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

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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

As we enter August, I hope you have had an opportunity to take a break and recharge sometime this summer. I’m looking forward to some personal ocean observing and spending time with family over the next two weeks. Taking some time to both mentally and physically recharge is critical to build a healthier, more sustainable self - something especially needed now and important to prioritize.

Across IOOS and at NOAA, we are also prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Last week, NOAA held “We are NOAA Week”. During this week, NOAA’s Office of Inclusion & Civil Rights and Workplace Violence Prevention & Response Office hosted a two-day summit on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and sexual assault/sexual harassment (SASH). The week also featured awareness campaigns about NOAA programs and services to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and environmental justice. 

As an enterprise, we are also working to identify opportunities to improve and engage with underserved communities. Please see below for a fellowship opportunity from the IOOS Association working on these important issues. 

I’ll sign off this week with a fun tidbit. Oceanographers found the real-life SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star hanging out together on a rock at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. A NOAA camera was filming the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the New England coast when a yellow sponge appeared beside a pink starfish, very similar looking to the iconic cartoon characters. The ocean is always full of surprises!

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • News from the IOOS Association: 
    • IOOS Association Announces Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Fellowship: The IOOS Association seeks a one-year, fixed-term Fellow to work with the national network of RAs and the IOOS Office to amplify regional work and identify opportunities to improve IOOS' ability to serve and engage underserved communities. Click here for more information. To apply, submit a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to josie@ioosassociation.org by September 10, 2021.

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov): 
    • HFR Technician Wanted: As the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) expands its oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) network, USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering - Marine Science is looking for another HFR technician to help with all of the sites.  If you or anyone you know is interested, please go to the following link for more information and to apply:  https://usm.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=2116.  Questions regarding this position may be directed to Kevin M. Martin, M.S. at kevin.m.martin@usm.edu.
      • Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Updates:
        • UG2 Underwater Gliders Deployments: Please visit http://underwatergliders.org/index.php/deployments/ and update your 2021 and early 2022 operations and plans to share with the UG2 community
        • UG2 Webinars: Please submit desires to brief for the upcoming August series that includes glider sensors and/or operational lessons learned.
        • UG2 Steering Committee: The Committee has begun initial planning for a 2022 glider workshop.  A committee for the workshop will be established to include UG2 members.
  • Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) (National Coordinator Bill Woodward, Bill.Woodward@noaa.gov):
    • OCG Web Series #3: Animal Borne Ocean Sensors – AniBOS, 11 August 2021, 6pm UTC:Introducing a new Global Ocean Observing System network: Equipping marine animals with biological and physical sensors is a long-established approach for studying their behaviour, their ecology and their environment, and has been producing rich data streams for several decades. A new GOOS network, the Animal Borne Ocean Sensors (AniBOS), aims to coordinate the collection and deliver of marine data into the broader observing network. Click here for more info and registration.
  • Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov):
    • No update.

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):

  • Last Call! Frontiers in Climate Special Issue Still Accepting Submissions:  Don’t forget you submission for a new Frontiers in Climate special issue on Democratizing Data: Environmental Data Access and its Future.  We currently have 12 submissions across a fascinating range of topics. Manuscripts are due 24 August (with some slight flexibility on the deadline).
    • Description: A community goal is to have improved data access with the aim of democratizing data by removing gatekeepers so that data are unrestricted and available in a meaningful way to all. Improved access to data also supports data equity - “The term “data equity” captures a complex and multi-faceted set of ideas. It refers to the consideration, through an equity lens, of the ways in which data is collected, analyzed, interpreted, and distributed.” By making data more easily accessed and used we also make the ability to use data more equitable.
    • We want to gather a set of papers that bring together all aspects of the data access process with a focus on improving data access for a wide range of users. We propose the following structure:
      • data discoverability
      • data access
      • data and service equity
      • data usability
      • user interface/engagement/input
      • visualization tools
      • reproducibility and tracing - after access
    • We have defined the topic rather broadly.  Details at https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20014/democratizing-data-environmental-data-access-and-its-future  
    • Tiffany Vance [tiffany.c.vance@noaa.gov] is happy to talk with anyone who has any questions about the special issue.  
    • 5-Year QARTOD Plan: The initial draft of the next 5-year QARTOD plan (2022-2026) was distributed in early July to the eleven members of the working group established to support the development of this plan. Comments and suggestions are now being received, recorded in an adjudication matrix, and addressed. Working within the guidance provided by the Board of Advisors (https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/qartod-board-of-advisors/), over the next few months the working group will review and comment on the emerging plan. Contact Mark if you’d like to participate.
    • Ocean Best Practices System Update: The OBPS monthly newsletter welcomes stories, photos, or video clips relevant to best practices – or worst practices, we can learn from them too! Share your team’s knowledge and contribute to an accelerated process for continuously improving best practices.

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 Ocean Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates: 

    • Call for Nominations to the Ocean Decade Advisory Board: The Decade Advisory Board will be a multi-stakeholder advisory body that will assist the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in performing its function as coordinator of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030 (the 'Ocean Decade'). The Board will report both to the IOC Governing Bodies and the IOC Executive Secretary. The Board’s advice to the IOC Governing Bodies will concern strategic elements of the Decade implementation, such as reviews of the Decade progress in moving towards the Decade societal outcomes and on the research work in the domains of Decade challenges, identifying gaps and opportunities, advising on data stewardship strategies, the development of resource mobilisation strategies, and supporting the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework of the Decade. The Board will also provide advice and operational support to the IOC Executive Secretary to facilitate the endorsement process of Decade Actions, specifically at the programme level. The Decade Advisory Board will comprise up to 15 expert members drawn from government, private sector, philanthropy, civil society, and the scientific community. They will serve in their individual capacity.  Five representatives of United Nations entities will also sit on the Board. Nominations are due 15 September 2021. 

    • Ocean Decade Laboratories: The Ocean Decade Laboratories are a creative, interactive platform to support action for the Ocean Decade around the globe. Each Laboratory focuses on one of the seven Outcomes of the Ocean Decade. Laboratory participants leverage the opportunity for exchange, collaboration and the creation of sustainable partnerships. Each Laboratory will comprise a ‘core event’ where globally recognised experts, including representatives of the endorsed Decade Actions, will incite discussion and exploration of the issues surrounding each Decade Outcome, and a series of interactive ‘satellite activities’ that will be hosted by partners.

      • The first Laboratory for an “Inspiring and Engaging Ocean” was held on 7 - 8 July and attracted over 700 participants who heard an innovative and diverse range of views from scientists, archaeologists, writers, artists and more on tangible ways that we can protect the ocean for future generations by ensuring that it is a source of wonder and inspiration that is fully understood and valued by communities and individuals around the world.

      • Calls for satellite activities for upcoming Laboratories are now open and make sure you join the next Laboratory on A Prediction Ocean on the 15-17 September 2021!

      • Find out more about the Laboratories!

        • 15 – 17 September 2021 - A Predicted Ocean

        • 17 – 19 November 2021 - A Clean Ocean

        • 23 – 24 February 2022- A Productive Ocean

    • Ocean Image Bank: The Ocean Agency together announced the official launch of the Ocean Image Bank, an online library of thousands of powerful ocean images that have been made freely available for download and use. The imagery collection has been developed specifically to support the objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (the ‘Ocean Decade’) and has been endorsed as one of the official contributions to the Decade. Explore the Ocean Image Bank.

  • Ocean Observatories News: Summer at Sea: Three Arrays Turned: This summer has been a busy time for OOI’s teams, who are actively engaged in ensuring that OOI’s arrays continue to provide data 24/7. Teams are turning – recovering and deploying – three arrays during July and August. The first expedition occurred earlier in July when a scientific and engineering team spent 16 days in the Northeast Pacific recovering and deploying ocean observing equipment at the Global Station Papa Array. The team recovered three subsurface moorings and deployed three new ones. They also deployed one open ocean glider, recovered one profiling glider, and conducted 11 CTD casts (which measure conductivity, temperature, and depth) to calibrate and validate the instruments on the array. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2021/08/summer-at-sea-three-arrays-turned/
  • New NOAA Climate Council to enhance delivery of climate science and services: NOAA announced the creation of a new NOAA Climate Council, which will leverage the agency’s resources and expertise in support of the whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis. The Climate Council is composed of senior leaders at the highest levels from across the agency, and provides recommendations to the NOAA Administrator on the agency’s climate-related mission, resource, and policy priorities. By coordinating climate work across NOAA and partners, the Council will strengthen NOAA’s climate services and bolster existing coordination activities. The Council will ensure that critical environmental information and services provided by NOAA to the American people keep pace with increasing demand and are delivered effectively and equitably to all communities. Read more here: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/new-noaa-climate-council-to-enhance-delivery-of-climate-science-and-services 
  • Help us fill the gaps! Do you have ocean mapping data to share? Let us know at https://iocm.noaa.gov/data-sharing/provider-engagement-form.html. Your contribution is more important now than ever, as it will support U.S. national mapping strategies, The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO global Seabed 2030 Project to map 100% of the ocean floor, and many other activities. Seafloor mapping of U.S. oceans, coastal zones, and the Great Lakes is a critical element of NOAA’s mission. These data are key to a vibrant maritime economy, providing the scientific foundation for applications such as habitat mapping and restoration, seafood production, tourism and recreation, climate adaptation strategies and coastal flood mitigation.
  • OCS Participates in Joint Hydrographic Center Annual Review: NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) participated in the NOAA-University of New Hampshire (UNH) Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC) Annual Review, which included an online audience of over 90 NOAA, university, and partner government agency representatives. JHC began the review by dedicating and naming their conference room as the RDML Rick Brennan Conference Room. NOS’s acting deputy assistant administrator, Paul Scholz, and OCS’s acting director, Kathryn Ries, offered opening remarks, noting the importance of the ongoing 22-year NOAA-UNH partnership in hydrographic and ocean mapping technology and education. The review included an overview of the center's accomplishments during the past year, detailed presentations on four JHC projects, and a presentation of JHC’s uncrewed surface vessel project. Other presentation topics included water column mapping, a new undergraduate course in ocean mapping, and ongoing cartographic research.
  • First xGEOID Model Jointly Computed by U.S., Canada, and Mexico Submitted to International Service for the Geoid: In June the xGEOID20 model—the first gravimetric geoid model jointly computed by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey, the Canadian Geodetic Survey of Natural Resource Canada, and National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico—was submitted to the International Service for the Geoid (ISG). The ISG is a service of the International Association of Geodesy that collects geoid estimates worldwide, when possible validates them, and disseminates them to the scientific community upon request. The submission of this new xGEOID model is the culmination of years of collaboration and joint data processing between the 3 national geodetic agencies for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; and heralds a new level of accuracy and interoperation among the geospatial data models used by all three. The xGEOID20 covers the entire region of North America, including the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii; the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands; and neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico. The new model—an essential piece of geodetic infrastructure—will provide improved accuracy and data for navigation, positioning, and enable the myriad of applications of geodesy including autonomous navigation, precision agriculture, civil surveying, early warning systems for hazards, and improved floodplain mapping.
  • NOS Releases Annual Report on High Tide Flooding: NOS released the 2021 State of High Tide Flooding and Annual Outlook report. The report shows that coastal communities across the U.S. saw record-setting high tide flooding last year, a trend that is expected to continue. High waters affect coastal residents, economies, and crucial infrastructure like waste and stormwater systems. The report documents changes in high-tide flooding patterns from May 2020 to April 2021 at 98 NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. coast. It also provides a flooding outlook for May 2021 to April 2022 and projections for the next several decades for those locations.
  • CO-OPS Reinstalls Springmaid Pier NWLON Station: A Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) field team successfully reinstalled the Springmaid Pier National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) station in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The previous station was destroyed in 2016 by Hurricane Matthew. Springmaid Pier is one of the few East Coast NWLON stations on an ocean-facing shoreline, critical for providing unobstructed water level and meteorological data, especially during hurricane season. The new permanent station includes primary and backup water level sensors, as well as a barometer and sensors for wind, water temperature, and air temperature. It now sits on a pier reinforced with steel and concrete, rather than timber, which fortify it to withstand future hurricanes.
  • NOAA Releases Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast: NOAA and Ohio Sea Grant released their annual Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast. The forecast gives coastal managers, lake users, and drinking water facility operators a sense of the potential severity of the upcoming bloom season. NOAA and its research partners predict western Lake Erie will experience a harmful algal bloom this summer measuring 3 on the severity index, with a potential range of 2 to 4.5. The severity index is based on bloom's biomass — the amount of its harmful or toxic algae — over a sustained period. Blooms over 5 have substantive impacts, with noticeable areas of scum, and have larger areas and duration of impact. Blooms over 7 are particularly severe, with extensive scum formation coverage. NCCOS launched a new website to provide biweekly forecast analysis and daily visualizations.
  • Now Available: Enhanced Gulf of Mexico HAB Forecasting: NOAA’s newly enhanced harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasts are now available to the public in real time. The forecasts are higher resolution and provide hourly observations at the individual beach level. Analysis of "red tide" algal bloom locations and reported impacts are now automated, and reports include forecasts of potential development, intensification, transport, and impacts of algal blooms. These forecasts are available via the interactive dashboard on the NCCOS Gulf of Mexico Forecast website, or users can subscribe to HAB Alerts. Emails will be sent to subscribers when a bloom forms, weekly during a bloom, and when bloom conditions change.
  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:
  • RFP: Request for Pre-Proposals for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Analogues: ClimateWorks Foundation and Ocean Visions has released a request for proposals (RFP) to help close key knowledge gaps to advance ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Ocean-based CDR approaches have the potential to capture significant amounts of CO2. Ocean Visions’ road maps to accelerate the development and testing of ocean-based CDR approaches have identified the critical role of small, controlled field trials as a next key in providing real-world evidence of carbon sequestration potential, environmental co-benefits, and environmental risks. Together, ClimateWorks Foundation and Ocean Visions seek to award up to two, 18-month grants to evaluate the effectiveness and environmental impacts of ocean-based CDR approaches via the study of field-based analogues. Submission deadline: Pre-proposals are due by August 11, 2021. For more information, see https://oceanvisions.org/request-for-proposals-ocean-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-analogues/ 
  • FY2022-2023 Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship Request for Proposals: NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2022 - 2023 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship request for proposals. This program offers graduate students admitted to or enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program the opportunity to conduct estuarine research within a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Davidson fellowship supports research projects that help scientists and communities understand the coastal challenges that will likely influence future policy and management strategies, and offers professional development opportunities geared to build the next generation of coastal professionals. NOAA is committed to reaching applicants from minority serving institutions, and to partnering with these universities for collaborative science initiatives and fellowship opportunities within the research reserves. NOAA will award one fellowship at each of the 29 reserves in the national system. Each two-year project will employ the tenets of collaborative research, including engaging end-users, incorporating multi-disciplinary perspectives, and ensuring outcomes are applicable to local coastal resource management needs and decision-making. The fellowship honors the legacy of Margaret A. Davidson, a true visionary and pioneer in the field of coastal resource management. Applications are due December 10th, 2021. A link to the request for proposals can be found here. Additional information about the program can be found on our website.
  • Understanding multi-stressor impacts on marine ecosystems under climate change: NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Competitive Research Program (CRP), the NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO), and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), in partnership with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), are soliciting proposals to understand the combined impacts of multiple stressors on the function and health of marine ecosystems within the context of climate change. This information will be used to improve place-based management of marine protected areas and enable the proactive protection of these critical ecosystems under future climate scenarios. Applications are due January 18, 2022.  Click here for full details and how to apply. 

Delivering the Benefits:

  • Hypoxia off the PNW Shelf: Several NANOOS and partner buoys have been and still are recording widespread hypoxia over the coastal shelf of WA and OR. We summarized some of these oxygen observations in the presentation for NOAA West Watch (see item 2 below), and contributed to an article published by NOAA detailing their observations on a west-coast wide cruise. You can also view both LiveOcean and J-SCOPE forecast model projections for oxygen. We have concern that the hypoxia is so widespread and early in the year. 
  • Monitoring Ocean Acidification in Caribbean Coral Reefs: Since 2008, a NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) buoy has been positioned in La Parguera, Puerto Rico where it collects data for scientists studying the chemistry, biology, geology, and physics of the Caribbean Sea. A recent NOAA video available in English and in Spanish explains the impact of increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ocean acidification on ocean chemistry and on marine life in our oceans. Read more and find the video here!
  • Chukchi whale glider: The 2021 Chukchi Whale Glider mission is underway! A Slocum autonomous underwater glider was launched on July 12 in the Chukchi Sea. The glider has acoustic sensors to detect the occurrence of several species of marine mammals, and also sensors to measure oceanographic data such as temperature, salinity, chlorophyll fluorescence, and turbidity. The resulting data will be used to study relationships between the distribution of Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals and the oceanography of the Chukchi Sea. See what marine mammals the glider has detected on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution website and the oceanographic data on the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer.
  • New GFS wave model on AOOS portal: The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model GSM v16 implementation was completed 2021 and is now available on the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer. The model includes a one-way coupling of atmospheric model with Global Wave Model (WaveWatch III). The Global Forecast System (GFS) is a global numerical weather prediction system containing a global computer model and variational analysis run by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS). The GFS is run four times a day, and produces forecasts for up to 16 days in advance. The forecast component uses the FV3 model with a resolution of ~13 km. In the vertical, the model is divided into 127 vertical layers. It produces forecast output every hour for the first 120 hours, then every 3 hours for days 5-16.
  • Funding to Assess Ocean Acidification Vulnerability in Hawaii: NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program awarded a multi-disciplinary team of researchers with $1 million in grant funding to Assess Current and Future Ocean Acidification and Climate Vulnerabilities Along the Hawaiian Archipelago. Dr. Christopher Sabine, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) Associate Dean for Research and Professor in the Department of Oceanography, serves as the lead Principal Investigator. PacIOOS co-investigator Dr. Brian Powell and PacIOOS Researcher Dr. Tobias Friedrich will support the assessment by combining state-of-the-art climate, regional, and coral reef ecosystem models to produce projections of the frequency, duration, spatial variability and severity of ocean acidification related stress in the Hawaiian Islands for the period 2020-2070. Data and synthesis results from this 3-year project will be made available through PacIOOS’ data services.
  • New reports available:

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • NANOOS participates in NOAA West Watch: This webinar summarizes coastal environmental conditions and impacts in the Western Region, including contributed updates from NANOOS, CeNCOOS, and SCCOOS. A focus of the July edition from NANOOS was the recent hypoxia off the coast and higher than normal temperatures in two areas: coastal ocean buoy temperatures during the recent land-based heat wave were greater than 2 standard deviations warmer than average, but the anomaly was short-lived; and there is a marine heatwave well offshore in the NE Pacific. We have heard reports of dead crab, fish, and shellfish from these low  oxygen and high temperature conditions. Slides are available from our website. If you are not on the mailing list and want to attend, let us know. 
  • SCCOOS Stakeholder Survey: SCCOOS is often asked about the value of the data and information services we provide our users. Together with the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) we are sponsoring a survey of users to learn about how valuable the data and information is. We have engaged the Center for the Blue Economy of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey to help with this project, and we would like to ask you to assist by responding to the survey.  The survey can be accessed here.  It will take about 3 minutes to respond.  Your answers will be kept confidential by the research team, who will report on aggregated responses from SCCOOS and other observing systems. If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact the research team leader, Dr. Charles Colgan at ccolgan@middlebury.edu.
  • Making Biological Data Accessible: Making biological information fully interoperable is essential to informing policy and management on the scales needed to address expanding human pressures on marine resources, coastal development and climate change. It’s a difficult task because the research is so varied — covering everything from habitat features to biotic measurements to metadata about sampling methods. Read more on this story from GCOOS here. 

Click here to view the IOOS Association Calendar

Do you have suggestions for new things you would like to see in the Eyes on the Ocean IOOS Bi-Weekly? Contact us at: eoto@noaa.gov.

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