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From the Director:

Dear IOOS Community,

Welcome to 2024 and the first monthly edition of the Eyes on the Ocean Newsletter for the year. January brought snow to the Washington D.C. area but also brought the American Meteorological Association’s Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD this week. I had the opportunity to moderate a Town Hall on Tuesday that highlighted how the Ocean Enterprise can best work with and learn from its counterpart, the Weather Enterprise, to help deliver improved forecast skill and better climate projections. This Town Hall focused on discussing opportunities to expand and improve NOAA’s integration of ocean and coastal observing programs into forecasting systems and explored ways to further evolve connections between the Ocean and Weather Enterprises in the delivery of improved weather forecasts and climate projections in support of coastal resilience and the Blue Economy.

This month, NOAA and the IOOS Office will be well represented at the upcoming AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting in New Orleans, LA. Come visit us at the NOAA booth in the exhibit hall and join us for a Town Hall on February 21 from 12:45pm to 1:45pm CT to hear about how NOAA and IOOS are partnering to accelerate the Blue Economy to enhance community resilience to ocean change. This Town Hall will bring together Ocean Enterprise entrepreneurs, Blue Tech business accelerator program managers, academic researchers, and NOAA partners to discuss the positive feedback loop between academia, industry, and federal government in building the Ocean Enterprise, and how interested academics can grow their research programs by partnering with Ocean Enterprise companies. We hope to see you in New Orleans.

Finally, it’s with a heavy heart that I share news of the passing of Mark Wiegardt, who passed away peacefully at home on January 16, 2024, at the age of 68, surrounded by his family after a six-year battle with cancer. Mark was an oyster farming legend and a big supporter and friend of IOOS. All who knew him will certainly miss Mark.  If you knew him or even if you didn’t, there is a great tribute online to Mark.   

Thanks,
Carl

From the U.S. IOOS Office:

  • Maturing the Ocean Enterprise: A Roadmap for High-Priority Actions:  The Marine Technology Society (MTS) has released the Dialogues with Industry Roadmap, a groundbreaking collaboration involving MTS, the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and industry representatives. The roadmap builds on the proposed potential pathways identified through the series of consultations with the Ocean Enterprise and outlined in the Dialogues with Industry Synthesis Report and subsequent consultations. An important feature of the Dialogues with Industry series is its focus on an integrated set of actions that will enhance all components of the Ocean Enterprise across the Ocean Information Value Chain, as compared to focusing on individual actions. Supported by funding from NOAA under the Inflation Reduction Act, this Roadmap outlines a prioritized set of action pathways. For more information on the Dialogues with Industry, and to access the roadmap, click here. 
  • IOOS Physical Scientist Featured in NOS Career Profiles: Mathew Biddle, IOOS Physical Scientist has a featured career profile published by the National Ocean Service (NOS). These career profiles highlight what it’s like to work at NOS. 
  • National Ocean Service Releases Annual Accomplishments Report: Fiscal year 2023 was a banner year for the National Ocean Service, highlighted by the release of a new strategic plan that will guide our efforts through 2028. As you review this report, note how all of the activities align with NOS key strategic priorities. These accomplishments demonstrate how we are leveraging our broad expertise to meet the nation's growing need for ocean and coastal products and services. We hope you take some time to review the many actions NOS has taken, innovative projects we've completed, and scientific endeavors we embarked upon in the past fiscal year. Read the report here: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/annualreport/2023/ 
  • The 2024 AMS Science Policy Colloquium: Registration is open for the 2024 Science Policy Colloquium, June 2-7, 2024 in Washington, DC. The colloquium is an intensive immersion in policy for Earth and environmental system scientists and professionals. Participation is open to all but will be limited to no more than 45 individuals. Colloquium participants meet with congressional staff, members of congress, leading officials from the executive branch, and prominent policy experts. Legislative exercises and policy simulations provide additional windows into the interplay of policy, politics, and procedure in the United States Federal policy process. Visit the colloquium website for more details and registration.
  • From the IOOS Association: 
    • IOOS Association Spring Meeting - March 12-14, 2024: The IOOS Association, IOOS Regions, and the IOOS Program Office will meet March 12th to the 14th for the annual IOOS Spring Meeting. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC at the Resources and Conservation Center (1400 16th Street NW, 1st Floor Conference Center). For more information, please contact Kristen Yarincik <kristen@ioosassociation.org>. 

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

  • Surface Current Mapping
    • HF Radar at AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting: For those attending the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, Teresa Updyke (garner@ccpo.odu.edu) has compiled a listing of posters and presentations that involve oceanographic HF-radar.   An HF-radar oceanography community social event will be held in conjunction with the Ocean Sciences Meeting on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 from 4:00–6:00 PM CST. Details below: 
      • Title: HF Radar Oceanography Community Meeting
      • Date: Tuesday Feb 20 - 16:00-18:00
      • Location: Rivergate Terrace, Second Floor (NOLACC)
      • Description: This is a social event for the HF radar oceanography community of data users, practitioners, manufacturers, operators, etc. to facilitate discussion and the exchange of ideas, developments and research.
      • Event Contact: Brian M Emery, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
    • 13th Radiowave Oceanographers Working Group Meeting: The News page at https://ioos.noaa.gov/project/hf-radar/ has been updated with information about the 13th Radiowave Oceanographers Working Group Meeting.  You are invited to pre-register and help shape the agenda of this hybrid meeting, tentatively scheduled for May 21–23, 2024 at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Hardy Hall in Long Beach, Mississippi, U.S.A.  Operators of HF-radars worldwide are welcome to attend.
  • Gliders 
    • UG2 Updates: 
      • 2024 Glider Workshop Planning: The Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) is making plans for a 2024 Glider Workshop, building on the success of previous meetings. The date is tentatively scheduled two-and-a-half days the week of Sept. 9, 2024, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. UG2 is also seeking input from potential workshop attendees on topics to cover and other details. Please click here to fill out the expression of interest form and help organizers plan the agenda and confirm meeting dates, etc.
  • Buoys & Moorings
    • Backyard Buoys Jan. 2024 update: Backyard Buoys had a highly successful year in 2023. Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator Program, three IOOS Regional Associations (NANOOS, PacIOOS, and AOOS) collaborated with Sofar Ocean Technologies, as well as Indigenous and education partners from each region. Their joint effort aimed to provide real-time wave data to Indigenous coastal communities. Read the full update here.
    • New Quinault Indian Nation Wave Buoy Deployed: On 6 October 2023, the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) deployed a test buoy off Point Grenville. This Backyard Buoys site was chosen by the QIN to provide wave information for tribal and non-tribal vessels using the remote area, for tribal members launching small boats and canoes from the Quinault reservation coast and for Quinault tribal members to check surf conditions when using the reservation coast for recreational, subsistence and commercial uses.
    • Ongoing Observations in the Great Lakes: Recent advances in technology have provided opportunities to explore winter buoy deployments despite the harsh winter conditions in the area. GLOS selected Michigan Tech University and the Upstate Freshwater Institute through a competitive process to deploy over-winter buoys that report in near real-time to Seagull. These platforms are located near or at existing summer buoy locations, creating six year-round datasets. These datasets will complement past and ongoing efforts to better understand what happens in the Great Lakes during the winter months and, combined with expansion in real-time capabilities, will allow everyone to better understand year-round conditions on and in the Lakes.
    • Keeping Watch Over the Oceans with Data Buoys: When viewed from just the right position in space, you’d be hard-pressed to think that our home planet is anything but a water world. And in all the ways that count, you’d be right; there’s almost nothing that goes on on dry land that isn’t influenced by the oceans. No matter how far you are away from an ocean, what’s going on there really matters. But how do we know what’s going on out there? Read this article to learn more about the role data buoys play in measuring the ocean. https://hackaday.com/2023/12/28/keeping-watch-over-the-oceans-with-data-buoys/ 
  • Harmful Algal Blooms 
    • NHABON at OSM24 - Building a National Harmful Algal Bloom Observing Network (NHABON) Town Hall: NHABON will host a town hall at the upcoming AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting on February 21st 12:45pm-1:45pm CT.
    • NHABON Webinars: 
      • March Webinar: Please join us for our next webinar on March 20, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM EST on Observing Sargassum. Stay tuned for a registration link. You can watch the latest webinar here!
    • Late Summer/Early Fall CA Hab Bulletin Published: SCCOOS wrapped up 2023 with their Late Summer/Early Fall CA HAB Bulletin, which reviews the latest collection of model output, observations, and advisories for this period. Major contributors to the bulletin content are SCCOOS, CeNCOOS, HABMAP, NOAA CoastWatch, California Department of Public Health, The Marine Mammal Center, the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute, CA Wildlife Center, Marine Animal Rescue, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, and SeaWorld. Feedback on the bulletin is welcome any time, and can be directed to info@sccoos.org.
    • California Tribal Communities Ready to Monitor Culturally Important Marine Resources Impacted by Harmful Algal Blooms: Shellfish are often the lifeway for tribes along the U.S. West Coast who rely on indigenous fisheries for subsistence. However, the expanding range of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the region threatens to contaminate shellfish and poison local communities. NCCOS engages with tribal nations both locally and through regional partnerships to design workshops specific to community needs for toxin detection to reduce HAB-related health threats. Read more here: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/california-tribal-monitor-culturally-important-marine-resources-impacted-habs/
  • Marine Life
    • NOAA-Smithsonian Host the Summit on Ocean Biodiversity: On January 23rd, NOAA and the Smithsonian hosted a Summit on Ocean Biodiversity that explored three themes through panel conversations with a diverse group of leaders - Biodiversity and Communities at the Frontlines of Climate Change, Valuing Biodiversity for Conservation and the Blue Economy, and Exploration and Innovation to Sustain Ocean Biodiversity. The Summit brought together leaders from across the country to discuss solutions to protect and sustain the nation’s ocean and coastal resources. At the Summit, NOAA and the Smithsonian announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that advances collaborative efforts to understand and conserve the biodiversity of the world’s ocean ecosystems. A live video recording of the Summit can be found here. 
    • New Framework Reveals Gaps in U.S. Ocean Biodiversity Protection: In a new paper in the journal One Earth, a Task Force of leading experts developed a scientific framework to (1) assess the distribution and abundance of marine biodiversity in U.S. waters both inside and outside existing protections; and (2) applied it to waters from the near coast to the borders of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This multi-year effort, known as Marine Biodiversity Dialogues, was led by Dr. J. Emmett Duffy, Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Daniel Dunn, University of Queensland, and Dr. Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn, University of Massachusetts Lowell.
    • Joint Statement by UNESCO, NOAA, USGS and the National Park Service to map and understand the diversity of marine life: Miami, 6 December 2023, Ms Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO Director General, announced a joint collaboration between NOAA, USGS, NPS and OBIS to support activities such as the management of Marine Protected Areas. Read more here: https://obis.org/2023/12/08/unesco-usa-statement/ 

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

  • Last call! Be a mentor for Google’s Summer of Code 2024! IOOS plans to apply as a mentoring organization for Google Summer of Code 2024.  IOOS has participated previously in GSoC 2021 and 2022. To be accepted, we need as many project ideas submitted as possible by the Feb 6, 2024 deadline.  Mentors don’t need to be affiliated with IOOS directly - if your software is open source and is connected in some way to oceanography or ocean data, we’re happy to include it in our application.For more info on this opportunity and to submit an idea, visit: https://github.com/ioos/gsoc.
  • 2024 IOOS DMAC Code Sprint, May 21 - 23: Registration is now open for the 2024 IOOS DMAC Code Sprint on  May 21 - 23, 2024. Along with our partner MARACOOS, we're hosting an in person event at the Pitch at the WHARF in Washington D.C. with an option for virtual participation. Registration is now open! Please register by April 20th, 2024 using this form. For more information about the IOOS 2024 DMAC Code Sprint see: https://ioos.github.io/ioos-code-sprint/2024/.
  • Save the date! DMAC Annual Meeting, April 2 - 4: We are pleased to announce that the 2024 DMAC Annual Meeting will take place virtually in the afternoons between 1 pm and 5 pm ET Tue April 2 - Thu April 4, 2024. To help us identify topics of interest to the IOOS DMAC community, we've created an agenda input document.  Please contribute your ideas for both plenary session presentations as well as for breakout discussion and/or workshop sessions.  Please complete all fields, including your name as topic suggester, so that we may follow up if needed.  This DMAC Annual Meeting intentionally precedes the hybrid 2024 DMAC Code Sprint, scheduled for May 21-23, 2024 in Washington DC.  Please send any questions or suggestions to the IOOS DMAC team at data.ioos@noaa.gov.
  • IOOS has released an updated version of the IOOS Model Viewer: https://eds.ioos.us/map! This is a soft launch to provide users initial access to newly updated visualization and analysis tools. Some datasets from the original IOOS Model Viewer are still being implemented in v3.0, and will be available over the coming months. We are also working through some updates of the current vector displays. In the meantime, users can still access all available datasets in the original IOOS Model Viewer (v2.0).
  • All Things Beaches: Want to know how hot it is? If there are weather alerts, harmful algal blooms or water quality issues on a beach you plan to visit? The interactive maps on All Things Beaches allow visitors to explore beaches across the Gulf of Mexico, including those that are regularly monitored and tested for water quality in coastal Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and on Florida's west coast. The guide also includes local links to beach information, including hours, parking, restrooms, showers, accessibility and other amenities. All Things Beaches, created by former GCOOS GIS Developer Shin Kobara and updated by current GCOOS GIS Developer Hannah Dillahunt, is free and accessible online.
  • Observing El Niño with Gliders: SCCOOS PI Dr. Dan Rudnick has released a new  El Niño monitoring page focusing on the California region. Glider measurements offer unique insight into El Niño and its impacts to California's coastal waters — check out the new page here. 
  • SCCOOS supported the CalCOFI scrolly-telling Oceano app http://shiny.calcofi.io/oceano. The app enables filtering, visualization, and download of CalCOFI oceanographic data in map, time series, and depth profile views. Bookmarking capability was recently added.
  • QARTOD
    • No update.
  • Artificial Intelligence
    • No update.

Modeling and Analysis Subsystem:   

  • OSM24 - Biogeochemical Observing and Modeling Workshop: Connecting Observations to Models - Feb 22, 12-2pm CT: On Thursday Feb 22 from 12-2pm, join Federal Program Managers to share what you think are the grand challenges facing the Biogeochemical Observing and Modeling Communities and discuss opportunities for improved connectivity between observing and modeling efforts. Biogeochemical observing networks and models are developing at an unprecedented pace. This workshop will provide space for biogeochemical modelers and observers to make connections, ensure observing networks are addressing critical modeling data needs, and inform federal research priorities. Participants will split into topical or regional groups and move between tables to discuss what data are currently available for models and what data and data products will be needed in the future. Workshop outcomes may include a report on regional observing data gaps and recommended improvements to data products that feed into biogeochemical models. Please indicate your interest in attending this workshop by responding to this short google form. The workshop will be held in conjunction with 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Convention Center Room 224.
  • Last call! FY2024 Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed Funding Opportunity: COMT aims to support projects that facilitate and accelerate the transition of models and model based technologies from research environments toward operational readiness. With this funding opportunity, the U.S. IOOS Program is seeking to fund projects which advance new or existing solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal modeling and forecast product development challenges. A recording of an informational webinar on the FY24 Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available here https://ioos.noaa.gov/project/comt/. Closes February 26!

Around the Regions:

  • Web Cameras Capture Impacts from Powerful Nor’Easter: A low pressure storm system brought excessive rainfall and coastal flooding to the Southeast on December 17th. WebCOOS cameras stationed in Charleston, South Carolina and Oak Island, North Carolina captured some of the shocking impacts from this Nor’easter. Read the full story here. 
  • Ocean Observing in California: Celebrate the Past, Showcase the Present, and Envision the Future: SCCOOS, CeNCOOS, and CalCOFI are co-hosting the Ocean Observing in California: Celebrate the Past, Showcase the Present, and Envision the Future conference in San Diego from May 14-16, 2024. The conference will celebrate sustained ocean observing in California, CalCOFI for a whopping 75 years, and SCCOOS and CeNCOOS for 20 years. The conference will showcase success stories between scientists and data users, share ideas on the state and dynamics of the California Current, and provide a platform to build and maintain relationships across the ocean community and Stimulate meaningful coordination that fosters future ocean observing, sustainable blue economy initiatives, and cultivates an equitable ocean community. Abstract submission for oral and poster presentations is open until March 8th and early bird registration ends March 28th.
  • Dingell, McClain Introduce Bipartisan Great Lakes Mapping Act: Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Lisa McClain (MI-09) introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Mapping Act, legislation that would provide a better understanding of the unseen, unexplored lakebeds of America’s Great Lakes, and further our knowledge of their environmental, social, and economic impact. This bill would direct the NOAA Administrator to conduct high-resolution bathymetric mapping of the lakebeds of the Great Lakes and authorize $200 million in appropriations. Throughout this process, NOAA would work with consulting bodies and regional coastal observing systems, such as the Great Lakes Observing System, to map the lakebeds and then make all relevant data available to the public. 
  • CalCOFI is now a NASA PACE Validation Program: SCCOOS led a successful proposal with a team of Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists to establish the world-renowned California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Program as a validation node for the PACE satellite mission. This includes measurements of ocean color, biogeochemistry, net primary productivity, and phytoplankton community metrics as well as eDNA sampling of ocean biodiversity on CalCOFI. 
  • Meet the Winner of the 2023 SECOORA Data Challenge: Kaylee Mooney, a graduate student from Florida Gulf Coast University, is the winner of the SECOORA Data Challenge for her proposal Implementing Vulnerability into Historic Hurricane Normalization. Click here to learn about her project and hear from Kaylee about her plans for this award.
  • Kirkpatrick Appointed to NOAA Advisory Board: GCOOS Senior Advisor Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick has been appointed to a three-year term on the NOAA Science Advisory (SAB) Board’s Ecosystem Sciences and Management Working Group (ESMWG). The ESMWG focuses on the broad research, monitoring and management components of NOAA’s ecosystem portfolio, as well as on underlying observations and data management issues. The group is charged with enhancing communication with external partners and stakeholders and submitting formal reports to the SAB that identify current issues, deficiencies, recommendations for remedial action and proposed initiatives.
  • CeNCOOS Deputy Director Alex Harper has joined the PICES North Pacific Coastal Ocean Observing Systems Advisory Panel (PICES AP-NPCOOS) representing the U.S. PICES is an intergovernmental science organization that was established in 1992 to promote and coordinate marine research in the North Pacific and its adjacent seas. Its present members are Canada, Japan, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. AP-NPCOOS develops and advises about best practices for coastal ocean observing, convenes workshops/sessions to engage those involved in coastal ocean observing systems from around the North Pacific, advises on linkages between coastal ocean observing systems and other PICES activities, and reviews the PICES Data Inventory and identify data and/or data products developed. Click here to learn more about PICES through a 10 minute video from the 25th Anniversary Meeting of PICES.
  • GCOOS 2023 Annual Report available: While Gulf coast residents may not always realize it, GCOOS data impact their lives in large and small ways almost every day. Developing such a robust ocean observing system would not be possible without strong partners and this 2023 Annual Report provides a brief summary of the work we undertook together to support a healthy Gulf and resilient coastal communities. Read it here!
  • 2022 Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview available: A comprehensive look at Puget Sound marine conditions for the year 2022 is now available. Physical, chemical, and biological information, ranging from large-scale climate variations to local biota monitoring, is summarized to provide a thorough overview of conditions in Puget Sound and the surrounding area during 2022. The report includes many contributions from NANOOS, and is published by UW's Puget Sound Institute and Puget Sound Partnership as part of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility:

  • A new storymap presents information on ocean acidification: A new storymap gives viewers an introduction to the processes and implications of ocean acidification (OA) in Alaska, along with ways that Alaskans are addressing this issue. Through the use of eye-catching imagery and clickable resources, this online tool is designed to make the concept of ocean acidification accessible to new audiences. The storymap is part of six regional maps across the U.S., created through a partnership between the International Ocean Acidification Alliance, the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program, and regional ocean acidification networks. To learn more about this collaborative project, click here. 
  • GLOS is science partner for 23-24 Teaching Great Lakes Literacy cohort: The Teaching Great Lakes Literacy project, in its first year, is based on a model developed by Oregon State University, which connects math and science educators with scientists to create and pilot lessons centered around marine-focused anchoring phenomena. This year’s Lake Huron-focused cohort consists of seven scientists and sixteen middle and high school educators, and GLOS has been paired up with a math and science duo to use data available on Seagull for inclusion in lesson plans for three classes: algebra, STEM, and Advanced Placement biology. 

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

  • UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates: 
    • 2024 Ocean Decade Conference - Submit your request for registration before 10 February 2024:Hosted by Spain and co-organized with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) in its role as the coordinating agency of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will take place on 10-12 April 2024, the culmination of an Ocean Decade Week running from 8-12 April in the coastal city of Barcelona. You can request to register for the conference here. The registration deadline is 10 February 2024 23.59h UTC – don't miss it! Please note that, due to the high expected demand and the limited number of places in the Conference venue, you should wait for confirmation that your registration has been approved before advancing with any travel plans.
    • Vision 2030 - Take part in the review process of the Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers! A milestone initiative of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (‘Ocean Decade’), Vision 2030 is a strategic ambition setting process which aims to identify a common measure of success for each of the Ocean Decade Challenges. Led by 10 Working Groups, one per Challenge, the White Papers are the result of several months of collaborative work initiated in early 2023. They outline a comprehensive and visionary strategic ambition based on user needs, priority datasets, residual gaps in science, as well as scientific knowledge, resources or infrastructure, partnerships, capacity development, technology solutions and infrastructure required for each Challenge to ensure that it can be fulfilled by 2030. We want to hear from you. Between 22 January and 22 February 2024, we are inviting you to participate in the review process of the draft White Papers developed by the 10 Working Groups. Learn more about how to participate here: https://oceandecade.org/vision-2030/ 
  • Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) News:
    • GOOS Town Hall at the Ocean Sciences Meeting: To meet the growing demands for ocean information from policy makers, government, private sector, and the general public, the Global Ocean Observing System 2030 Strategy formulated ambitious objectives to strengthen the value chain from ocean observations to critical services for climate adaptation, weather forecasts and hazard warnings, to protect ocean health and support sustainable blue growth. This Town Hall at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana will look at the development of GOOS five years into the 2030 Strategy. The GOOS Management Team invite feedback from the ocean, policy and private sector on observing priorities, key innovations, and what can be done to support the observing community towards achieving a truly integrated and fit-for-purpose Global Ocean Observing System that responds to societal needs for forecasting, climate and ocean health.
    • A comic book for young minds: Journey with Ocean Observers: The GOOS Management Team’s operational center OceanOPS has released an inspiring educational comic book, “Journey with Ocean Observers”, which invites curious young minds to discover the thousands of instruments at sea taking the pulse of the ocean. The comic book was developed in collaboration with EuroArgo and supported by the EuroSea Project. Read more here: https://www.oceanobservers.org/Ocean-Observers-the-comic 
  • Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) News:
    • OOI at OSM24: The Ocean Sciences Meeting is just around the corner.  For those planning to attend, we'd like to bring some matters to your attention:
      • OOIFB Input: The OOIFB is seeking input to help shape an interactive panel discussion during its Town Hall on Tuesday Feb 20 at 12:45 - 1:45 CT.  Please share your questions, challenges, and other ideas so that the panel can reflect community's concerns. Submit your ideas here. 
      • OOI Schedule: A list of all OOI-related events at OSM24 can be found here. A list of Coastal and Global Scale Nodes events can be found here.
      • OOI Booth: Please come visit the OOI booth #210 in the exhibit hall. Data Expert Stace Beaulieu will be doing Data Explorer demos every day at 10:00 am and 3:30 pm there. 
      • Gathering: Last, but not least, please drop by The Rusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm on Monday Feb 19 to catch up and raise a glass with your OOI colleagues.
    • Water Sample Data Available thru BCO-DMO Repository: OOI water sample data are now being redistributed through the Biological & Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) Data Repository. As part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s effort to improve FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data practices, OOI is making the water sampling data collected during OOI operations and maintenance cruises available via the BCO-DMO website and database. BCO-DMO curates publicly available research-ready oceanographic data in accordance with FAIR data principles. Read more here.
    • AUV Data Available in a Variety of Formats: We recently announced and demonstrated new access to autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) data through OOI’s Data Explorer. Since the initial announcement, more has been done to provide additional AUV data and improve data delivery. As part of OOI’s efforts towards Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data, not only are AUV data easier to find and access, we now are providing these data in more interoperable and reusable formats. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2024/01/auv-data-available-in-a-variety-of-formats/ 
  • New Coastal Inundation Dashboard Training Module Now Live: The Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), in collaboration with the COMET® Program’s MetEd team, released a new training module, “Monitoring Water Levels with NOAA’s Coastal Inundation Dashboard.” The free, one-hour module — now available on MetEd — teaches learners how to navigate, understand, and apply the dashboard to a variety of operational scenarios during coastal flooding events. Coastal flooding and inundation are becoming more frequent and remain a significant concern for CO-OPS’s stakeholders responding and building resilience to these events. Using a scenario-based approach, the module takes learners through different dashboard-use cases and highlights the real-time, historical, and impact-based decision-support information it provides. This module is part of a forthcoming module series that will highlight different CO-OPS’s coastal hazards products made possible by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, which is helping to advance CO-OPS service delivery and technical assistance efforts.
  • CO-OPS Hosts High Tide Flooding Workshops: CO-OPS hosted two virtual workshops on NOAA’s enhanced Annual and Monthly High Tide Flooding Outlook products. Over 80 participants from across the nation attended, representing federal, state, local, and tribal governments as well as the engineering and research communities. CO-OPS oceanographers demonstrated products, and six stakeholders presented on how they use CO-OPS data and products in their work. The stakeholder use cases highlighted the value of CO-OPS data and products for coastal communities’ planning, particularly for the more frequent flooding associated with sea level rise. At the end of each workshop, participants asked questions and provided feedback on the outlook products, and that information will inform future enhancements to both products. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding supported the workshops; the funding is helping CO-OPS advance its service delivery and technical assistance efforts.
  • NGS Perform Launch Surveys on NOAA Ships: Personnel from the NGS Field Operations Branch supported NOAA Ships Ferdinand R. Hassler and Thomas Jefferson recently by completing sensor surveys for multiple launches. These surveys, using terrestrial survey equipment, are performed to precisely position the sensors aboard the small craft to precisely locate hydrographic survey data. In most cases, the Inertial Measuring Unit (IMU), Transducer/Receiver, and any GPS Antennas onboard are surveyed and then referenced to each vessel's unique coordinate reference frame, marked by physical benchmarks on the craft. The crew surveyed in unique conditions with the launch from the Hassler still in the cradle while the whole ship was in floating dry dock. Then two launches currently staged at the Marine Operations Center–Atlantic (MOC-A) were also surveyed. These updated surveys provide onboard crews the ability to relate many types of geospatial data collected during their missions.
  • OCS Attends Congressional Briefing: NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) staff attended the All-Interested Congressional Staff Briefing, “NOAA’s Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act Update,” hosted by NOAA’s Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping, or IOCM. On behalf of NOS Deputy Assistant Administrator for Navigation, Observations, and Positioning Rachael Dempsey and IOCM Program Director Ashley Chappell, RDML Benjamin Evans, director of OCS, discussed IOCM’s purpose, why the effort is good for government and stakeholders, and the status of interagency and regional mapping campaigns. He also discussed the RDML Richard T. Brennan Matching Fund’s first project and outlined future projects.

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