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:

Hello IOOS Community,

Happy new year everyone. We are excited to send out the first Eyes on the Ocean newsletter of 2019 and to be back to work after the end of the shutdown due to a lapse in government appropriations. We are working hard to catch up on lost time, move forward with FY19 execution, and continue FY20 planning. 

This is a good time to remind you that IOOS program information is available through our website which includes links to partners and data which is accessible through https://www.ioos.us/ and our regional data portals. Our partners have been diligently ensuring data flows persist even when we are offline at the program office.

Best wishes,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • Delay with Processing Grants Financial Invoicing, Procurement Releases and Initiating New Awards: NOAA Grants Management Division (GMD) is experiencing a major processing backlog due to the Commerce Business Services (CBS) database is down. Repairs for this critical database system will take 2 - 3 weeks to fix. GMD is unable to forward or process funded actions, financial closeouts, no-cost extensions, procurement requests and extensions to closeouts submitted via Grants Online. Unfunded actions, such as satisfy Special Award Conditions (SAC), re-budget requests, foreign travel, subawards, changes in PI, performance progress report, and revise work plans can be processed by GMD. We appreciate your patience as NOAA Finance work to quickly restore full service. Questions can be directed to Debra Esty, debra.esty@noaa.gov.

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • High Frequency (HF) Radar/Radio: (IOOS national coordinator, Jack Harlan; Jack.Harlan@noaa.gov):
    • No update.
  • Gliders (IOOS POC LCDR Benjamin LaCour, Benjamin.Lacour@noaa.gov):
    • Call For Abstracts: 8th EGO Meeting & International Glider Workshop: The European (EGO) and US (UG2) autonomous underwater glider user groups are coming together to host the 8th EGO Meeting and International Glider Workshop. The goal of the meeting is to strengthen international collaboration through community dialogue, exchanges of information, sharing of experiences, and development of best practices to support the glider community. This international meeting will offer a mix of presentations, panels, breakout groups, poster sessions, and open community dialog. It will provide a forum in which scientists, engineers, students and industry can exchange knowledge and experiences on the development of glider technology, the application of gliders in oceanographic research and the role of gliders in ocean observing systems. Abstracts are due February 11th and can be submitted through the meetings website. 
  • Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) (National Coordinator Bill Woodward, Bill.Woodward@noaa.gov):
    • Emerging California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) Biological Observation Group: One outcome of the recent ATN-MBON-OTN Santa Cruz Workshop was the creation of a group that will maintain momentum generated at the Workshop towards defining the requirements for a sustained West Coast Biological Observing System including the key scientific questions that need answering and identifying what is the baseline for measuring biological change. The group, which includes 12 leading US West Coast biological scientists, met in December and is drafting their Terms of Reference which will frame some initial vision points for a collaborative biological observation network that will complement existing capabilities. 
    • Argos Satellite Fees: The ATN Program to pay the Argos satellite fees for marine animal tracking researchers is now supporting 10 programs and 172 tags. More info on that program is available at https://atn.ioos.us/help/argos/.
    • NERACOOS ATN-MBON-OTN Workshop Planning Update: We’ve kicked off planning for our NERACOOS ATN-MBON-OTN Workshop, to be held in New Hampshire in late spring. A planning committee is now in place and a draft agenda has been prepared.

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

  • QARTOD (National Coordinator Mark Bushnell, mark.bushnell@noaa.gov):
    • Real-Time QC Workshop for pH Observations: A real-time QC workshop for pH observations has been proposed as an auxiliary event at the Association for the Sciences of Limnology & Oceanography 2019 aquatic sciences meeting in Puerto Rico during the week of 2/25/19 – 3/1/18. 

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

  • No update.

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov):
    • Webinar - New technology for old problems: Exploring the use of eDNA in the reserve system: When: Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 3-4 PM EST. Speaker: Alison Watts. Environmental DNA (eDNA), or DNA present in an environmental sample, is emerging as a powerful tool to detect species present in an ecosystem without having to actually capture and identify individual organisms. Fish, invertebrates, and other animals shed DNA, through fragments of tissue and reproductive and waste products, into the environment in which they live. We will present initial results from a pilot eDNA monitoring program being developed and tested at several National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) sites in New England and Oregon. Sampling is conducted in coordination with traditional monitoring programs to validate species identification and detection limits. This webinar is an opportunity for the research team to engage reserves that are considering eDNA monitoring, and compare notes with other researchers and natural resource managers that are using eDNA approaches. Click here to register.
  • OceanObs’19 Updates and Planning:   
    • OceanObs’19 Call for Breakout Session Leads and Proposals: The OceanObs’19 organizers are seeking community leaders for the thematic Breakout Sessions during the conference. We are seeking nominations and proposals by no later than February 20, with limited exceptions for U.S. Federal employees pending the duration of government closure. Nominations for session leaders should include a one-page proposal outlining the core focus of the chosen Breakout Session including an overview of the approach, expected outcomes, and benefits. Find more instructions here.
    • Interested In Exhibiting At OceanObs’19? Applications for potential exhibitors are open! OceanObs’19 is interested in exhibits demonstrating ocean observing systems in action. Anything thing ranging from dynamic displays that connect attendees, in real-time, to instruments and platforms at sea to static displays of hardware are welcome. Modeling results and simulations with real-world impact interpretive elements are also encouraged. For more information on exhibits at OceanObs’19 and to apply, check out the website here. 
    • OceanObs’19: Registration Is Now Open! For more information on fees, deadlines, posters, and event registration, visit here. Early bird registration closes March 1.
  • Registration now open! US CLIVAR Sea Level Rise Workshop: An East Coast Sea Level Rise workshop, “Sea Level Hotspots from Florida to Maine: Drivers, impacts, and Adaptation”, will be held in Norfork, VA April 23-25, 2019. From Florida to Maine, coastal communities are on the frontline of climate change. Regional “hot spots” for sea level change and variability can be found up and down the coast, where highly populated and developed areas are vulnerable to tidal and episodic flooding. Studies show that flooding events have been increasing in frequency and intensity, and are projected to further accelerate with sea level rise. Planning and adaptation efforts to improve coastal resilience are already in place in large urban areas such as New York City, Miami, and others. But are these plans sufficient, and what best practices can be shared with other communities? This workshop provides an avenue to discuss the drivers, impacts, and adaptation to sea level changes from Florida to Maine, with a focus on benefiting community efforts and enhancing collaboration. The workshop will bring together the scientific community, decision makers, and coastal stakeholders to discuss the state-of-the-art of knowledge about sea level changes in the region. More info here. 
  • TPOS 2020 Second Report Draft Released: The Tropical Pacific Observing System 2020 (TPOS 2020) Project released its Second Report draft for community review Friday, February 1, 2019. TPOS 2020 released its First Report in 2016 and the Second Report builds on that document. It updates the evolving design of the Backbone observing system, drawing on new research and evidence including feedback received on the First Report, and responds to gaps identified by sponsors of the Project. If you would like to be a reviewer of the Second Report, please find it on the TPOS 2020 website, along with the Review Template. To receive a direct link via email, please contact tpos2020@gmail.com or shelby.brunner@noaa.gov. Please provide all comments by February 28, 2019.
  • The Argo Program Celebrates 2 Million Profiles! On Monday, December 10th, Argo partners were joined by NOAA OAR's Craig McLean and RDML Tim Gallaudet to celebrate the remarkable achievement of recording two million profiles. The cake cutting ceremony was well attended at NOAA's booth at the AGU Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C. Argo Director, Breck Owens spoke about the history of the 20 year old ocean observing program and its journey in revolutionizing oceanography. An article commemorating this achievement has been posted to the NOAA Research website, and shared on Facebook and Twitter with more than 85 impressions. Congratulations to all of our Argo partners on reaching this milestone, and we are excited for the future of the Argo Program.
  • 2019 Emerging Technologies Workshop Rescheduled: The NOAA Observing Systems Council (NOSC), in coordination with the NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council and NOAA Research Council, has postponed the third annual Emerging Technologies Workshop (ETW) from March 19-20 to some time in the May - June time frame.  This free event in College Park, MD will feature NOAA and industry-led presentations on leveraging new technology to advance NOAA’s observing systems portfolio. Abstracts are still welcome until February 15, and may even be extended later than that date. For information on 2019 registration, topic areas, abstract submissions for NOAA-funded technologies, and more click here to visit the NOSC website.
  • NOAA Sea Grant Opportunities: 
  • Launch of the European Atlas of Marine Life: EMODnet Biology is proud to unveil a new and innovative showcase of key marine biology data products. The European Atlas of Marine Life presents a range of products, including abundance maps and trends for Atlantic Copepods, fish, birds, mammals, zooplankton and phytoplankton species, traits-based maps of macrobenthic and fish functional groups, an analysis of thermal niches occupied by marine species groups, and maps showing the occurrence of marine invasive species in European waters, along with many more. This gallery of products will continue to grow, as new analyses are done by EMODnet Biology partners and the wider community. Discover the Atlas of Marine Life.
  • 2019 International Indian Ocean Science Conference Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 11-15 March 2019: The IOC PPO and Nelson Mandela University (NMU) are pleased to announce that they will co-host the third annual International Indian Ocean Science Conference (IIOSC) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 11-15 March 2019. The conference, which will be held at NMU in Port Elizabeth, will attract up to 90 leading ocean scientists from around the world. The five-day conference will include the annual meetings of the 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) Steering Committee, Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS), Indian Ocean Region Panel (IORP), Sustained Indian Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (SIBER), Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS) Review, IndOOS Resource Forum (IRF) and IOC Regional Committee for the Central Indian Ocean. It will also showcase NMU's new Ocean Sciences Campus as well as the work of  researchers across the Western Indian Ocean region. Look out for updates on the IIOE-2 website. 

Delivering the Benefits:

  • Successful Recovery 800NM Offshore: In October 2018, PacIOOS' wave buoy off Tanapag, Saipan, broke free from its mooring in 20-25ft seas during Super Typhoon Yutu. Rough storm and ocean conditions prevented a speedy recovery, allowing the buoy to drift west in the Philippine Sea. Read the full story here!
  • New HFR for mid-Atlantic: First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach is home to the newest HF Radar in the MARACOOS network! The site is operated by MARACOOS partner Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography at ODU.  
  • New Acidification Sensors Added to a Buoy in the Gulf of Mexico: New acidification sensors were integrated into the COMPS C12 buoy located 70 nautical miles offshore of Tampa Bay. This new suite of sensors provides real-time measurements to connect the dots between the Tampa Bay monitoring system and what happens offshore. Read more here.
  • Tsunami Evacuation Maps on Your Smartphone: NANOOS, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, has a new (free!) smartphone app showing Pacific Northwest evacuation zones. Whether you are a coastal resident or just taking a trip to the coast, you can use the app to see if you are in a tsunami evacuation zone, plan your evacuation routes, and download published evacuation brochures. If you are logged into your myNANOOS account, all your places will be saved automatically! Oregon residents can create custom brochures centered on their area of interest. The app is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.  Read this on the NANOOS site here.
  • CARICOOS Collaboration with PRAGWATER: CARICOOS has been providing wind speed, air temperature and relative humidity data to Pureto Rico Agricultural Water Management (PRAGWATER), which are incorporated into their operational water and energy balance model for Puerto Rico, GOES-PRWEB. The daily results are available to the public at: https://pragwater.com/goes-puerto-rico-water-and-energy-balance-goes-web-algorithm/. Read more about this product and their partners here.
  • ADAC AIS PAC Data Portal demonstration workshops: AOOS and Axiom hosted two demonstration workshops on the ADAC AIS PAC (AIS for Prioritizing Arctic Charting) on Nov 9 in Anchorage, and Nov 15 in Juneau. Those attending included the project steering committee and stakeholder groups interested in using AIS data for a variety of applications. Jessica Austin (Axiom) and Carol (AOOS) ran the workshops while seeking stakeholder feedback on developing data products for the portal, which is now public (Please visit http://aoos.org/ais-4-bathy/ for more details on this project).
  • Nominate Yourself — or Your Favorite Colleague — for the GCOOS Board: Nominations are now open for the GCOOS Board of Directors. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. (CST), Friday, March 1, 2019; Ballots will be sent out for a vote on Friday, March 15, 2019; Voting ends at close of business, Friday, March 29, 2019. Nomination Details & Info.

Congressional:

    • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • 2017 Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview: A comprehensive look at Puget Sound marine conditions for the year 2017 is now available. Physical, chemical, and biological information, ranging from large-scale climate variations to local biota monitoring, is summarized to provide a thorough overview of conditions in Puget Sound and the surrounding area during 2017. Read more and download the report here.
  • CeNCOOS Director to speak at Winter 2019 AOS Seminar Series: Dr. Henry Ruhl, CeNCOOS, will speak on "Aligning strategic priorities, science and technology developments, and the operation of the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS)" at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Winter 2019 Applied Ocean Sciences (AOS) Seminar series tomorrow February 7th, 2019.
  • Matt Howard Scholarship Fund - Seeking Donations: It's been a year since the death of GCOOS founding staff member Matt Howard. In 2018, GCOOS established the Howard Scholarship Fund to support oceanography and data management students who embody Matt’s dedication to collaboration and his visionary data management practices. To begin awarding scholarship support, we first need to grow the fund. Donate Now.
  • GCOOS Educating the Educators: GCOOS partner Natures Academy hosted an EPA Gulf of Mexico Program-funded workshop targeting informal and formal educators Feb. 1-2 at their field classroom in Ft. DeSoto State Park, FL. Participants learned how to play and facilitate The Watershed Game, a tool designed to foster collaboration throughout the watershed to manage challenges like excessive nutrients and sediment loads. Read more here: https://gcoos.org/teaching-teachers/
  • New Infographic: Ocean Acidification Impacts to California’s Living Marine Resources
    Developed by Ocean Science Trust in collaboration with UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab and the California Ocean Protection Council, January 2019 Download the infographic here: http://www.oceansciencetrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/OST-OA-Impacts-Infographic-Final.pdf

    Newsworthy:

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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