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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

As Tropical Storm Elsa barrels along the Eastern U.S. seaboard dropping heavy rain and creating dangerous surf conditions, I’d like to take a moment to point you to the various IOOS Hurricane Data Resources available that help us keep our eyes on the storm. CARICOOS, SECOORA, GCOOS, and MARACOOS all have some great data dashboards and information available to keep you informed on Atlantic storms and check out PacIOOS for Pacific storms. Ahead of TS Elsa, SECOORA had USF glider “Stella” in the water capturing water column information. Data from gliders allow forecasters and scientists to improve predictions of the storm’s potential intensity. Stella is not just for hurricanes though. Her primary mission is gathering data for red tide forecasting.  Gliders are incredibly adaptable platforms that can be used for multiple purposes at the same time.  Collaborations like these are key to maximizing the benefits of the hurricane glider program every year.

Speaking of collaborations, I recently participated in the MARACOOS launch event for a brand new High Frequency (HF) Radar installed on Lewes Beach, DE. MARACOOS is a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, a designation which recognizes MARACOOS' role in supporting communities--through MARACOOS' provision of data and information products--to be prepared for and be more resilient in the face of extreme weather events. The installation of this HF Radar illustrates the important partnerships MARACOOS fosters  to provide ocean information and data products to communities and decision makers. The launch event was a great success that amplified MARACOOS’ exposure and highlighted the productive nature of collaborative partnerships. Read more about the event here and congratulations to MARACOOS. 

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • IOOS Annual Guidance Memorandum (AGM) brief to NOS Science Board: Hassan Moustahfid, IOOS Office delivered a presentation on the IOOS AGM Planning cycle process and focus areas for FY 22 to the NOS Science Board. NSB members discussed coordination with NERRS and with Sanctuaries as we develop the Marine Life program. 

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov): 
    • Congratulations to MARACOOS on the launch of their latest oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) at Lewes Beach, Delaware!  A dedication ceremony was held on Friday, June 25, 2021 on the beach with remarks delivered by (in speaking order):  Gerhard Kuska (MARACOOS Executive Director), Ted Becker (Mayor of Lewes, DE), Robin Morgan (University of Delaware Provost), Stephen Smyk (Delaware House of Representatives), Shawn Garvin (Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control), Tom Carper (United States Senator for Delaware), Louis Uccellini (Director of NOAA’s National Weather Service), and Carl Gouldman (U.S. IOOS Office Director).  This new HFR significantly increases the IOOS Surface Current Program’s coverage in the Delaware Bay, providing surface current velocity and wave data that will benefit forecast models and data products that directly support U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue, National Weather Service forecasting, NOAA’s navigation services to Delaware pilots and mariners, oil spill and pollution tracking, and recreational boaters and sailors.
  • Gliders (IOOS POC Kathleen Bailey, kathleen.bailey@noaa.gov; Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) POC Bill Lingsch, bill.lingsch@noaa.gov); Click here to join UG2: 
    • 2021 Hurricane Glider Deployments: As part of the coordinated hurricane glider effort, IOOS RAs, AOML and WHOI, alongside academic partners, OCOVI, and the Navy have deployed 12 ocean gliders to date during this 2021 hurricane season, with many more planned.  These particular community gliders are traversing targeted areas in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Gulf Stream and contribute temperature/salinity profiles through the IOOS Glider DAC to the NOAA Real-time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) for data assimilation.  The new data assimilative RTOFS is providing the initial conditions for the 2021 coupled regional hurricane forecast models, and is representing many of the essential ocean features important for hurricane forecasts.  Data impact analyses are ongoing, however early analyses conducted by Rutgers in coordination with NWS partners indicate the glider data are having a significant positive impact on RTOFS, further improving the vertical structure of the essential ocean features beyond what is currently achieved through satellite data alone.  Our partners expect to deploy many more gliders throughout the remainder of the hurricane season in critical areas, including the South Atlantic and Mid Atlantic Bights. These deployments are made possible by funding from OMAO, OAR/GOMO, AOML, and IOOS.
      • UG2 Webinars: Please submit interest to brief for the upcoming August series that includes glider sensors and/or operational lessons learned. Please contact Bill Lingsch, bill.lingsch@noaa.gov if you’d like to provide a briefing!
      • UG2 Steering Committee Update: The UG2 Steering Committee has begun initial planning for a 2022 glider workshop.  A committee for the workshop will be established to include UG2 members.
    • ATN Data Assembly Center among Recommended Data Repositories for Offshore Wind Energy Developers: A report has been prepared by the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) in the course of performing work contracted for and sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). This NYSERDA report, currently in press, is intended to facilitate transparency and sharing of non-proprietary environmental data for offshore wind (OSW) energy development, including projects selling power to the State, by reviewing key wildlife-focused databases to which data owners can submit their raw data or derived data products.  The Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) Data Assembly Center is included in a list of 15 databases that are recommended as primary or secondary repositories for different types of raw data generated by OSW developers and their contractors. Other recommended databases include OBIS-SEAMAP, Ocean Tracking Network, Motus Database, Seabird Tracking Database, NCEI Passive Acoustic Monitoring Archive and the National Database for Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges. 
    • New Paper from the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy: An ecological assessment of large coastal shark communities in South Florida   Abigail M. Tinari, Neil Hammerschlag https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569121002556?dgcid=author or https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105772  This paper presents the results from standardized surveys of large coastal sharks off South Florida, ranging from Miami through the middle Florida Keys. It is a culmination of research that began in 2009 that has been supported by many amazing individuals. Spatial, seasonal & environmental patterns in shark abundance, species composition, & size/sex structure were examined. In total, we surveyed 3,398 sharks of 15 species. The most common sharks surveyed were nurse, blacktip, bull, lemon, & great hammerhead. While the composition of species off Miami and in the Keys are generally similar, we found clear species-specific differences. Habitat type and depth emerged as the most important environmental factors affecting abundances and sizes of the shark species surveyed. Management zones with the most restrictive fishing regulations generally supported higher abundances of shark. These data serve as a baseline for future monitoring of shark populations in South Florida and assessing their response to future environmental change.
    • Animal Telemetry Featured in British Ecological Society, Methods in Ecology and Evolution Issue: Animal Telemetry made the cover of the June 2021 Issue of the British Ecological Society, Methods in Ecology and Evolution – photo by Rob Harcourt, Macquarie University.  This issue contains the community paper led by Ana Sequeira:  A standardisation framework for bio‐logging data to advance ecological research and conservation, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2021, Sequeira, AMM, & 41 co-authors
    • Applications open! MBON Plankton Workshops: On October 13-14, 2021, MBON will host three online workshops titled: "Plankton ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and forecasting - research requirements and applications".  The full call with participant application information can be found here: https://eqmh.github.io/MBON-Plankton-Workshop/. As the ocean changes, the many ecosystem functions of plankton - their biodiversity, distribution, nutrient and carbon flows, timing of life stages and blooms - change in ways that also alter ecosystem services that other organisms, including humans, depend on. There is a need to better understand and predict how these ecosystem functions of the plankton community change on different time scales. This series of virtual workshops brings scientists together to provide an overview on the state-of-the-art of field, lab and modelling approaches used to study plankton biodiversity and discuss data needs for improving our understanding on the value of plankton, its functions and ecosystem services. Each workshop will gather a diverse group of around 25 participants, each with recognized expertise in their field of interest from the following disciplines: oceanography, theoretical ecology, data science, citizen science, socioeconomics, art, policy. 
    • New MBON-SCAR Memorandum of Agreement announced: A new agreement recognizes the ongoing cooperation between MBON, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and the SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal.  The groups share a common goal to systematically assess the state & trends in the ocean’s #biodiversity and how these will change in the future. Find more information here: https://marinebon.org/pages/mou_scar_mbon/ 

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

  • DMAC Annual Meeting - Feedback Survey and Presentations Now Available: Thank you for attending the virtual 2021 IOOS DMAC Annual Meeting! Your feedback is vital to help us to improve future meetings by completing the post-meeting evaluation. The survey should take about 5 minutes to complete and can be found at here 2021 IOOS DMAC Annual Meeting Evaluation. The final meeting agenda has been posted to the IOOS DMAC website and links to the presentations have been included. On behalf of the IOOS Program Office DMAC Team, thank you for your time and contributions at the meeting, as well as for your constructive feedback.
    • 5-Year QARTOD Plan: A working group to assist in drafting the next 5-year QARTOD plan (2022-2026) convened for a brief kick-off meeting on 28 June. 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. Ten subject matter experts have kindly stepped forward so far, but there’s room for a few more. Contact Mark if you’d like to participate.
    • Ocean Best Practice System Update: Within OBPS Work Packages, task teams are formed when a topic is identified which requires external volunteers.  Task teams have well defined objectives, durations and outcomes. The first OBPS Task Team to be created was TT 21-01: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in Ocean Best Practices Development (see https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/about/task-teams/). The team is working on a paper to be presented at the IEEE / MTS OCEANS  2021 conference in September.

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

  • NOAA Annual FVCOM Workshop: The annual FVCOM workshop took place June 23rd and 24th. Participants included FVCOM developers from academia and coastal ocean modelers from NOAA. Presentations covered topics on FVCOM applications, development, and improvements. 
  • COMT Presentation to UFS Coastal Application Team: Tracy Fanara, IOOS Office provided a presentation on COMT to the Unified Forecast System - Coastal Application Team (focused on water quantity) at their monthly meeting. The goal of the Coastal Application Team is to define the architecture of coastal modeling and prediction systems that will be part of NOAA’s operational suite running on the NWS High Performance Computing operational systems.

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. 
    • The G7’s FSOI Working Group Agree on Way Forward to Strengthen Sustained Ocean Observing Systems: The G7 FSOI (Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative) held its 2021 Working Group meeting through a 3-day series of virtual sessions hosted by the UK G7 Presidency from 28-30 June 2021. Delegations from Canada, the European Commission,  France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US met to agree on the way forward with a set of joint G7 ocean actions aimed at strengthening the sustained ocean observing system including the key activities agreed as part of the G7 Ocean Decade Navigation Plan. Read more here: https://www.en.portnews.ru/news/315286/
  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) News:
    • Scoping the new Pioneer Array in the Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight: A very engaged group of participants spent the week of June 21st thinking about how to optimize the Pioneer Array for its relocation to the southern Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) in 2024. The five-day Innovations Lab, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) was led by the OOIFB (Ocean Observatories Initiative Facilities Board), a talented team of “Sparks”, Knowinnovation, Inc. (KI), and expertly supported by the OOI Facility. The group identified a range of representative interdisciplinary science questions that can be addressed using the Pioneer Array within the MAB and proposed optimum locations and potential configurations for the array. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2021/06/scoping-the-new-pioneer-array-in-the-southern-mid-atlantic-bight/ 
    • OOI Rolls Out Initial QARTOD Tests: As part of the ongoing the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) effort to improve data quality, OOI is implementing Quality Assurance of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) tests on an instrument-by-instrument basis. Led by the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS), the QARTOD effort draws on the ocean observing community to provide manuals, which outline and identify tests to evaluate data quality by variable and instrument type. Currently, OOI is focused on implementing the Gross Range and Climatology Tests for the variables associated with CTD, pH, and pCO2 sensors. Over the coming months tests will be applied to data collected by pressure sensors, bio-optical sensors, and dissolved oxygen sensors. Ultimately, where and when appropriate, QARTOD tests will be applied to the relevant variables for all OOI sensors. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2021/06/ooi-rolls-out-initial-qartod-tests/ 
  • Nominations Sought for Positions on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee: NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. MAFAC advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The Committee researches, evaluates, and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency policies that address science and regulatory programs critical to the mission and goals of the NOAA Fisheries Service. Nominations are being accepted through July 29, 2021. Full nomination instructions and guidelines are available on the Federal Register. Interested individuals can learn more about MAFAC, its work, current members, charter, subcommittees and task forces, and reports and advice by going HERE.  For questions or more information, please contact Heidi Lovett, MAFAC Assistant Director, heidi.lovett@noaa.gov. 
  • National Weather Service Survey Opportunity: NWS Hazard Messaging Headlines: On March 4, 2021, the National Weather Service (NWS) announced plans to change its hazard messaging headlines no earlier than calendar year 2024. The NWS is currently seeking public input on this change via a survey that will remain open until July 31st. At the heart of the change will be the removal of all "Advisory" headlines from the Watch, Warning, and Advisory system in favor of clear, plain language headlines focused on impact. These same plain language headlines will also replace current "Special Weather Statements" and will be equipped with Valid Time Event Code (VTEC). Additional details can also be found at the NWS Hazard Simplification Project website and the team can be contacted at hazsimp@noaa.gov.
  • NOS Releases Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Surveying and Mapping Projects in U.S. Waters for Coastal and Marine Data Acquisition: Last week, on June 25, NOS released the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Surveying and Mapping Projects in U.S. Waters for Coastal and Marine Data Acquisition in the Federal Register. The impact statement will, for a period of six years, analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with recurring surveying and mapping data collection projects that characterize submerged features in ocean, rivers, and lakes. As a part of the proposed action, NOS may use active acoustic equipment such as sub-bottom profilers, single beam and multibeam echo sounders, side-scan sonars, and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. The Draft PEIS will make compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental statutes more efficient across NOS surveying and mapping projects.  Publication in the Federal Register began the 60-day public comment period for the Draft PEIS, which ends on August 24, 2021.
  • Summer 2021 High Tide Bulletin Now Available: View the bulletin to see when you may experience higher than normal high tides for the period of time between June and August, 2021. Tides are the regular rise and fall of the sea surface caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and their position relative to the earth. There are some factors that cause the tides to be higher than what is "normally" seen from day to day. Depending on non-tidal conditions (wind, storms, etc.), regions may experience impacts before or after the dates mentioned here. Higher than normal high tides alone do not necessarily cause coastal flooding. However, they are becoming increasingly impactful due to continued sea level rise. High tide flooding that inundates busy streets, and washes out beaches is more likely to occur during these periods depending on your location along the coast. More severe flooding may result if adverse weather — heavy rains, strong wind or big waves — conditions are present. Read more here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/high-tide-bulletin/summer-2021/ 
  • Forecast Predicts Pathogenic Bacteria in Chesapeake Bay: NOAA’s models are predicting a Vibrio vulnificus bacteria occurrence in the Chesapeake Bay. From mid-June through late summer, the forecast provides up to a two-day-early warning of the probability of occurrence of Vibrio pathogens, enabling state officials to educate the public and reduce the risk of Vibrio infections by taking appropriate measures. The forecast shows when and where the pathogenic V. vulnificus is most likely to be found. Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in coastal waters, but certain species and strains can be harmful to human health. Some species can cause a skin infection when exposed to an open wound. NCCOS led development of the forecast models, and CO-OPS helped make the forecast operational. 
  • EuroGOOS Publishes Policy Brief Promoting Ocean Literacy: EuroGOOS has published a policy briefpromoting ocean literacy as an emerging priority in oceanography. The brief entitled ‘Ocean Literacy in European Oceanographic Agencies: EuroGOOS recommendations for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030’ is available for download here. As part of the Ocean Decade Lab on ‘Inspiring and Engaging Ocean’, EuroGOOS is hosting an activity today that will feature this latest policy brief and showcase several Ocean Literacy activities in Europe. They hope to inspire scientists to work closely with various sectors of society, among others, educators, communicators, journalists, and public authorities, embrace multi and trans-disciplinarity and inclusiveness in ocean knowledge and innovation, help exchange best practices, and promote blue careers. This event will help empower the Ocean Literacy communities of practice in transforming ocean knowledge into actions for sustainability through societal engagement.
  • Grants & Funding Opportunities:
    • RFP: Attending Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Science Courses: Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS or Drones) are rapidly growing components of research, assessment and monitoring of coastal regions within the US Southeast and Caribbean. SECOORA is seeking applications to sponsor up to six candidates from the U.S. Southeast and Caribbean region to attend three UAS executive education courses offered by the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Submissions are due at 5:00 PM ET on June 30, 2021. Read more about this RFP here. 
    • 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.

Delivering the Benefits:

  • GLOS's Seagull platform is set for a private beta release: Over the past six months, development has ramped up on Seagull, GLOS’ new platform for Great Lakes data and information. This beta will be accessible by a limited number of users starting in early July, with plans for a public beta set for September and the official launch in spring of 2022. Want to be notified about the public beta release? Click here. 
  • NERACOOS Report: A Hot Summer Is on Tap for the Gulf of Maine: NERACOOS has written up a special report discussing data and what it's telling us about how this ongoing marine heatwave is affecting temperatures throughout the water column in the Gulf of Maine.  Check it out here. 
  • Reef Check California Fish, Invertebrate, and Algae Observations Now Available: Kelp forest monitoring data generated by Reef Check California are now available on OBIS and GBIF, global biodiversity and biogeographic data sharing platforms that enable data discoverability and support research. Their data, collected by volunteer SCUBA divers, capture the density and size of nearshore fish, algae, and invertebrates at hundreds of sites along the California coast between 2006 and 2019. These data will also be available through the CeNCOOS and MBONdata portals shortly.
  • Watershed Monitoring in Pohnpei: In Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, the Conservation Society of Pohnpei has been collecting sediment data at Dausokole Bay for over ten years and continues to monitor the effects of sediment loads from soil run-off to Pohnpei's nearshore coral reef ecosystems. To support CSP's ongoing watershed management, PacIOOS is loaning a nearshore water quality sensor to the non-profit organization as part of the Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program. In addition, PacIOOS has provided a rain gauge to be installed at the summit of Nahnalaud, the highest peak of Pohnpei, to get a better understanding of the amount of rain water entering the system. Both sensors will provide critical data that may be utilized to guide informed decision-making by Pohnpei's watershed and coral reef management programs.
  • New reports available:

Congressional:

  • No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • Video! Spotter buoy handoff: CIGLR and University of Michigan SEAS worked with Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak to deploy a new spotter buoy in the Great Lakes.  Spotter buoys are expanding coverage of the Great Lakes and, with GLOS support, there will be as many as 20 out on the Lakes this summer. Sleeping Bear, in northeastern Lake Michigan, are now taking care of SPOT-1275. 
  • Video! New Ocean Acidification Video Released: A new video on Ocean Acidification, produced by Teal Hetrick at Southern Dipper Productions, was just released.  The video focuses on a new project that studies the effect of OA on pink salmon in Alaska. Watch the video here. 
  • Video! SCCOOS ED on Resilience:  Check out a recent presentation given by SCCOOS Executive Director Clarissa Anderson as part of Birch Aquarium at Scripps lecture series "Research for Resilience on a Changing Planet - Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System." Watch it on UCSD-TV.
  • New Marine Heatwave Curriculum Online:  Looking for a way to bring ocean data into the classroom? NANOOS provides a variety of lesson plans on their Education pages, including a new Marine Heatwave curriculum that was recently developed with the Technology Access Foundation for middle-school classes. NANOOS used the curricula with three 7th grade science classes at Saghalie Middle School; student comments were that they “enjoyed learning about marine heatwaves'' and that “the app was fun to use!” 
  • Expanding Community Flood Resilience Through Partnerships with U.S. IOOS Regional Associations: Coastal communities worldwide are struggling to manage increasing flooding, erosion, and sea level rise.  While the forcing for these threats is often global, the impacts vary significantly at the local scale necessitating high resolution data, models, and predictive tools to support local decision-making. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Regional Associations are well suited to work with local and national partners to meet community needs. The IOOS Regional Associations system provides a robust and tailored observing and modeling infrastructure for decision support.  Read more and see the poster here. 
  • CARICOOS dig in to NOAA's Digital Coast: CARICOOS CROP lead PI Yasmin Detres is helping coordinating a series of workshops for NOAA's "Dive into the Digital Coast" series for local government emergency management agencies.  This series helps communities find the right resources to address a variety of coastal management issues they may face. Look for CARICOOS content in the future!

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

  • OceanHackWeek 2021, 3 - 6 August 2021, Boothbay, ME and virtual: OceanHackWeek 2021 is a hands-on, interactive hybrid in-person and virtual workshop focused on data science and oceanography. It features four days of tutorials, data exploration, software development and community networking! This IOOS-supported event will have both in-person and remote options this year. The in-person event will take place at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, in East Boothbay, Maine, as an all-day workshop. The virtual event (led by University of Washington) will have formal daily activities over a period of up to 3 hours per day, tentatively in at least two time zones, PDT and Australian EST (UTC+10). Click here to apply, see (DEADLINE: June 14, 2021). Please see the FAQ on that page, and for additional questions please contact Emilio Mayorga, emiliom@uw.edu.
  • Polar Data Forum IV, 20 - 24 September 2021, The Hague and virtual: Polar Data Forum IV will be co-hosted online by the Royal Belgian institute of Natural Sciences and the European Polar Board (EPB) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in The Hague (NL) from September 20th to 24th, 2021. This event will be co-organized with the Second Southern Ocean Regional Workshop for the UN Ocean Decade and Hackathon and focus on the polar oceans. It will combine a two-day conference style meeting (September 23-24) in support of information exchange, with the remainder of the week using a “hackathon” approach that will build on the development work done in previous meetings and workshops (September 20-22). The forum registration deadline is September 10. More information and a link to the abstract submission system (abstracts due July 4) are available on the conference website: https://polar-data-forum.org/conference/abstracts/.  
  • MTS 14th Buoy Workshop, 25 - 27 October 2021, Wilmington, NC: The MTS 14th Buoy Workshop has been rescheduled for October 25 – 27, 2021 and will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina.  This year’s theme is Moored Systems for the Future. Areas and topics will include, but are not limited to: Ecosystems Monitoring, Long-Term Observing Systems, Reliability & Harsh Environments, Power Systems, Data, Sensors & Instrumentation, Mooring Design and Synergy.  Registration opens and the call for speakers begins April 15, 2021, and abstracts are due September 1, 2021. Please see the Buoy Workshop homepage for more information.
  • SECOORA Annual Meeting, 2 - 3 December, St. Petersburg, FL: Join SECOORA for an in-person meeting on December 2-3, 2021 hosted in St. Petersburg, FL. The meeting will focus on Harmful Algal Blooms, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and new SECOORA observing projects. The deadline to register is November 15, 2021.  Click here for more information and to register for the free meeting. 

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • 3rd NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences, 13 - 17 September 2021, Boulder, CO and Virtual: This hybrid workshop is a continuation of the NOAA series of workshops on “Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences.” The third event continues the successes of previous workshops and encourages participation by scientists, program managers, and leaders from the public, academic and private sectors who work in AI and environmental sciences. The theme for this year’s workshop is “Transforming Weather, Climate Services, and Blue Economy with Artificial Intelligence.” As a hybrid event, in-person capacity at Boulder will be limited in accordance with the most recent public health guideline while the virtual event will be open broadly to the public.  The call for abstracts is open until 6/18/21.  Find all the details here. 
  • OCEANS 2021 - San Diego - Porto , 20 – 23 September 2021 (In person and Virtual): Global thought leaders and innovators in the areas of marine technology, engineering, science, research, and education will gather together to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science, hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward. Registration is now open from the event home page. 
  • OBPS Community Workshop: An Ocean of Values, 20 - 24 September 2021, virtual: The Fifth Annual OBPS Community Workshop, "An Ocean of Values", will be held from the 20th to the 24th of September.  All members of the ocean community - including educators, scientists, citizens, artists, conservationists, cultural ambassadors, policy makers, and ocean explorers - are invited to co-develop this workshop by proposing sessions, tracks, or other contributions by the end of June. As an overarching theme, participants will be asked to help understand how to better represent and safely archive the methods, policies, guides, or standard specifications that bring value to their communities. The workshop will be facilitating value mapping activities across all groups, so we can better connect "how" things are done to "why" they are done as well as why they matter. Early Information and pre-registration are available here. 
  • Lakebed 2030, 29 Sept - 1 Oct 2021, virtual: Momentum continues to build behind Lakebed 2030, the initiative to map the Great Lakes at high-density. This past year, partners across sectors continued to connect around the goals of  mapping new areas, sharing data, and building a free, publicly accessible, highly detailed map. With only 5% of the lakefloor mapped at high-density, there is a lot of exciting work to be done. This year’s conference theme is “Let’s dive in!” and will help connect leaders dedicated to the Lakebed 2030 vision. Presentations will feature keynote speakers Geneviève Béchard and Nicole Raineault.  Conference organizers are seeking proposals for presentations and student lightning talks.  Abstracts are due by July 30, 2021.
  • CERF 2021, 1 – 4 & 8 – 11 November 2021, virtual: You and our colleagues will come together to network, celebrate our work, learn from each other, and grow within our amazing field as we endeavor to connect science and society in the collective goals of preserving coastal and estuarine habitats, resources, and heritage. Collaborate and discuss with more than 1,700 scientists and researchers from all over the world. Registration is now open from the event home page. 
  • SAVE THE DATE! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum,  3 – 4 November 2021: This forum brings together the growing community of weather, climate, and ocean science professionals to share advances in data collection, analysis, and our understanding of climate and ocean interactions. Join this community as it forges new and better concepts in ocean and atmospheric analytics and applications.
    • Call for Lightning Talks! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum November 3-4 2021: We are now accepting submissions for Lightning Talks. If you have used Esri GIS technology for collecting data, performing analysis, and advancing our understanding of climate and ocean interactions, we want to hear from you. Submit an abstract for the chance to share your extraordinary work with an audience of engaged peers. In these eight-minute presentations, you can earn recognition as a GIS thought leader and inspire the ocean, weather, and climate community to better conserve our natural world. The deadline for submissions is August 20, 2021 See the conference website for more details. 
  • International Ocean Data Conference 2022 - The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want - 14-16 February 2022: The conference, to be held in Sopot, Poland 14-16 February 2022, The will be held as a hybrid event with a number of participants on-site while others will participate through video conference. The conference programme includes the following topic areas: Global Strategies and Policy, Implementing the Digital Commons, and Looking Forward. Learn more on the conference website. 
  • 9th annual Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Symposium, 15 - 16 November 2021, virtual: The 9th annual Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Symposium will take place on November 15-16, 2021. This free online event will feature presentations, panels and workshops. The Symposium is an annual event that brings together researchers from across the globe to collaborate, develop strategies and seek new opportunities for the sustainable management of aquatic animals in changing ocean environments. It's open to Network members, early career researchers, and those interested in aquatic species research. Abstracts are currently being accepted through August 16. You can find further information on the symposium webpage. https://oceantrackingnetwork.org/2021-otn-symposium/
  • Call for Proposals - 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5): From 23-30 June 2022, the world’s leading ocean conservation professionals will meet in Vancouver, Canada to chart a course towards protecting 30% of the global ocean by 2030. The call for proposals for the Congress program is open now until 20 September (23:59 PDT) 2021. For more information, see https://www.impac5.ca/congress-details/program/proposals/ 

Webinars: 

  • Oxygen and Carbon Dynamics from Texas to the Arctic, 22 July 2021, 2-3pm ET: The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) webinar series explores topics related to ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico and other regions. The series is presented by GCAN and NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP). The next webinar — “Oxygen and Carbon Dynamics from Texas to the Arctic” — will be presented by Dr. Hongjie Wang, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Washington Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) and the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). Wang’s research focuses on the marine carbon cycle, as well as new technology development and ocean acidification monitoring. Meeting Link.
  • NEW! SERIES: Mapping the Great Lakes: A virtual webinar series focused priorities for building a comprehensive detailed bathymetric map of the Great Lakes. The events will engage the audience with presentations and discussions from leading scientists and researchers on the technologies and issues impacting the Great Lakes ecosystems.  Click here for more info and registration. https://glos.org/mapping-the-great-lakes-virtual-webinar-series/
    • July 15: Habitat/Fisheries, 12:30 – 2 PM EST
    • Sept 15: Archaeology/Geology, 12:30 – 2 PM EST
    • Sept 29 - Oct 1: Lakebed 2030 Conference, 1 – 5 PM EST
    • Nov. 18: Collaboration, 12:30 – 2 PM
  • SERIES: EMB launches new webinar series: The European Marine Board is launching a new webinar series, #ThirdThursdayScience, which will focus on the science underpinning the research and policy recommendations in EMB publications. The free webinars will take place on the third Thursday of each month, and will run for one hour between 13:00 - 14:00 CEST. Webinars will also be live-streamed on YouTube and will be made available to re-watch later on the EMB YouTube Channel. Upcoming webinars:
    • 15 July: Biological Time Series for Science and Marine Status Assessment
    • 19 August: Navigating the Future V
    • 16 September: Involving Stakeholders in Co-creation of Ecosystem Services Research
    • 21 October: Deep Sea
  • SERIES: National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Seriesprovides educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. This series currently targets formal and informal educators, students (high school through college), as well as members of the community, including families. You can also visit the archives of the webinar series to catch up on presentations you may have missed here.
    • July 15: Engineering in the Classroom with Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles
    • July 20: Diving into Diversity
  • SERIES: Esri Applied Meteorology Using ArcGIS Webinar Series: GIS is a foundational tool for weather and climate research and analysis. With tools to ingest multi-dimensional weather and climate data, process and analyze, and attain informative forecast products for preparedness and adaptation, ArcGIS advances our understanding of the atmosphere to benefit science and society. In this free series, you will gain insight into how you can incorporate ArcGIS into your work from fellow scientists and GIS experts. Register here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/lg/industry/government/applied-meteorology-using-arcgis
    • August 25, 2021, 8 am – 9 am PDT – Use Cloud-Based GIS Technology to Deliver Briefings to Build Resilient Communities

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • NEW! Contractor for the Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership, part time: The Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership (SCDRP) seeks to strengthen community resilience and support rapid recovery from storms and disasters by serving as the primary network for professionals in emergency management, climate adaptation, and disaster recovery in the US Southeast and Caribbean territories. The SCDRP is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as the SCDRP Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will be a part-time (15 hours/week) contractor for the 9-month period starting August 2, 2021. Candidates must be located in the Southeast or Caribbean regions; however, the Program Coordinator will work remotely. Closes July 16. Click here for more info and how to apply. 
  • NEW! Postdoctoral Fellowship: Great Lakes Basin Regional Climate Modeling, CIGLR: A postdoctoral fellowship is available for a highly qualified individual to join the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR, https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/). The successful candidate will work with the climate modeling team at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) to improve our ability to simulate climate change and variability in the Great Lakes region. In particular, the candidate will work on the Great Lakes Earth System Model (GLESM) project to use the climate model outputs from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory to drive the Great Lakes coupled ice-lake model (FVCOM_ice model). The postdoc will be expected to maintain a strong record of scholarly publication, and also of presentation at scientific conferences and public meetings. Closes July 18. Click here for more info and how to apply. 
  • NEW! Environmental Response Physical Scientist, Genwest: Genwest Systems Inc., an equal opportunity employer, is currently accepting applications for an Environmental Response Physical Scientist. This position will primarily support our clients at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), Emergency Response Division and will be based from NOAA offices either at the Western Regional Center in Seattle, WA or at the Disaster Response Center in Mobile, AL. The Physical Scientist will use and develop models used in oil spill fate and transport forecasting as part of the ERD response support group. In particular, this person will be responsible for learning and becoming familiar with and utilizing the General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME).  GNOME is an ERD-developed oil and chemical spill modeling system used to support oil spill response.   The successful applicant will be expected to be able to understand GNOME sufficiently well to apply it for spill response and suggest and implement research and development on model improvements.  Over time, this role will also serve as part of the core ERD scientific support team, providing assessments and analysis on pollution behavior, pathways, fates, and potential impacts in order to inform operational response decisions and outcomes. Closes July 20. Click here for more info and how to apply. 
  • NEW! Environmental Data Engineer, Axiom Data Science: Axiom Data Science is recruiting for an Environmental Data Engineer to contribute to the advancement of our scientific data management tools. Data science exists at the intersection of three domains: computer science, mathematics and statistics, and scientific expertise. We are seeking a candidate who can contribute to each of these domains through prior experience handling and analyzing marine, atmospheric or geospatial data. Experience with community standard open-source tools and scientific data formats is important, but inspiration, vision, motivation, determination, and commitment are the qualities Axiom values most. Closes July 31. Click here for more info and how to apply. 
  • NEW! Data Manager GOOS Biology, OBIS: You will work under the supervision of the OBIS project manager and in close consultation with the OBIS data manager and the members of the Biology and Ecoystems expert panel of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS BioEco). You will be (i) managing the information about observing systems, networks, and data assets provided via a portal for the Global Ocean Observing System, Biology and Ecosystems Panel (GOOS BioEco) for official launch by the end of 2021 and (ii) provide coordination with the observing systems, networks, and data-producing projects contributing to biological and ecosystem Essential Ocean Variable (EOV) with the aim to bring more of the data from these facilities fully online through OBIS, and become interoperable and reusable as part of an integrated global ocean observing system. Closes August 10.  Click here for more info and how to apply. 
  • NEW! Scientific Director of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and Professor of Biology: The Faculty of Science at Dalhousie University invites applications for a tenured Full Professor of Biology to serve as the new Scientific Director of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN, https://oceantrackingnetwork.org). The primary faculty appointment will be in the Department of Biology with potential cross-appointments in other departments across the university. The Scientific Director serves as the primary OTN grant holder and will provide leadership for OTN strategic planning and facilitate and grow scientific activities, leveraging the assets of the network and seeking mutually beneficial partnerships and synergies with other science networks and groups. The Scientific Director also leads the internal OTN management team, and oversees the management of 22+ permanent staff, as well as rotating interns and co-op students working on operations and maintenance activities. Using the OTN platform, the Scientific Director will provide leadership for the engagement of the Canadian and international scientific community in related research work and oversee the funding and science planning associated with these programs, together with OTN’s Executive Director. Open now: the review process will commence on 15 Sept 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Click here for more info and how to apply. 
  • Biogeochemistry Research Assistant in Support of GSFC's Ocean Ecology Lab (SSAI for NASA): Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) is seeking a Biogeochemistry Research Assistant to support the Ocean Ecology Laboratory (OEL) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the quality assurance and quality control of oceanographic biogeochemical and optical measurements including the collection, laboratory analysis, processing, and evaluation of biogeochemical and inherent optical properties. Open until closed. For more details and how to apply, click here. 
  • Accountant (part time), GLOS: The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is looking for a talented, motivated individual to join our organization as an Accountant (part-time). GLOS is a 501c3 non-profit organization established to support data collection, data management, and data sharing in the Great Lakes. As a member of the team, you will organize, analyze, and verify our various financial transactions and reports to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance. You will support annual financial audits, assist with payroll activities, and review business expense reports. This is a detail-oriented position that is vital to daily operations. Open until filled. See full details and how to apply 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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