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

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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

We are in the home stretch of the calendar year but things are still quite busy for the IOOS Office. Last month, we met with leadership from the IOOS Association and the IOOS Regional Associations for the Fall IOOS Meeting where we reviewed progress to data collection and management, discussed recent trends, and planned for the coming months and years. This was the first in person event to include all regions, the IOOS Association, and the IOOS Office since March of 2020 and included Directors, data managers, technologists, and education & outreach staff from each RA. It was incredibly valuable to reconnect and to assess our direction and priorities in terms of the program, science, technology, and equitable services delivery.

This week, our IOOS Federal Advisory Committee Fall meeting began with two days of virtual meetings. The committee heard updates from the IOOS Office, the IOOC, and the IOOS Association and spent considerable time refining their Phase 1 recommendations related to Climate, the New Blue Economy, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. The meeting continues next week with the Committee meeting in person in Washington D.C. on December 6th and 7th. The meeting is open to the public but we do ask that you register in advance. Attendees will be able to join remotely or may attend in person. 

Be on the lookout later this month for the always fun holiday edition of the Eyes on the Ocean newsletter. After that, the newsletter will take a hiatus until February 2023. 

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • Next MTS/GOOS Dialogues with Industry - December 7th - 9:00am-11:30am EST: The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), Marine Technology Society (MTS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and industry partners are launching, a new Ocean Decade action - a forum for compact and meaningful ‘Dialogues with Industry’. The goal of these dialogues is to develop actionable recommendations, through interaction between new and established companies, academia, and government, on how the public and private sectors can evolve an expanded and multi-sectoral Global Ocean Observing System, to meet the needs of science, society and the Blue Economy. The next event in the series- Dialogue 3 - “User driven ocean information services: Core and downstream services” - is scheduled for December 7, 2022, 9:00 am - 11:30 am (EST), 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm (CET). For more information and to register, please visit https://www.mtsociety.org/mts-goos-industry-dialogues. Recordings from the first and second MTS/GOOS Dialogues with Industry are now available on the MTS Website. In addition, the report from the first dialogue is also available. 
  • IOOS Attends BlueTech Week: BlueTech Week is TMA BlueTech’s annual event bringing together world-class academia, government (local, state, federal, and international), and cutting-edge BlueTech industry to promote sustainable, science-based ocean and water industries. IOOS Director Carl Gouldman and National Ocean Service Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf both attended the meeting held the week of November 14th in San Diego, CA. On November 15th, Carl had the honor to serve as master of ceremonies for the day’s sessions -  Academia and Industry: Translating Science Into Solutions with Innovative BlueTech - held at the Seaside Forum at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The day included keynote speakers, multiple panel discussions, and a talk from Carl himself. SCCOOS Executive Director Clarissa Anderson presented on Panel 3: Reducing Risk and Increasing Resilience with Environmental Monitoring Data Solutions. On November 16th, Nicole LeBoeuf presented the keynote talk for Day 1 of the BlueTech Summit, speaking on how NOAA and NOS are supporting the new blue economy and, in turn, building a climate-ready nation — from providing authoritative climate data and services to training the next generation of ocean science, data, and policy experts. During this trip, Carl and Nicole were also able to visit the Ocean Discovery Institute, Port of San Diego, and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve to visit with staff and see ongoing projects in those areas.

  • From the IOOS Association: 

    • NHABON Webinar - December 14: Please join us for our next webinar on December 14, 2022 from 3:00-4:00 PM EST focused on “Observing Technology: IFCBs“. If you missed previous webinar events, you can watch the recorded webinars here. 

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping
    • PacIOOS Reflections on the 12th Radiowave Operators Working Group Meeting: PacIOOS High Frequency (HF) radar experts, Pierre Flament and Ian Quino Fernandez, attended the 12th Radiowave Operators Working Group Meeting in Wanchese, North Carolina. Sponsored by IOOS, this multi-day meeting fostered collaboration among the HF radar community to share key insights and best practices on the operations, maintenance, and data management of HF radar networks. Ian shares his reflections of the meeting: “As the primary technician for PacIOOS’ HF radar systems, the meeting gave me a sense of belonging among the HF radar community. The meeting emphasized the importance of our work in using HF radar data for informing search and rescue operations and enhancing predictions of oil and hazardous material spills. The application is so important that the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA reiterate the need for more HF radar systems to be installed across IOOS.

    • WTRIM WG Quarterly Meeting: Brian Zelenke provided IOOS Project Updates at the quarterly meeting of the Wind Turbine Interference Mitigation (WTRIM) Working Group held November 15-16 in Arlington, VA. This interagency meeting provides opportunities for federal experts to share updates and progress related to WTRIM projects and Offshore Wind Strategy. 

  • Gliders 

    • Skidaway Gliders Join Forces with Saildrones to Improve Hurricane Forecasting: The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and Saildrone recently conducted a joint exercise utilizing autonomous underwater vehicles (gliders) and autonomous surface vessels called saildrones at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Beginning in 2021 and continuing this year, underwater gliders and saildrones have been coordinated to work together during hurricane season to collect oceanographic data. Paired teams of gliders and saildrones operate in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean off the southeast United States. In this video, Skidaway researcher Catherine Edwards talks about the under/above-water robotic partnership and how it could help improve hurricane forecasting. Read more here: https://research.uga.edu/news/skidaway-gliders-join-forces-with-saildrones-to-improve-hurricane-forecasting/ 

    • UG2 Updates:

  • Buoys & Moorings
    • Successful WA shelf buoy turn-around and Quileute Landers recovered: Dana Manalang, UW, led a successful cruise with many partners, including students, on the UW R/V Thompson to recover Cha’ba, ESP, and the NEMO profiler buoys in the Pacific Northwest. The team also successfully recovered the Quileute Tribe’s hypoxia landers and deployed the winter version of Cha’ba. Note that while data are being recorded, winter Cha’ba does not relay the data in real-time during this season. 

  • Harmful Algal Blooms

    • 2022 Lake Erie Algal Bloom More Severe than Predicted by Seasonal Forecast: NOAA scientists are examining the differences between the predicted and observed harmful algal bloom severity in Lake Erie, following an unprecedented bloom season. This year’s Lake Erie harmful algal bloom was labeled “moderately severe” — a 6.8 on a 10-point severity scale. This was higher than the forecasted bloom severity, which was originally between two and four. The bloom began to form in mid-July and hit its peak in August, covering 416 square miles. Although the predominant algal species found within the bloom switched to a lower toxicity species in October, the bloom persisted and lasted longer than previous years, despite increased winds and cooler temperatures. Discrepancies between the forecasted and final bloom severity suggests current models may be missing a component of bloom dynamics. NOAA scientists will examine the differences between the predicted and observed blooms and compare them with previous forecasts to evaluate the models. Read more here: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/2022-lake-erie-algal-bloom-more-severe-than-predicted-by-seasonal-forecast/ 

    • NHABON Webinar - December 14: Please join us for our next webinar on December 14, 2022 from 3:00-4:00 PM EST focused on “Observing Technology: IFCBs“. If you missed previous webinar events, you can watch the recorded webinars here. 

  • Marine Life

    • Bio-ICE Task Team reports released: The IOOC is pleased to announce the release of the Biology - Integrating Core To Essential Variables (Bio-ICE) Task Team reports. These reports are the result of more than a year-long  deep dive into the synergies between core and essential ocean variables for observing marine mammals and hard corals. The reports investigate spatial and temporal observing requirements, existing observation infrastructure and delivery, best practices, and variable implementation. To learn more and access the reports, please see the link here to the IOOC website. 

    • ATN Participates in WILDLABS Horizon Scan: The ATN Data Coordinator, Megan McKinzie, was invited to participate in a recent WILDLABS movement ecology horizon scan aimed at identifying emerging trends and opportunities to advance science and the application of movement ecology. Participants were asked to review, rank and then discuss emerging, technology-related challenges or opportunities that could shift the trajectory of movement ecology in the next 10-20 years. 

    • ATN Participates in National Cross MBON Meeting: MBON recently hosted an in-person national meeting 1-4 November 2022 in Monterey, CA to advance the development of a national, stakeholder-driven MBON. Meeting objectives included understanding how national MBONs are supporting applications and products for resource management, strengthening collaboration across projects, advance data management strategies and identify actions to overcome barriers to sustained support. The ATN data coordinator, Megan McKinzie, participated in-person, reporting on the Animal Tracking working group and helping to facilitate discussion within and across working group breakout sessions which were aimed at defining working group goals, improving coordination within and among working groups, identifying end users and their data needs, and co-design.  

    • ATN Data Coordinator Joins OTN’s International Science Advisory Committee: Megan McKinzie, ATN Data Coordinator, traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to participate in the Ocean Tracking Network’s ISAC meeting, 7 November 2022.  The committee includes members from the U.S., Norway, Canada, South Africa and Australia with representation from ATN, OTN, ETN and IMOS, among other academic, private and non-profit institutions. The role of the ISAC is to guide, advise and integrate planning of international telemetry research projects and assist with assuring that science undertaken around the globe has consistent, strategic direction and funding priorities. Specific meeting objectives included reviewing OTN’s embargo policy, code of conduct and strategic plan as well as discussing the UN ocean decade endorsement and participation.

    • ATN participates in the Ocean Tracking Network’s Annual Symposium and Early Career Researcher Workshop: The ATN Data Coordinator, Megan McKinzie recently attended OTN’s 2022 Annual Symposium held at Dalhousie University, 7-9 November 2022.  The Symposium is an annual event that brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate, develop strategies and seek new opportunities to understand movements of aquatic animals in changing environments. This year’s ECR workshop, held November 10th, focused on data management, positionality statements, fostering EDIA, gear recovery using ROVs and scientific illustration.

    • AniBOS Data Committee Resumes Monthly Meetings: The Animal Borne Ocean Sensor Network’s Data Committee resumed activities this month after a several month pause. The committee met on November 14th to revisit their proposed near real-time and delayed mode data/metadata standards and templates, to discuss the set-up of a proof-of-concept ERRDAP server and to begin drafting our data flow pipeline diagrams. Megan McKinzie, the ATN Data Coordinator is a member of the data committee and is leading the development of AniBOS’s data/metadata templates. The next meeting is scheduled for December 14, 2022.           

Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Subsystem and Tools Built on IOOS Data:

  • GLOS Seagull Users Livestream: GLOS hosted another Seagull Users Livestream on Nov. 30. Check out the video for a tutorial on the cloud-based platform, Seagull which reimagines how data becomes information and insights in observers’ hands.The recording is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZItuWmYofY

  • QARTOD:
    • OOI Launches QARTOD: As part of the ongoing OOI effort to improve data quality, OOI is implementing the Quality Assurance of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) on an instrument-by-instrument basis. Led by the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS), the QARTOD effort draws on the broad oceanographic observing community to provide manuals for different instrument classes (e.g. salinity, pH, or waves), which outline best practices and identify tests for evaluating data quality. A common code-base is available on GitHub and actively maintained by IOOS partner Axiom Data Science. Read more: https://oceanobservatories.org/2022/11/ooi-launches-qartod/ 

 

Modeling and Analysis Subsystem:   

  • National Water Center Workshop: The National Water Center (NWC) and the NOS Modeling Portfolio Manager held a workshop hosted by the NWC, November 15th and 16th. This was a technical meeting for PIs to hear about the updates to the National Water Model (NWM), to gain insight into the future Next Gen NWM, and to open discussion with NWC about using NWM data for boundary conditions and coupling the NWM with coastal models. This meeting was created in response to feedback from the Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) annual meeting. The meeting was recorded and the link will be released soon.

Around the Regions:

  • State of OA Science in the Gulf: The GCAN Science Working Group’s manuscript “Ocean Acidification in the Gulf of Mexico: Drivers, Impacts, and Unknowns” has been published online by Progress in Oceanography. The report synthesizes current peer-reviewed literature on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) acidification across the ocean-estuarine continuum and identifies critical knowledge, research, and monitoring gaps that limit our current understanding of environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic impacts from acidification. Read more here.
  • Lakebed 2030 conference highlights mapping progress: Hosted by Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) and organized by NMC, NOAA, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and GLOS, the conference gathered around 200 professionals to learn about the latest mapping efforts, new technologies, and continue to work towards mapping the remaining 85% of the Great Lakes at high-density. Check out GLOS’s highlights here!
  • PacIOOS 10-Year Outlook: PacIOOS’ 10-Year Outlook provides key insights from our vision for advancing coastal and ocean observing throughout the Pacific Islands region in the upcoming decade. You will find the latest developments of PacIOOS tools, services, and data and learn about the long-term direction and development of our program. This includes milestones to sustain, improve, and expand our ocean observing efforts in each region. Mahalo to our staff, collaborators, partners, stakeholders, and users who provided invaluable input to develop this strategic outlook.

  • IOOS Enterprise in the News:

    • No update.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility:

  • No update.

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates 
     
    • Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022 is Now OPEN! The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for diverse sectors from around the world co-design and co-deliver the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To achieve the Ocean Decade vision, a wide range of partners will implement endorsed Decade Actions in the form of programmes, projects or activities over the next ten years. You are invited to contribute to that vision by requesting endorsement for transformative Decade Actions via Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022. Please note that to access the Call documentation and submit your Action, you will need to be a member of the Ocean Decade Global Stakeholder Forum. We encourage you to join the Forum as soon as possible! Submit your action via the Global Stakeholder Forum.

    • Early Career Ocean Professionals invited to pay tribute to Professor Mário Ruivo through their outstanding projects: UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO), Portugal and EurOcean Foundation are inviting early career ocean professionals (ECOPs) to apply to the newly launched Mario Ruivo Memorial Lecture Series. The Memorial Lecture Series pays tribute to the legacy of Professor Mário Ruivo, former Executive Secretary of the IOC-UNESCO, and Portugal’s greatest champion of ocean science and its contribution to sustainable development. Endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, this initiative intends to stimulate and recognise ECOPs who are contributing in a substantive way to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda - Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14, ‘Life below water’, and to the vision and mission  of the Ocean Decade. For more information, visit https://eurocean.org/mario-ruivo-memorial-lecture/ 
  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) News:
     
    • Ninth and Final Recovery of Pioneer Array: In November 2022 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) R/V Neil Armstrong made its final voyage off Cape Cod to the location of the Pioneer Array, marking the end of nearly a decade of data collection as part of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI).  The mission of this cruise, Pioneer 19, was to perform the final recovery of all ten instrumented moorings and four gliders that had been collecting multidisciplinary ocean and atmospheric measurements since Pioneer 1 was first deployed in 2013. Over the course of nine years, the array, weighing in at nearly 60 tons, was recovered and redeployed twice per year for a total of 18 times, while it collected and transmitted measurements from hundreds of instruments back to shore and over the internet without interruption. Read more: https://oceanobservatories.org/2022/11/mission-accomplished-nine-years-of-ocean-data-in-support-of-solid-science 
  • Save the Date: NWS Partner Engagement Event at AMS - January 8, 2023: Please save the date for Sunday, January 8, 2023 for an in-person NWS Partner Engagement Event at the AMS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO! This year’s meeting will include NWS Leadership, and our partners from industry, academia, and Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors together from approximately 12:30pm-3:30pm local time. An agenda, exact meeting location and RSVP form will be forthcoming. As a preview though, the theme of the meeting centers around embracing service equity and building resilience in Weather-Ready communities. In the meantime, please respond to the following form so we can continue to develop the agenda and meeting design.
  • CO-OPS Deploys New Current Buoy in Kings Bay, Georgia: CO-OPS staff deployed a currents real-time buoy (CURBY) in the North Turning Basin waterfront restricted area of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay located in Georgia. The new station is part of NOAA’s Kings Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-time System (PORTS®) expansion. PORTS collects and disseminates meteorological and environmental observations to promote safe and efficient marine navigation. This is the first time a CURBY has been deployed and incorporated into a PORTS. Observations collected by the new Kings Bay CURBY will improve navigation safety for tug pilots that help move multibillion-dollar nuclear submarines in and out of the Kings Bay waterfront restricted area, East River, and nearby Cumberland Sound. The new system is the fifth current meter deployed as part of Kings Bay PORTS. Visit the Kings Bay PORTS webpage to view real-time data.
  • New Video Highlights Value of National Tidal Datum Epoch: CO-OPS released a new informational video about the National Tidal Datum Epoch — a specific 19-year reference period during which water level observations and tidal conditions are measured to calculate different tidal stages, such as mean sea level or mean high water. The National Tidal Datum Epoch and tidal datums, elevation references used to measure local water levels, inform critical maritime activities including flood mapping, nautical charting, ecosystem research, and coastal infrastructure planning. This five-minute video was developed in collaboration with external partners to highlight the importance and application of tidal datums and the National Tidal Datum Epoch, which is currently undergoing a major update. This update will ensure continued accuracy of these vital datums for years to come.
  • Electronic Charts Reflect Boston Harbor Deepening Project: OCS released updated Electronic Navigational Charts that reflect the results of the Boston Harbor Deepening Project, which deepened and widened the channels in Boston Harbor. Earlier this year, OCS hosted a meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers New England District, the U.S. Coast Guard First District, and local harbor pilots to discuss the upcoming chart changes. All attendees agreed to update the charts using controlling depths, or the minimum depths within a channel. By using controlling depths to chart the dredged areas, OCS’s Marine Chart Division was able to efficiently update the charts so that they could be quickly released for use. The Army Corp of Engineers and the Boston Pilots also worked together to standardize channel reach names to reduce confusion. The harbor can now accommodate deeper draft vessels, and the updated charts will help ensure safe navigation in the area.
  • NGS Collects Emergency Response Imagery for Hurricane Nicole: NGS collected aerial images to document the aftermath of Hurricane Nicole. The crew flew more than 2,961 square kilometers over 17.9 hours and collected 6,866 images from specific areas identified by NOAA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, impacted states, and other federal agencies. Aerial imagery is a crucial tool that aids safe navigation, helps determine the extent of flooding and related damages, and enables comparisons of impacted regions to baseline coastal areas to assess damage to major ports and waterways, coastlines, critical infrastructure, and coastal communities. This imagery, which NGS provides through their website, supports the needs of the general public, as well as advanced applications, and provides a cost-effective way to evaluate the damage sustained to both property and the environment.

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