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From the Director:

Around the world and closer to home, the COVID-19 pandemic has had impacts on every aspect of our daily lives and our work. While IOOS continues to be resilient and operate at high capacity, we’re also beginning to feel and understand what some of the longer term effects on ocean observing are. Globally, governments and oceanographic institutes recalled nearly all oceanographic research vessels to home port. We have seen slowdowns in deployments and maintenance of oceanographic equipment and observing programs aboard commercial and non-scientific ships are mostly on hold. 

In order to track this impact globally and to mitigate and/or manage these issues, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s (IOC) Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Program sent out a survey in April 2020 to major observing system operators. At the end of June, they published a summary of the results from the survey. Read the full document here or in this downloadable pdf discussing how the COVID-19 crisis could create ocean data gaps that could impact weather forecasts and our ability to understand the climate.

Although parts of the observing system remain resilient to the immediate impacts of the pandemic, with significant ongoing disruption to research vessels and other operations even those systems can be vulnerable in time. Over the coming months, our ocean observing community will be drawn together more than ever as we work to respond to these impacts and, ultimately, that interconnectedness and open communication will be foundational to our progress.  We are a diverse, dedicated, and resourceful community.  It is one I have been proud to be a part of for many years and I look forward to forging the path forward with you all.

Best wishes,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • The Ocean Enterprise Study 2020: Your business matters, help NOAA assess the Ocean Enterprise Sector! IOOS/NOAA are requesting input from businesses who provide infrastructure or products that support or conduct ocean observation and measurement by participating in the Ocean Enterprise Study 2020.  We will use the results to help inform NOAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce about the changing needs of the Ocean Enterprise sector in a report to be published in 2021. “NOAA strongly supports the IOOS Ocean Enterprise Study 2020. Applying data and services to grow the American Blue Economy is a top priority for our agency, and the information provided by this study will help us further the sustainable economic contributions of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator. “We are proud of our IOOS Program and partners that have enabled NOAA’s leadership in Ocean Science and Technology.”  We invite any company, large and small, working in this sector, to contribute to this important study through participation in an online survey. To find out more information or to take the survey click here. The study will deliver an update to the initial study conducted in 2015. Thank you to the Marine Technology Society for featuring the study on their website and in the May issue of Currents. 

  • The IOOS Advisory Committee is Looking for New Members! NOAA is seeking new members for the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee, which is a Federal advisory committee. The Notice of New Member Solicitation has been published in the Federal Register to fill two vacancies that occurred in late 2019. These vacancy appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of the vacancy, which ends August 15, 2021. As a Federal Advisory Committee, membership on the IOOS Advisory Committee is required to be fairly balanced in terms of viewpoints represented and the functions to be performed, as well as including the interests of geographic regions of the country and the diverse sectors of our society (business and industry, science, academia, and the public at large). To learn more about eligibility and requirements to apply, please refer to the federal register notice (FRN). Nominations should be submitted no later than July 30, 2020. Information on the committee and the current board members can be found here: https://ioos.noaa.gov/community/u-s-ioos-advisory-committee/. 

  • Now Virtual! IOOS Advisory Committee Meeting Save the Date: The next public meeting of the IOOS Advisory Committee will be held virtually August 4-6, 2020. Stay tuned for more information!

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

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

    • New HF Radars for the Straits of Mackinac: Guy Meadows at Michigan Technological University was granted permission by the State of Michigan to install two high-resolution (~42 MHz) SeaSonde® HF radars at the Straits of Mackinac, at the confluence of Lakes Michigan and Huron. Pending broadcast frequency permission, Dr. Meadows anticipates both HF radars being ready by Fall 2020.

    • U.S. IOOS Oceanographic HF Radar Network Webinar: July 27, 2020, 11:00 A.M.–1:00 P.M. EDT: The Wind Turbine Radar Interference Mitigation (WTRIM) Working Group—a consortium of federal agencies composed of the DOE, DOD, FAA, NOAA, BOEM, and DHS—will be hosting a webinar specifically on the NOAA-IOOS U.S. Oceanographic HF Radar Network.  Presentations on mission impacts, technical issues, and mitigation options will be given by:  Brian Zelenke for NOAA; partner Federal agencies the USCG and BOEM; academic partner institutions Rutgers University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the University of California, Santa Barbara; HF radar manufacturer CODAR Ocean Sensors, Ltd.; and others.  See the website here to register by 7/24/2020.

    • Upcoming Training Announcement: The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will be conducting UxS certificate classes this summer and fall.  This two-tiered training gives the working knowledge from ocean science to engineering (ocean, electrical and mechanical) for operators and pilots to safely and successfully execute UxS missions.  This will be the first offering of Tier 2 program with a heavy focus on buoyancy gliders. These courses/certificates have been developed in collaboration with NOAA, Navy, academia, and industry partners to meet the user’s needs.  This is a great opportunity for operators/pilots at all levels that are planning and conducting UxS missions. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: UNMANNED MARITIME SYSTEMS CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, PHONE: 228.688.3177 • FAX: 228.688.1121. Admissions Information: https://www.usm.edu/ocean-science-engineering/unmanned-maritime-systems-ums-certification.php

      • Unmanned Maritime System (UMS) CERTIFICATE PROGRAM — TIER 1 - Aug 24 – Sep 25, 2020 - Students will learn foundational material in oceanography and ocean engineering related to unmanned undersea and surface vehicles (UUVs and USVs), such as powered gliders. This 10-credit hour program compressed into five weeks of instruction is intended to provide sufficient background to safely operate vehicles in challenging marine environments as well as work with a variety of sensors.

      • Unmanned Maritime System (UMS) OPERATOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM — TIER 2 - Oct 12 – Nov 13, 2020 - The Tier II follow-on Curricula will be focused on specific types of vehicles, but with topics generalized across vehicle types where appropriate. In this first module focused on gliders, students will learn about glider operations including mission planning, mission execution and management and maintenance and management of assets.  The curriculum draws knowledge from real- world case studies of specific situations, sensors, and platforms. Students will apply these concepts in developing and conducting operations during a short field project.  The UMS Operator Certificate program consists of four courses totaling 12 credit hours compressed into five weeks of instruction including a field project during which students will conduct mission analysis & planning, specific vehicle and sensor matching, specific vehicle preparation, launch, operation, and recovery, followed by quality review of collected data.

    • Our Proposed AniBOS (Animal Borne Ocean Sensors) Multi-National Network is Approved as an Emerging Network by the GOOS-Observations Coordination Group (OCG): The U.S. ATN is a proud member of the international team led by Dr. Clive McMahon – Australia and Dr. Fabien Roquet – Sweden, who joined together in preparing a formal proposal for AniBOS to the GOOS-OCG. In response to our proposal, Emma Heslop, Programme Specialist for GOOS and the OCG, wrote:  “Congratulations, the ANIBOS proposal to become a GOOS network is an excellent response to the GOOS OCG attributes characterizing mature GOOS observing networks. The proposal is of such high standards that it is a model for the community to emulate. We are very excited about the prospects for ANIBOS and are happy to welcome you as an OCG emerging network. The proposal addresses all critical elements of a well-coordinated international effort to further develop an animal-borne sensor observing network (existing efforts within this community are already addressing key observational gaps). It identifies where the ANIBOS community is already doing well, and shortcomings that it plans to address in the coming years. It points out opportunities to engage with other GOOS networks, and enhance integration across the system for the benefit of ANIBOS and others.”  

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

  • June DMAC Tech Webinar Recap:The June DMAC Tech Webinar featured John Kerfoot of Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observation Leadership (RU-COOL) group, presenting work on querying and visualizing datasets from the IOOS Glider Data Assembly Center ERDDAP server using Python libraries (including the IOOS erddapy library!).  John showed examples using GliderDAC ERDDAP datasets to visualize both the frequency of observations as well as physical oceanographic parameters they include.  He also demonstrated an example of querying the Observing System Monitoring Centers ERDDAP server for GTS observations and comparing the frequency of observations submitted to the DAC with those released on the GTS.  A recording of the webinar is available here: https://mmancusa.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/mmancusa/recording/playback/6f73156e088b4c4899ce13fd66d1d958.  Code and other details from the presentation can be found in the GitHub repo: https://github.com/kerfoot/gdutils.  Presentation slides are available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PUdIZ1O0JNI0Xoexf9iXS0VsrPRw3UX2/view?usp=sharing.  The IOOS Glider DAC is the central repository for the collection and distribution of real-time and delayed mode glider datasets.  Profile observations are submitted to the DAC, QARTOD QC tests are run and added to the submitted datasets (where necessary) and the data is then served to the public via ERDDAP.  Real-time observations are harvested by NDBC and released on the Global Telecommunications System (GTS), making them available for assimilation into ocean and weather models. 

  • POSTPONED: 2020 DMAC Meeting, Silver Spring, MD: The DMAC meeting originally scheduled for June will be postponed with tentative dates 13 – 15 October 2020 in Silver Spring, MD.  More information to follow.

  • IOOS/ESIP Biological Data Standards Workshop, July 13, 2020, VIRTUAL: This Biological Data Standards workshop, sponsored by the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (US IOOS) in partnership with ESIP, OBIS and BCO-DMO, will be held next week. In preparation for the workshop, the hosts held an “Ask Me Anything" session for workshop participants to post questions about specific biological data standards. See thegoogle dochere if you would like to pose a question ahead of the workshop.

    • Update on QARTOD Paper: Comments on the draft paper, QARTOD - Prospects for Real-Time Quality Control Manuals, How to Create Them, and a Vision for Advanced Implementation have been received from the Regional Associations and incorporated as appropriate. Many thanks to those who provided time and thoughts! The paper describes the applicability of real-time QC for the IOOS core variables not yet addressed by a QARTOD manual. We seek the opinions of subject matter experts to confirm that the descriptions are accurate. It will next be distributed internationally for review and comments. Contact Mark for a copy and let us know what you think.

    • CLIVAR Ocean Uncertainty Quantification Working Group update: The OceanUQ WG held their 2nd bi-monthly meeting on June 30th. Short presentations were provided by: 1) Patrick Heimbach / University of Texas at Austin - UQ in data assimilation, 2) Mikael Kuusela / Carnegie Mellon University - UQ in spatio-temporal mapping of Argo float data, and 3) David Moroni / NASA.JPL - UQ through Earth Science Information Partners. The discussion regarding OceanUQ participation in the OBPS September workshop continued – contact Mark if you’re interested in the session.

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

  • Deadline Extended! Due TODAY! Call for Abstracts for Coastal Flooding Modeling and Prediction Workshop - Due July 10th: A Workshop on Modeling, Prediction, and Sensor Networks for Coastal Flooding in the US East Coast will be held as two morning (9AM-12PM) virtual sessions on July 23rd and July 27th, 2020. In recent years, a growing number of projects are focusing on the design and implementation of integrated observing and modeling systems through sustained, active partnerships with coastal communities facing more frequent and severe flooding. In an effort to coordinate and accelerate these parallel research efforts, and their translation into tangible solutions for community stakeholders, this workshop will provide a forum to identify synergies, best practices, and opportunities for greater collaboration amongst these researchers. Workshop organizers are seeking submissions of case studies for presentation featuring ongoing projects or efforts where researchers and stakeholders are co-designing and/or deploying observing network and modeling/prediction systems for coastal flooding solutions along the US east coast. Register for the workshop, see the draft agenda, and submit and abstract on the workshop website: https://www.oceanvisions.org/coastal-solutions-2020 

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov): 
    • MetaZooGene: Marine zooplankton biodiversity based on DNA metabarcoding, 22 July 2020,1:00 PM EDT: Marine zooplankton biodiversity remains a significant unknown throughout the global ocean. Molecular approaches, including DNA barcoding and metabarcoding (taxonomic identification of complex samples via analysis of DNA sequences), are expected to significantly revise global estimates of zooplankton diversity. The taxonomic complexity of marine zooplankton makes metabarcoding useful for characterization of biodiversity. MetaZooGene SCOR WG157 seeks to create an open-access web portal, database, and atlas for DNA barcodes for marine zooplankton; design an optimal DNA barcoding pipeline for marine zooplankton; and develop best practices for DNA metabarcoding of marine zooplankton biodiversity. Promising applications include rapid detection of impacts of climate change, monitoring and assessment of ecosystem health, characterization of food webs, and detection of introduced and non-indigenous species.More information and registration here. 
    • MBON Featured in The Maritime Executive: Read the article “Watching for Changes in Marine Biodiversity” here: https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/watching-for-changes-in-marine-biodiversity
  • Ready to Use Datasets for Educational Activities: A new resource of curated OOI datasets is now available! Check out the OOI Data Nuggets! OOI Data Nuggets are exemplary datasets curated from data collected by the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). Datasets were selected based on their quality and alignment with a broader OOI Science Theme.  The nuggets explore various concepts common in upper-level high school and introductory college courses and are designed and packaged to be readily accessible to educators to integrate into their existing curriculum. The creation of these Data Nuggets was part of the NSF-funded OOI Synthesis & Education project conducted by Rutgers University and led by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership.
  • NOAA’s Cloud and Data strategies to unleash emerging science and technology: Unlocking the full utility and potential of NOAA’s massive and diverse data is the purpose of the agency’s new CloudandDatastrategies. They are also integral to implementing a collection of strategies to dramatically expand emerging science and technology that will drive innovation and guide transformative advancements in NOAA’s science, products and services. Both strategies, released this week, have their own broad application across the agency while underpinning and enabling the goals of NOAA’s interrelated science and technology strategies on Unmanned Systems, Artificial Intelligence, 'Omics - and a forthcoming strategy on Citizen Science.Read more here:https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-s-cloud-and-data-strategies-to-unleash-emerging-science-and-technology
  • NOAA Publishes R&D Vision Areas 2020-2026: The NOAA Research Council has published the NOAA Research and Development Vision Areas: 2020-2026. This document characterizes the focus for NOAA’s R&D activities for the next seven years. The Vision also provides a common understanding among NOAA’s leadership, workforce, partners, constituents, and Congress on the value of NOAA’s research activities. The Vision describes R&D priorities within three vision areas: Reducing societal impacts from hazardous weather and other environmental phenomena; Sustainable use and stewardship of ocean and coastal resources; and A robust and effective research, development, and transition enterprise. NOAA’s R&D creates a greater understanding of the Earth and improves products and services to enhance the well-being of the American people. As Chair of the NOAA Research Council, I want to thank each and every one of you at NOAA for your contributions to our world-class science. This document sets our course into the future and I look forward to our increased understanding of Earth systems in a robust, effective R&D enterprise. The NOAA R&D Vision Areas: 2020-2026 document and more information may be found at the NOAA Research Council website.
  • US National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and Canadian Geodetic Survey Coordinate NSRS Modernization: In mid-June NGS Geodetic Services Division Chief Brett Howe and NGS Chief Geodesist Dan Roman attended the Canadian Geodetic Reference System Committee (CGRSC) annual meeting on line. The Canadian Geodetic Survey (CGS), which is the counterpart to NGS, provided updates from their perspectives on the implementation plans for components of the U.S. NSRS modernization. A presentation was made on outreach and communication efforts inside NGS in support of these NSRS 2022 modernization efforts.
  • High-Definition Charts Aid Precision Marine Navigation: For large vessels entering port, there is little margin for error. Pilots and shipmasters are looking for the highest resolution data available to help them navigate tight spaces safely and efficiently. OCS created and released 16 high-definition (HD), band 6 (berthing scale) electronic navigational charts for Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor in California, providing mariners with the best charts available to do their jobs. These HD charts contain all the features necessary for navigation, but also have bathymetry data with one-meter curve intervals. They comply with the International Hydrographic Organization’s S-57 standard and offer a new opportunity to deliver chart products that fully take advantage of high-resolution hydrographic surveys. These products represent an innovation in the delivery of bathymetric data within our navigation products. OCS plans to create additional HD charts for other busy ports.
  • New PORTS® Current Meter on Cape Cod Canal: A new current meter, an enhancement to the Cape Cod Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®), is now operational. This sensor was installed at the west end of Cape Cod Canal, where it meets Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. The canal has swift currents that often exceed 5 knots; the new real-time current observations will promote enhanced safety for local mariners. In addition to commercial fishing and regular tug and barge traffic, larger vessels such as vehicle carriers, oil tankers, and even the occasional cruise ship transit the canal. Cape Cod PORTS is a partnership between the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), IOOS’ Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
  • Government of Canada invests $1.2 million to help better understand Canada's coastal marine ecosystems through science: This week, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, announced that the Government of Canada is investing $1.2 million to support the development of a web-based scientific data management system for integrating and sharing ocean science data. We look forward to our continued collaboration with our Canadian partners as CIOOS is developed.
  • EMODnet Bathymetry now offers the highest resolved bathymetric worldwide layout: EMODnet’s new World Base Layer Service (EBWBL) provides a fast and easy access to worldwide bathymetric information, enabling marine knowledge users including industry, scientists, coastal managers, students and the general public, to access high-resolution representations of seabed features all over the world from their own computer. This new EMODnet service provides the highest resolved topographic and bathymetric worldwide layout currently available with land and sea integration matching the OpenStreetMap coastline representation. Discover the EMODnet world base layer service here: https://www.emodnet.eu/emodnet-bathymetry-now-offers-highest-resolved-bathymetric-worldwide-layout
    • ROSES-20 Amendment 30: Ocean Salinity Field Campaign Final Text and Due Dates Released: This Ocean Salinity Field Campaign program is intended to clarify the role of salinity in ocean-ice interactions by characterizing salinity signatures and possible salinity-ice feedback mechanisms in rapidly-changing polar environments. Outcomes of this field campaign are also expected to inform the development of new concepts of future remote sensing capabilities that improve salinity retrievals in cold waters. Notices of intent are requested by August 27, 2020 and the due date for proposals is September 24, 2020. Read more about this opportunity on SARA's ROSES blog.
    • NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research FY2021 Federal Funding Opportunity: The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research has decided to extend the FY21 Federal Funding Opportunity pre-proposal deadline to July 8, 2020 to allow the broadest participation in the funding opportunity. The fall deadline for full submissions remains October 22, 2020. The full announcement for this opportunity may be found online at https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/about/funding-opps/welcome.html.

Delivering the Benefits:

  • Wave Buoy off Ritidian Point, Guam Redeployed: The PacIOOS wave buoy located to the north of Guam, off Ritidian Point, broke free at the end of last year during a storm with maximum waves heights of 34ft. Due to persistently rough ocean and weather conditions and recent travel restrictions, PacIOOS staff was unable to redeploy the wave buoy earlier this year. Many thanks to local partners Michael Genereux, Bret Cornelius, and Barnaby Afaje from Gen-X Sports who had assisted with previous deployments and successfully deployed the Ritidian Point wave buoy. The wave buoy now continues to provide real-time information on wave height , direction, and period http://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/waves/buoy-ritidian/, as well as sea surface temperature http://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/water/buoy-ritidian/. The Ritidian Point wave buoy is one of three PacIOOS buoys in the Mariana Islands, along with the Ipan wave buoy to the east of Guam, and Tanapag, to the west of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

  • Stones Metocean Observatory captures Tropical Storm Cristobal data: Interested in seeing what happened when Tropical Storm Cristobal passed through the Gulf? The Stones Metocean Observatory Project (Stones MetObs) received more than 17,000 hits as data was collected in near-real time and shared through the GCOOS data portal. This long-term deep ocean observatory in the Gulf of Mexico was created from a converted ocean mooring owned by Shell and allows observers to see changes in the Loop Current, along with deep sea temperatures. The cone of the storm (the probable track of the center), passed within approximately 35 miles of the Shell Alcyone buoy — part of the Stones facility. As the storm ramped up, Stones captured increases in wind speed and wave height 10 hours before barometric pressure dropped. 

  • Bering Ocean Data Sharing Initiative: The “Bering Science: Spring 2020 Bering Region Ocean Update” report has now been released. The report was mailed to community boxholders from Shishmaref to Dillingham, emailed to a wide distribution group, and AOOS released a press release. So far AOOS has received great feedback of how the information was useful, and what could be included in future reports. AOOS will continue to work with WWF on the development of the Bering Strait Oil Spill Response tool, Axiom on data products for the Bering Sea Data Integration Portal, and agencies (e.g., ADFG, NOAA) on datasets that they may be able to make available on the Data Portal.

  • NANOOS warmly welcomes CRITFC:  As recently announced, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) will be running several NANOOS observation and modeling operations that previously were run by Antonio Baptista and CMOP out of OHSU. CMOP assets were transferred as of June 1 to CRITFC. We are proud to have NANOOS assets run by a tribal institution within IOOS. The transition of CMOP assets has been planned for the past two years, in coordination with NANOOS and IOOS, and is designed to coincide with Antonio's retirement. The driving vision is to enable CMOP assets to be sustainably maintained for time scales consistent with climate change science and management. As Antonio was quoted "...the tribes are in an outstanding position to expand and bring a centuries-long perspective to what we started decades ago.”

Congressional:

  • ICOOS Act Update: No update.

Communications/Outreach/Education:

  • SECOORA announces 2020 Data Challenge Winner Douglas Cahl: SECOORA is honored to announce the 2020 Data Challenge winner is Douglas Cahl from the University of South Carolina. Douglas will analyze SECOORA High frequency radar (HF radar) data and create a visualization tool to identify eddies.  Read more about his winning project here and congratulations Douglas! 

  • Drones in the Coastal Zone shifts formats: SECOORA's Drones in the Coastal Zone in-person workshop https://secoora.org/drones-in-the-coastal-zone-workshop/ scheduled for October in Beaufort, NC has been cancelled due to ongoing concerns for gatherings of over 100 people. The planning team recognizes the importance of the hands-on drone work and the desire for in-person training, therefore they are changing gears and developing a new format that will permit for virtual and (limited) in-person participation. Ideas discussed include a webinar series in fall 2020, online activities/ trainings, and the potential for an “air show” in 2021 (limited capacity workshops in different states). Please save the date for the Drone Workshop kick off webinar on Wednesday October 14, 2020 from 10 AM – 12 PM ET. If you have further questions, please contact Abbey Wakely at abbey@secoora.org.

  • CeNCOOS Data Tutorial: BeachCOMBERS - Effort Based Beach Cast Surveys: CeNCOOS, working with the BeachCOMBERS program, aggregated beach cast surveys of marine mammals and seabirds from BeachCOMBERS, Beach Watch, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Program at Humboldt State University. These data, when combined cover surveys from Del Norte County down to Los Angeles County for over 25 years. These data have been made available in the CeNCOOS Data Portal, which in addition to the COMBERS data, is jam packed with other marine data including data from moorings, satellite, R.O.V surveys, and oceanographic and atmospheric models. In this tutorial, you can walk through some of the tools in the portal and access COMBERS data.

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

  • IOOS/ESIP Biological Data Standards Workshop, 13 July 2020, VIRTUAL:  This Biological Data Standards workshop, sponsored by the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS) in partnership with ESIP, OBIS and BCO-DMO, invites participation from data providers and data managers across the marine community. Scientific observations of marine biodiversity and biology are essential for effective conservation of ocean species. These observations are collected at great cost, and are fundamental to advance scientific understanding of life in the sea. Marine ecological data are complex and heterogeneous, and there are unique methods and approaches to their collection, curation, sharing and distribution. To allow these observations to be reused for scientific, pedagogical and policy purposes, they need to be managed and well-described using standardized methods and formats. There is a pressing need in the marine community for standardized approaches to integrate biological data at local, regional, and global scales. This applies to observations spanning genetic to population data types, and across space and time. Major global databases such as OBIS and GBIF rely on Darwin Core, Ecological Metadata Language, and the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to help manage taxonomic information. The observing community, focused on abiotic data collections, evolved to leverage netCDF and climate and forecast conventions, while the biological research and applications communities have traditionally operated outside of common standards; this landscape makes it difficult to assess the status and trends of critical indicators of living marine resources and ecosystem services. 

  • Ocean Best Practices Workshop IV - September 18, 21-25, 30: The workshop will host plenaries on September 18 and 25 with a final mini-plenary on September 30. Working groups will meet at selected times during the period of September 21 to 24. The format of the meeting has evolved to focus more on conversations and smaller working groups. There will be two instances of the second and third plenary to support the challenges of time zones. See https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/events/evolving-and-sustaining-ocean-best-practices-iv/ for more information.

  • NEW! Now Virtual - Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast: The organizing committees have decided to combine forces and invite worldwide community participation to a single virtual conference “Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast”, which will feature a mix of live and on-demand events available to all registrants at a very affordable rate, October 5-30, 2020. The deadline to submit your abstract for considerationis June 30th, 2020. If your abstract is selected, it is your chance to present your innovative research in the marine technology field to the brightest minds in the industry. The Call for Papers will be open to abstracts in the following categories: 

    • Regular Technical Program: (this includes both OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast topics and standard OCEANS topics): if abstract is chosen, authors will then submit a full paper which they’ll present as part of the technical program. Following the conference, the paper will be published in IEEE Xplore.

    • Student Poster Competition: if abstract is chosen, students will then submit a full paper and poster which they’ll present during the conference in the student poster section of the exhibit hall. Following the conference, the paper will then be published in IEEE Xplore. *This competition is open to any full-time student in an accredited program. Student must be listed as the lead and corresponding author. Selected applicants, based on abstract reviews, will have travel and registration expenses subsidized.

    • Second Annual General Student Poster Session: Students are also welcome to submit abstracts for consideration in the General Student Poster Session. If abstract is chosen, students will submit a poster, which they will present at the General Student Poster Session in the exhibit hall. Posters will not be published in IEEE Xplore following the conference. **This competition is open to any full-time undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited program, including those who may not have been accepted into the Student Poster competition. Student must be listed as the lead and corresponding author. Selected applicants may register at a reduced student rate that includes conference attendance, but not all social events, which can be purchased separately.

    • Special Sessions (this includes Town Halls and Panels): abstract and presentation are required; however, submission of a full paper is optional. Participation for non-paper sessions is at the discretion of the Technical Program Committee and/or Special Sessions Chair.

    • For more information on the OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast Conference topics or paper submission process, please visit the OCEANS 2020 Gulf Coast website. 

  • 101st AMS Annual Meeting - January 10-14, 2021 - New Orleans:

    • Planning is underway for an AMS EPIC session at the AMS Annual Meeting - panel discussion and then paper session hosted by EIPT, R2O, Python, AI, and HPC communities of AMS.

      • Session Title: The Earth Prediction Innovation Center – Enabling a community-based approach to advance Numerical Weather Prediction

      • Session Description: Congress has mandated that NOAA establish an Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) to accelerate community-developed scientific and technological advancements into the operational applications for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). The EPIC is responsible for enabling collaboration among scientists and engineers in areas important for improving operational weather prediction and for creating a community global weather research modeling system. Meeting the goals of EPIC will require the efforts of all segments of the weather enterprise. This session invites papers presenting progress to date in this initiative as well as papers presenting innovative technologies and capabilities with potential for adoption by EPIC to enable the collaborative community, establish the community modeling system, and advance operational NWP.

      • Dr. DaNa Carlis has agreed to be the EIPT participant in the panel discussion.

      • Abstract submissions for this session, and all AMS sessions are due 3 August.  The meeting is in early January 2021.  Originally scheduled to be in New Orleans, a decision on whether it will go virtual will be made soon.  

  • Call for Abstracts - Oceanology International Americas - San Diego, February 15-17, 2021: As part of the three-day conference program, OI Americas will run a series of technical tracks exploring the latest developments in ocean technology and its application in support of scientific research, safe and sustainable use of the ocean and ocean resources and the protection of the marine and coastal environment. The technical track program will cover all stages of ocean technology innovation; connecting technology push with application pull. Scientists, technologists and engineers engaged in the ocean technology innovation chain, and those concerned with application of technologies in support of scientific understanding of the ocean, the use of the ocean and ocean resources and protection of the marine and coastal environment are invited to submit abstracts to the Oi Americas 2021 conference program covering one or more of the following topics:

    • Sensors and Instruments

    • Vessels, Vehicles and Platforms

    • Data Communications

    • Data Management

    • Data Analysis and Interpretation

    • End-use Case Studies

Other Upcoming Meetings:

  • 2020 NOAA Environmental Data Management Workshop, 17 – 21 August 2020, VIRTUAL: The NOAA Environmental Data Management Workshop will be entirely online this year! This is an opportunity to expand the workshop beyond the usual audience, and we're being careful to hold the sessions later in the day to accommodate western time zones. All the latest schedule info is on the workshop website. https://noaaedm2020.sched.com/ 

  • 22 September 2020 - EMODnet: Showcasing a decade of achievements connecting marine data to knowledge: Celebrate 10 years of EMODnet by joining us at a virtual gathering on 22 September 2020 14:00-17:00 CEST. This webinar will be an opportunity to take stock of key EMODnet achievements over the past decade with showcases and testimonials from data providers, users and partners – as a celebration moment. This online event will also set the stage for a forward look at the Open Conference in June 2021 to co-design the next phase of EMODnet. Save the date and pre-register by email to events@emodnet.eu!

  • SAVE THE DATE! 2nd International Operational Satellite Oceanography Symposium, 25 – 27 May 2021, Darmstadt, Germany: The Executive Steering Committee of the 2nd International Operational Satellite Oceanography Symposium, co-chaired by EUMETSAT and NOAA, is pleased to announce the next Symposium will be held in Darmstadt, Germany May 25-27, 2021.  The Committee will share more information, including the meeting website and the Programme Committee members in the coming months.  

  • EMODnet 2nd Open Conference and Jamboree - New Dates Announced: 14-18 June 2021: The second EMODnet Open Conference and Jamboree will be held the week of 14 June 2021. During the event, EMODnet partners, communicators and data providers and users will take stock of EMODnet achievements over the past 10 years, connect across stakeholder communities and set goals for the future. To start the week, the EMODnet Open Conference will focus on use cases and requirements for developing essential open marine data services for blue economy actors, the public sector, civil society and the research community. More details will follow soon.

Webinars:

  • Former IOOS Director and Current MTS President Zdenka Willis to Speak on COVE Ocean Connector - July 16th, 3:00pm ADT / 2:00pm EDT: On Thursday, July 16 at 3:00pm ADT, Zdenka Willis will join us as our guest speaker at our Ocean Connector. COVE CEO, Jim Hanlon, and Zdenka will discuss her career experience, the importance of the marine technology sector in the Blue Economy, and how societies such as MTS can be a convening player in this arena. The link to the invitation below can be found here https://mailchi.mp/coveocean.com/dont-miss-our-next-virtual-ocean-connector-5042718.

  • The Technologies of Ocean Exploration - Today and Into the Future (pre-K – 12) 16 July, 7pm: Join NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research and the National Science Teaching Association on Thursday, July 16, 2020, at 7:00 pm ET to learn about the amazing tools that are helping to map, identify, characterize, and manage ocean resources now and for future generations. Target Audience: PK-12 Educators, Informal Educators, Professors, and Parents; Register and find out more.

  • MetaZooGene: Marine zooplankton biodiversity based on DNA metabarcoding, 22 July 2020,1:00 PM EDT: Marine zooplankton biodiversity remains a significant unknown throughout the global ocean. Molecular approaches, including DNA barcoding and metabarcoding (taxonomic identification of complex samples via analysis of DNA sequences), are expected to significantly revise global estimates of zooplankton diversity. The taxonomic complexity of marine zooplankton makes metabarcoding useful for characterization of biodiversity. MetaZooGene SCOR WG157 seeks to create an open-access web portal, database, and atlas for DNA barcodes for marine zooplankton; design an optimal DNA barcoding pipeline for marine zooplankton; and develop best practices for DNA metabarcoding of marine zooplankton biodiversity. Promising applications include rapid detection of impacts of climate change, monitoring and assessment of ecosystem health, characterization of food webs, and detection of introduced and non-indigenous species. More information and registration here. 

  • Bringing New Life to Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction after Crossing the Valley of Death (SIO Innovation Series), 30 July 2020, 12pm PT: Join this webinar to hear Dr. Clarissa Anderson, SCCOOS Executive Director, talk about her research and work to establish the California Harmful Algae Risk Mapping (C-HARM) system to predict and monitor harmful algal blooms along the coast as well as SCCOOS industry partners. More information and registration here. 

  • Connect Live with National Marine Sanctuaries and Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants:

    • July 15th, 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT - Jill Heinerth: Cave Diving in Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary

      • Join Jill Heinerth, one of the world’s premiere underwater explorers, as she recounts her experiences cave diving in national marine sanctuaries. During this live interaction, you will hear from Jill about her diving in caves in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, what it takes to become a cave diver, and what it is like to explore the “veins of Mother Earth.” Register for the event here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8300481966528412430. Learn more about Jill before the live interaction by watching her featured in Stories from the Blue. 

  • SERIES MTS’ 2020 Virtual Symposia: An Online Series for Marine Technology Professionals: With the cancellation/postponement of a number of events in 2020 and many working from home or remotely, MTS is bringing together a series of virtual seminars of interest to the marine technology community. You are invited to attend these free, interactive symposia where you can learn about cutting-edge topics from some of the best and brightest minds working the field.  Keep up with upcoming & past symposia on the MTS Events page. Upcoming webinars: 

    • 7/15: HYPACK Playback with Multibeam Auto Processing 

    • 7/29: Sidescan Data – Making the Perfect Mosaic in SonarWiz

  • SERIES: TMA BlueTech Global Connect, 3rd Thursday of the month, 8am PT: The BlueTech Global Connect (BGC) webinar series is designed to connect exciting BlueTech companies from around the world with potential advisors, investors and partners globally.  Please join us each month to hear and virtually meet 3 great BlueTech companies from various countries. These one-hour webinars (+ optional breakout rooms) presenting three innovative BlueTech companies each month - typically one U.S. company and two international companies -looking for global advisors, investors, management and partners. Next event: Offshore Renewables, 7/16/2020. More information and registration here. 

Job & Internship Opportunities:

  • NOSB recruiting question writers: The National Ocean Sciences Bowl® (NOSB) is looking for question writers this summer to write ocean and freshwater science questions for their 2021 competitions. NOSB is looking for scientists and educators with a strong collective knowledge of the ocean sciences - varying expertise in biology, chemistry, physics, geology, geography, technology, social science and marine policy - to write "Buzzer" and Team Challenge Questions (TCQs) for the 2021 NOSB competitions. High school participants are tested at the college undergraduate level. Question writers will be asked to write questions that would be considered moderate or difficult for this level of student. Sample NOSB questions can be found at: http://nosb.org/learn/sample-questions/. Closes 7/20/2020. For more information, eligibility, and how to apply, click here. 

  • Early Career Ocean Professional Co-leads at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's Ocean Best Practice Workshop IV: This call seeks early-career professionals to help shape how the ocean community - across disciplines, regions, and generations - develops, shares, and advances its methods. This will be an opportunity for intergenerational exchange on current practices, while gaining experience as a co-lead in an international, multi-stakeholder consultation process. The workshop will be held on September 18, 21-25 2020 with a final plenary and presentation of outcomes on September 30. Applications are due 20 July. Please click here for more information. 

  • Executive Director, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium: The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, an agency of South Carolina government, was created by law in 1978 and is the only state entity mandated to provide coordination and communication across disciplinary, institutional, and agency boundaries. The Consortium does more than merely support science students, scientists, and state natural resource agencies needing assistance. It provides specialized workshops and conferences and produces a number of general information publications each year. The Executive Director is responsible for leading the efforts to support integrated research, education, and extension programs that align with the consortium’s mission of generating and applying science-based information on issues and opportunities that enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal and marine resources fostering a sustainable economy and environment. Further, this position actively coordinates with other research and management programs within the Southeast to maximize return on investments in research, policy, and outreach.  Closes 8/14/2020.  Click here for more details and how to apply. 

Click here to view the IOOS Association Calendar

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

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