development! It also confirms the role of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) as the coordinating agency for the implementation of the Decade. Over the next ten years, a wide range of Decade Actions will be implemented to meet the ten Decade Challenges. These will be carried out by diverse partners around the world. The first Call for Decade Actions, which solicited ideas for global and major regional programs, closed on 15 January 2021. Over 200 ideas were submitted in response to this first Call: a process will start in the next few weeks to review the proposals and look for areas where synergies between different initiatives can be created or reinforced. The interim Decade Advisory Board will consider the submissions at its first meeting in March/April 2021. Throughout the Decade, communities of practice comprising diverse stakeholders will be convened around ten Ocean Decade Challenges via several stakeholder engagement mechanisms including the Global Stakeholder Forum which will be rolled out over the next few months. National and regional committees and groups are already emerging, and details can be found on the Decade website.
  • Recording Available for Observing Life in a Changing Ocean: Exploring a 'Census of Marine Life' Today: Last week's virtual symposium, Observing Life in a Changing Ocean: Exploring a ‘Census of Marine Life’ Todaysaw the participation of over 230 attendees from academic, government, industry, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations around the world. The esteemed panelists engaged in discussions with the audience around priorities for characterizing biodiversity in the ocean through sustained, systematic observing, monitoring, and modeling. The enthusiasm of the panelists, as well as from the audience, highlighted the clear need for a new coordinated initiative that emphasizes the use of novel tools and technologies, collaborative data collection and distribution, low-cost tools that democratize science, and engagement with a variety of stakeholders with differing applications. The symposium included high-level discussions around collaboration, leveraging of initiatives and technologies, and amplified impact that can help to engage individuals, programs, government agencies, and other funders. If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit these discussions, you can now view a full video recording of the event on the COL website.
  • Community Expansion of OOI Regional Cable Array (RCA): In 2016, the National Science Foundation opened up opportunities for the community to submit proposals to add instrumentation onto the infrastructure of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) marine facility and to use OOI data for research and educational purposes. Following this call, there was a rapid response from researchers to expand the Regional Cabled Array (RCA) with additional funding from the Office of Naval Research, NASA, and the international community. As of 2021, over $36M has been awarded from these sources for research and education associated with the RCA. Sixty-five awards have been made to 66 Principal Investigators and Co-PIs representing 32 institutions and 2 industry partners. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2021/01/community-expansion-of-the-regional-cabled-array/ 
  • Call for Nominations for the NOAA HSRP Federal Advisory Committee for 2022: The NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) announces the 2022 Call for Nominations and notes the information is published in the Federal Register - Federal Register Notice for HSRP Call for Nominations for 2022. 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. Due date and requirements: Nominations are due via email no later than April 26, 2021, 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. For more information, see https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsrp/hsrp.html 
  • NOAA Releases Strategic Plans for AI, ‘Omics, and Uncrewed Systems: NOAA has recently released three new strategic plans, which are complementary to their strategy documents and provide actionable items for agency wide coordination to meet the following overarching goals: establish an efficient organizational structure, advance research, accelerate the transition of research to applications, strengthen and expand partnerships, and promote workforce proficiency. The strategic plans developed by NOAA to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and coordination of their development and usage across the agency, include Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan 2021-2025, 'Omics Strategic Plan 2021-2025, and Uncrewed Systems Strategic Plan 2021 - 2025. Read more and download the plans here: https://nrc.noaa.gov/NOAA-Science-Technology-Focus-Areas 
  • New Operational Forecast Systems Coming Online February 23, 2021: Two new National Ocean Service's operational forecast systems for the U.S. West Coast (WCOFS) and the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOFS2) will become operational at 12:00 UTC on February 23, 2021. NGOFS2 will replace the existing three operational forecast systems for the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOFS), the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico (NEGOFS), and Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOFS).  NGOFS, NEGOFS, and NWGOFS will be decommissioned after 15:00 UTC on February 23, 20221. Further details about the upgrade can be found in the Service Change Notice, which is available at the following link: https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf2/scn21-14nos_wcofs_ngofs2.pdf 
  • CO-OPS Tracks Water Levels from 2020 Hurricane Season: The 2020 hurricane season was the busiest, most impactful season in the Atlantic with a record-breaking 30 named storms. The Centerfor Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) tracked the water levels during these storms in real-time through its Coastal Inundation Dashboard. In this story map, CO-OPS takes a look back at which locations had the highest water levels of the season, including record or near-records levels. Most of the significant water level events were recorded during four hurricanes: Hanna, Laura, Sally, and Zeta.
  • CO-OPS Expands PORTS Partnership with U.S. Navy: The U.S. Navy will partner with CO-OPS to establish a new Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) in Kitsap, Washington. This will be the third time that CO-OPS and the U.S. Navy collaborated to put a new PORTS in place. The system will consist of new sensors near the Kitsap Peninsula in Puget Sound. These sensors will provide real-time oceanographic observations used by the U.S. Navy to make decisions about daily naval operations, particularly during hazardous weather events. The new PORTS should be established sometime in Fiscal Year 2022. PORTS is an integrated system of sensors concentrated in seaports across the U.S. that provide accurate and reliable real-time information about environmental conditions. 
  • OCS Supports USCG Security Efforts during Presidential Inauguration: The Office of Coast Survey (OCS) released a new edition of the Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC®) of the Potomac River to support U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) security operations during the presidential inauguration. The new ENC includes updates from seven U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveys along with channel framework data. The updates improved navigation through Washington and Anacostia channels. Updates to hydrography were also applied to the Potomac River from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to Georgetown and the Anacostia River Basin. During inauguration events, the USGC closed down a stretch of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and patrolled the water for security threats.
  • NGS Releases New Geoid Model: NGS has released its annual experimental geoid model (xGEOID), which is the foundation for determining precise heights in the modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). A geoid model approximates mean sea level as determined by the Earth's gravity field. The xGEOIDs provide preliminary — but increasingly accurate — views of the changes expected from modernizing the NSRS and replacing the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Experimental Geoid Model 2020 (xGEOID20) is the first joint experimental geoid model produced through international cooperation among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It incorporates the latest satellite gravity model, all available airborne gravity data from the NGS Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum program, and an improved digital elevation model.
  • NGS Publishes Geoid Survey Paper on New Height System: In a few years NGS will modernize the nation’s height system. Instead of measuring heights inland from a “mean sea level,” heights will be measured relative to a constant geopotential surface known as the "geoid," a model of the shape of the Earth under the influence of gravity and rotation. By providing the shape of this undulating surface everywhere, the new system will allow surveyors to use GPS receivers to determine precise heights anywhere. In a new paper in the Journal of Geodesy, NGS describes a ground-truth test of the geoid-based system in Colorado, demonstrating that it has a relative accuracy of better than 5 cm in mountainous terrain--a worst case scenario for geoid determination. When combined with earlier Texas and Iowa surveys (which demonstrated better than 2 cm accuracy in smoother terrain), these results indicate the new national height system will provide accurate elevations everywhere, with approximately 10X better accuracy.
  • Sanctuaries Climate Priorities Virtual Workshop: On January 26-28, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Marine Protected Area Center supported the NOAA Climate Program Office’s Marine Ecosystem Risk Team (MERT) in hosting a virtual workshop to advance Sanctuary climate science and information needs. The workshop brought together over 130 participants including sanctuary staff from all 15 sites and headquarters as well as partners from NOAA Research, other line offices (NOS (inclusive of 7 IOOS Regional Associations), NMFS, NESDIS), and external organizations. Attendees participated in 38 breakout groups where they discussed climate science questions with the goal of advancing Sanctuary climate science and information needs by identifying and building cross-NOAA and NOAA-extramural partnerships, capacity, tools, and products. The workshop highlighted that there is much to build from, and participants highlighted collaborations with IOOS Regional Associations and the MBON program. The results of the workshop are being compiled into a report that will match ONMS climate science needs with NOAA and partner programs; and inform an ONMS-NOAA climate research agenda to advance the climate-smart assessment and management of national marine sanctuaries. Please direct questions regarding this activity to Zac Cannizzo, ONMS Climate Coordinator and Climate Program Office, Visiting Climate Scientist (zac.cannizzo@noaa.gov).
  • 2021: A milestone year for EMODnet: 2020 was an extraordinary year for EMODnet – not only because of the global health crisis which has affected us all – but mostly because it marked EMODnet’s first decade and the end of its third phase of development (2017-2020). EMODnet is very proud of their collective achievements, leading to the successful delivery of the Marine Knowledge 2020 vision objectives producing a high-resolution multi-parametric map of European seas. Read their full new year’s newsletter here. 
  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:
    • Knauss Fellowship Opportunity Now Open! The notice of federal funding opportunity for the 2022 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is now open. The fellowship provides a one-year, paid experience for highly-qualified early career professionals to work on issues related to coastal, marine and Great Lakes science and policy in offices within the executive or legislative branch of government in Washington, D.C. Graduate students interested in marine science policy should explore the information about the fellowship as soon as possible and talk to their local Sea Grant program (or the National Sea Grant Office) at least one month prior to the February 19, 2021 deadline. Learn more about becoming a Knauss Fellow and Read the official opportunity on grants.gov.
    • NEW: Georgia Sea Grant: Georgia Sea Grant is soliciting two year research proposals in response to its FY2022-2024 funding cycle. Proposals must address priorities outlined in their 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. Georgia Sea Grant has allocated approximately $800,000 for this research competition. We anticipate making 5-7 research awards with a maximum budget of $150,000 for two years (including indirect costs). Pre-proposals due February 22. Click here for full information. 
    • FY2021 Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed Project: The U.S. IOOS Program is seeking to fund projects which advance new or existing solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal modeling and forecast product development challenges. This announcement specifically funds activities needed to progress through the transitional stages from research toward full operations (such as system integration, testing, validation, and verification). Projects will be expected to participate in and advance the operation of the U.S. IOOS COMT under a community modeling environment. Funding will be targeted to models, tools or products, with demonstrated operators and end users, that are sufficiently mature for evaluation and transition to long term operations. Total estimated funding for all awards is up to $2 million per year from the U.S. IOOS Program. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds, in amounts up to $300,000 per year for up to three years. Full proposals due February 26, 2021 via Grants.gov. To read the full funding announcement, click here. 
    • NOAA Surveying Matching Fund Pilot: The purpose of the pilot is to encourage non-Federal entities to partner with NOAA on jointly funded hydrographic surveying and mapping and related activities of mutual interest. NOAA would match partner funds and rely on its existing contract arrangements to conduct the actual surveying and mapping activities. NOAA is requesting that interested entities submit proposals byFebruary 26, 2021. The goal of the pilot program is to acquire more ocean and coastal hydrographic surveying for mutual benefit, including for safe navigation, integrated ocean and coastal mapping, coastal zone management, coastal and ocean science, and other activities. The program relies on NOAA's hydrographic expertise, appropriated funds, and its authority to receive and expend matching funds contributed by partners to conduct surveying and mapping activities. This pilot program is subject to funding availability. More information available in the Federal Register Notice. 
    • NSF funding opportunity for Navigating the New Arctic: Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) embodies an important forward-looking response by the Foundation to profound environmental challenges in the Arctic. NNA seeks innovations in fundamental convergence research across the social, natural, environmental, computing and information sciences, and engineering that address the interactions or connections among natural and built environments and social systems, and how these connections inform our understanding of Arctic change and its local and global effects. This solicitation requests proposals that fall within one of three tracks: NNA Planning Grants, dedicated to developing convergence research questions and teams to tackle projects of larger scope in the future; NNA Research Grants, aimed to support creative projects on fundamental research that address convergent scientific and engineering challenges related to the rapidly changing Arctic; and NNA Collaboratory Grants, designed to support collaborative teams undertaking research and training initiatives on critical themes of a broad scope related to the New Arctic. Proposals due March 5, 2021 https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505594 
    • Great Lakes observations, data management, and information delivery: The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is pleased to share a mini-grant opportunity for one-year projects ranging from $20k-$150k (USD) that will support Great Lakes observations, data management, and information delivery. Proposals are due on March 12, 2021 and are open to both US and Canadian institutions. Please visit the GLOS mini-grant webpage https://glos.org/2021-minigrants/ for more information and to download the request for proposals, and reach out to minigrants-2021rfp@glos.org with any questions or to discuss ideas. GLOS will be maintaining a list of FAQs on the website, as well any other updates. 
    • Vembu Subramanian Ocean Scholars Award: SECOORA is continuing Vembu’s legacy by sponsoring the annual Ocean Scholars Award.  There will be two awards this year: an undergraduate and other (for graduate students and early career professionals), each in the amount of $1,250. The funds are to be used to support recipients’ participation in a virtual or in-person regional, national, or international meeting or conference. Proposals are due March 12, 2021, 5:00 PM ET.  Click here for more info. 
    • SECOORA 2021 Data Challenge: Using Buoy and Shore Station Data to Meet User Needs: The 2021 Data Challenge invites undergraduate students, graduate students, and early career professionals to develop a project that incorporates and analyzes buoy and/or shore station data using archived SECOORA data. There are two $3,500 prizes.  Proposals are due Friday March 12, 2021 at 5:00 PM ET. Click here for more. 
    • NOAA Sea Grant & Ocean Acidification Program Funding Opportunity: Shellfish Aquaculture Partnerships: The National Sea Grant Office and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program are funding a joint competition to fund proposals that seek to establish, continue, and/or expand collaborations between researchers and the shellfish aquaculture industry. Specifically, applications to this competition should utilize new or existing research/industry partnerships to study how ocean and coastal acidification in combination with other stressors impacts shellfish aquaculture. Applications must include at least one researcher and one shellfish grower acting as co-Principal Investigators, and the proposed work must utilize a co-production of knowledge framework. Read the formal announcement on Grants.gov NOAA-OAR-SG-2021-2006704. An informational webinar will be held in November, date to be announced. Full proposals due March 16, 2021 via Grants.gov. This information is also available at https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Funding. 

Delivering the Benefits:

  • Wave Buoy off Maui Redeployed: Just in time for a large winter swell, the PacIOOS wave buoy off Pauwela, Maui, was redeployed in mid January. Located on the North Shore of Maui, the buoy now continues to provide information on significant wave height, period, and direction, as well as sea surface temperature in 30-min intervals. In addition to the real-time data, PacIOOS also provides a high resolution wave forecast for the buoy location. Data management is made possible through long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP). 
  • Regional Tsunami Model for Areas in Guam: With funding support from NOAA’s National Weather Service and in partnership with the Guam Department of Homeland Security, Professor Kwok Fai Cheung, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering at SOEST and PacIOOS co-investigator, along with his team developed a regional tsunami model for the Mariana Islands generating high-resolution hazards maps for various areas in Guam: Apra Harbor, Agana Bay, Tumon Bay, Agat Coast and Agat Marina. Read more and access the data here. 
  • Increasing Red Tide Sampling off the West Florida Shelf: Scientists are heading to sea on the R/V Walton Smith to sample areas where red tide blooms are commonly present off the west Florida coast. Karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, forms blooms when elevated concentrations (>100,000 cells per liter) are present in the water. K. brevis produces toxins called brevetoxins that can cause massive fish kills, weaken or kill marine mammals, and, when the toxin becomes aerosolized and inhaled, cause respiratory distress in humans and marine mammals. The team of scientists will be comprehensively sampling a series of transects along the West Florida Shelf. Read more here. 
  • Harmful Algal Bloom Assessment of Lake Okeechobee: Autonomous sailing vessel Vela is on patrol searching the waters of Lake Okeechobee in Florida for harmful algal blooms as part of HALO. The “Harmful Algal Bloom Assessment of Lake Okeechobee” project is led by Dr. Jordan Beckler of Florida Atlantic University with GCOOS developing a web-based platform for visualizing bloom extent, intensities and the results of environmental characterization and modeling. The HALO site is currently tracking an autonomous surface vehicle, Vela, launched by Navocean. Vela is the first autonomous sail-driven surface vehicle to be used for inland algae monitoring. It’s currently collecting air temperature, chlorophyll, CDOM, O2, Phycocyanin and turbidity data. Check it out here! 
  • November CA HAB Bulletin available: The November CA HAB Bulletin is now live with the latest collection of model output, observations, and advisories!  Major contributors to the bulletin content are Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, CeNCOOS, NOAA CoastWatch, phytoplankton counts from the Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Alert Program (HABMAP) and California Department of Public Health​, and stranding data from The Marine Mammal Center, Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI), Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, California Wildlife Center, Marine Animal Rescue, Pacific Marine Mammal Center​, and SeaWorld San Diego. 

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • NANOOS Presentation for NOAA West Watch: NOAA's most recent West Watch was held on 26 January 2021. The webinar summarized coastal environmental conditions and impacts in the Western Region. The webinar included contributed slides from the NANOOS, CeNCOOS, and SCCOOS regions, who regularly report on their local coastal ocean conditions. The next webinar date is 20 April 2021. Click here to access the presentation. 

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

  • Registration Open! Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) 2021 Annual Meeting - February 10, 2021: Registration is now open for the Gulf Research Program's "Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems" 2021 meeting. UGOS aims to enhance the use of physical understanding and forecasts for the reduction of risks in offshore energy exploration and production. Since 2018, UGOS has supported research related to ocean observations and modeling in the Gulf of Mexico to improve understanding and forecasting of the Loop Current dynamics (view supported projects). The meeting will include moderated panel discussions with invited speakers and UGOS Project Directors. To prepare for the moderated discussions with the UGOS Project Directors, please watch the pre-recorded presentations in advance of the meeting and come ready to ask questions!
  • Save the Date! Capitol Hill Oceans Week - June 8, 2021: We are excited to share the Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2021 program with you! This year’s conference will focus on the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in sustaining a healthy ocean, coast and Great Lakes. The future of our waters depends on all people and the actions we take now will have sweeping long term impacts. Our success will require the experience, expertise, perspectives and values of the communities most affected by environmental change and quality. We invite you to take a look at the detailed conference description and themes at the CHOW 2021 webpage.

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • NOAA 2021 Hurricane Center Mariner's Workshop, 9–11 March 2021, virtual: Key decision makers from maritime industries are invited to attend a 3-day virtual workshop which will highlight the uncertainty that goes into our forecasts and unveil upcoming new products and services. To be able to participate, please register here: registration form.
  • Save the date! ICOE 2021 - 28–30 April 2021, virtual: The International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE 2021) is taking place virtually 28-30 April 2021. In addition to unparalleled opportunities to network and learn from industry leaders from around the world, this event will provide a variety of forums for attendees to share advancements in ocean energy research and technology breakthroughs. Come discover how the ocean renewable energy industry is preparing to benefit the larger "Blue Economy" and the electrical grid, and identify the research needed to further advance the state of technology. Learn more here. 
  • 9th EuroGOOS International Conference, 3–5 May 2021, virtual: Abstract submission is now open for the 9th EuroGOOS International Conference, Advances in Operational Oceanography: Expanding Europe’s Ocean Observing and Forecasting Capacity, to take place virtually on 3-5 May 2021. Held every three years, the conference aims to provide a review of present ocean monitoring and forecasting capacities and oceanographic services, and identify new science and technology priorities. The event brings together a wide range of developers and users of operational oceanography services, and provides a platform to exchange ideas, foster cooperation, and formulate coordinated solutions to ocean-related global challenges. See the conference website for more details, abstracts due by Feb. 1. 
  • SAVE THE DATE! 2021 Geospatial Summit, 4 – 5 May 2021, virtual: The 2021 Geospatial Summit will be completely virtual on May 4-5, 2021. Registration is not yet open, but all NGS News email subscribers will be notified when registration opens. This year’s event will provide updated information about the planned modernization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). Additional information about the 2021 Geospatial Summit will be posted online. Email questions or comments to NGS.Infocenter@noaa.gov. 
  • SAVE THE DATE! Ocean Visions 2021 Summit, 18 – 20 May 2021, virtual & in-person: The next Summit will be held on the campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography between May 18-20, 2021. We anticipate having three satellite campuses virtually linked in Australia, South Africa, and Germany. Details to follow. The summit is being planned as "in-person" on all campuses with the ability to also participate virtually thanks to our partner the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Please save the date and sign-up for updates, a draft Program & Agenda will be released soon.
  • EMODnet 2nd Open Conference and Jamboree,  14–18 June 2021, Oostende, Belgium and virtual: The second EMODnet Open Conference and Jamboree will be held the week of 14 June 2021. During the event, EMODnet partners, communicators and data providers and users will take stock of EMODnet achievements over the past 10 years, connect across stakeholder communities and set goals for the future. To start the week, the EMODnet Open Conference will focus on use cases and requirements for developing essential open marine data services for blue economy actors, the public sector, civil society and the research community. More details will follow soon.

Webinars: 

  • Hooked on Ocean Acidification (OA) mini-series, Thursdays 2/18 – 3/11, 6:30pm ET: Join MACAN and MARACOOS for a new virtual educational mini-series, Hooked on Ocean Acidification (OA)! During four Thursday evening sessions, they will provide you with the latest scientific research and mobile apps to understand how ocean acidification may affect your local fisheries, and what can be done to reduce the impacts. You are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions. Sessions will be held virtually, via ZOOM. Links for each session will be provided after you register. Click here to register for this mini-series! Please register before February 15th. 
  • U.S. EPA: Managing Harmful Algal Blooms in Tribal Waters Webinar Series, 3/10, 3/16, 3/18, 1pm ET: In collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, EPA is hosting a three-part webinar series on the impacts of marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) and their toxins in tribal communities. Click here for more info and registration. 
  • Atlantic International Research Centre Networking Fridays: The AIR Centre hosts a series of Webinars that take place every Friday, from 1pm to 2 pm UTC. During these Networking Fridays, researchers, technology innovators, representatives of multilateral organizations, government officials, and social entrepreneurs will present to and discuss with the audience their current work and, most importantly, explore ways of future collaboration. More info here: https://www.aircentre.org/netfridays/ 
    • February 5th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC – Marco Tedesco (Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University)
    • February 12th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC – David Obura (CORDIO East Africa)
  • National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. This series currently targets formal and informal educators, students (high school through college), as well as members of the community, including families. You can also visit the archives of the webinar series to catch up on presentations you may have missed here.

 

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • NEW: Regional Coordination for Product Development, Independent Contractor for MMI: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks a qualified independent Contractor to support the development and implementation of on-going activities under the Marine Mammal Conservation in the Gulf of Mexico Project (Project). The Project is supported through a partnership between NFWF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Offers must be e-mailed no later than 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday, February 4. 
  • NEW: Instrumentation Specialist, PacIOOS: PacIOOS is seeking applications for a full-time Instrumentation Specialist responsible for coordinating, managing and maintaining an operational wave buoy network across Micronesia. The Instrumentation Specialist will site, deploy, and operate new directional Waverider wave buoys in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Additionally, this position will serve as the liaison for PacIOOS’ Wave Buoy Program in Micronesia, which includes coordinating and collaborating with local partners and stakeholders, as well as providing technical capacity training to build regional ocean observing capacity. The position is currently limited to 2-years with possibility of extension dependent upon program needs and funding availability. Closing date is February 12. More information about the position and how to apply can be found here.
  • NEW: Satellite Fisheries Oceanographer, ROFFS: ROFFS™ (Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service) is fishing for a qualified Satellite Fisheries Oceanographer to add to their team. This position is a salary based seasonal with eventual full time employment opportunity. Applicant should be a quick learner and a highly motivated individual that is able to work efficiently both independently and with others in a team environment. Candidate should be a highly reliable, honest and trustworthy individual that can flourish in a challenging deadline driven atmosphere during specific times of year. ROFFS™ main business is providing detailed oceanographic products to the fishing industry but also is involved in oil & gas industry and government and nongovernment research projects/partnerships. Closes February 15. Click here for more details. 
  • NEW: Program Specialist III, NCAR/UCAR: The program specialist will be working with NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) to provide interagency affairs capacity in support of NOAA’s requirements under the Federal Ocean Acidification Research & Monitoring Act (FOARAM Act) and the Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020 Act (ICOOS Act). Open until closed. Click here for full details and how to apply. 
  • NEW: Executive Director for Ocean and Coastal Conservation, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation:The Executive Director for the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) is responsible and accountable for building a staff that can continue the 25+ year tradition of delivering world-class services focused on marine conservation and watershed resilience within the State of California. These responsibilities include having the right people in the right staff positions, appropriate financial resources, a culture that reflects the vision and mission of the organization, and excellent government, community, and board relationships to fulfill the mission. Open until closed.
  • Program Associate, Ocean Observing, Consortium for Ocean Leadership: The Program Associate for Ocean Observing has a unique opportunity to support a range of ocean science, technology, and policy activities. The candidate will work with a small team in the Research & Education department focused on advancing regional, national, and international ocean observing strategies. The candidate will primarily support, and in some cases lead, various projects associated with the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, a body composed of all U.S. Federal agencies with ocean infrastructure, assets, and data. Duties also include supporting broader community engagement efforts that integrate disparate, emerging, and proven methods for collecting, assimilating, and distributing ocean data and information.  Open until closed.  Click here for more information and how to apply. 
  • Director of Environmental Initiatives, San Diego Foundation: The purpose of this position is to lead The San Diego Foundation’s efforts to engage cross-sector partners – donors, government, business, academia and community organizations – to create, implement and collaborate on solutions to address the region’s most pressing environmental challenges. Building on The San Diego Foundation’s track record in environmental research and initiatives, the Director, Environmental Initiatives will work as part of the Community Impact Division, to implement multi-pronged environmental initiatives.  Open until closed.  Click here for full details and how to apply. 

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.

Manage Subscriptions