July 2026

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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Photo alt: Two images side-by-side, each showing four people standing together in a room with one woman (left image) and one man (right image) in the center holding a framed laser woodcut image of coastal Oregon (left image) and coastal Mississippi (right image).
On June 25, representatives from the IOOS Association and IOOS Regional Associations visited the Hill to present U.S. Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS-04) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) with the IOOS Association Congressional Award for Bipartisan Leadership in Ocean Observing. Left image, L to R, IOOS Association Director Kristen Yarincik, Rep. Bonamici, NANOOS Executive Director Jan Newton, and Margaret Pilaro, Executive Director, Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association. Right image, L to R, IOOS Association Director Kristen Yarincik, GCOOS Deputy Director Marcus Ogle, Rep. Ezell, and Jason Rider, Director, Shellfish Bureau, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Photo credit: IOOS Association

The IOOS Association celebrated their second “Ocean Data Day” on June 25th. This year’s theme, Coastal Data for a Strong Economy, recognized the essential role ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes data play in supporting industries, communities, public safety, and the nation’s ocean economy.

Investments in ocean observing are economic multipliers. IOOS data support industries connected to $319 billion in economic activity and 2.1 million jobs nationwide, helping guide ships safely into port, informing fishing operations, strengthening forecasting, and supporting coastal communities across the country.

As part of this year’s recognition, the IOOS Association honored U.S. Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS-04) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) with the IOOS Association Congressional Award for Bipartisan Leadership in Ocean Observing. Their leadership and support have advanced ocean observing and the delivery of critical ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes data that support public safety, coastal resilience, and the nation’s blue economy.

We are also grateful to the strong ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing community that we are a part of, and which we help convene. The work that the many data scientists, oceanographers, marine scientists, technicians, modelers, data managers, innovators, Regional Associations, and partners do every day is essential to turning observations into decision-ready information every day.

From the IOOS Office

  • The U.S. IOOS Advisory Committee held a public meeting June 16-17. The meeting focused on refining the three sets of draft recommendations from the Committee: Observations and Modeling, Private Sector, and Interagency Coordination. Recommendations will be submitted to the NOAA Administrator later this summer once finalized. The Committee also considered three possibilities for future work plans. Minutes from this meeting will be published on the Committee’s website as soon as they are available.

  • Welcome Ella Scott, who has joined the NOS modeling community this summer as a Lapenta intern! Ella, a rising senior at Vanderbilt University studying Environmental Sociology and Legal Studies, will focus on stakeholder engagement and communications for operational ocean modeling products and tools during her internship.

  • IOOS funding opportunity under the Ocean Technology Transition Program closes July 15. Visit the U.S. IOOS Ocean Technology Transition website for more information about the program, and find more about the notice of funding opportunity here.

Observing Systems, Data, and Modeling

  • With support from NOAA, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and partners just completed a 5-year project to build out the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecast System. Users can now view longer range forecasts — five days instead of two — and view a forecast about the chance of any harmful algal bloom. They also developed a machine learning-based forecasting model for a HAB species commonly found in the Bay and built a 40 year digital atlas of physical and biogeochemical variables! Read More
  • The Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Executive Committee has ratified a Conceptual Model and Data Package Guide as additions to the Darwin Core Standard. The Darwin Core Data Package Guide (DwC-DP) specifies how biodiversity data can be formatted in a manner that describes the relationships among the fields in data tables. By basing these relationships on a common Conceptual Model that is not limited by the "star schema" of the existing Darwin Core Archives system, it will be possible to publish complex data sets whose structure is consistent among data providers.
  • NOAA released its Artificial Intelligence Policy (NAO 216-128). This new administrative order provides essential direction, guidelines, and governance to advance the responsible development and use of AI in support of NOAA's mission and business objectives. The policy applies to all AI use across the agency, ranging from scientific research, writing, and operations to code development and administrative workflows, and states that all AI applications must be firmly grounded in scientific integrity, accountability, transparency, trustworthiness, and strong risk management.
  • As part of Hurricane Glider Coordination, Rutgers University developed tools to explore model-data comparisons of NOAA, the U.S. Navy, and European ocean models and glider, Argo, and Fishing Vessel Observing Network data. The Archive Viewer loads the most recent map for a region, and users can view different variables and comparisons or plot profiles. Adaptive sampling guidance compares ocean heat content, sea surface salinity, and current speed from Atlantic basin models to support glider operations. The Transect Plotter allows along-track cross-section comparisons of observations and models.
  • The NECOFS Casco Bay layers are up on the IOOS Model Viewer! Forecasts include surface and bottom currents, salinity, and temperature.
  • The Waimea Bay buoy is back online! Moored approximately 4 miles offshore Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oʻahu, the buoy transmits wave height, direction and period every half hour.
  • Two NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) seasonal moorings have been redeployed with real-time capabilities, thanks to technological expertise from NANOOS and funds from the NOAA Climate Program Office and the Washington Ocean Acidification Center! OCNMS has maintained seasonal moorings from Cape Flattery to Grays Harbor since 2000, now designated as a NOAA Ocean Acidification Sentinel Site. Until now, these data could only be accessed after the season. See hourly real-time data from the OCNMS sensors here: Makah Bay and Cape Elizabeth.
  • The Oregon State University glider team led by NANOOS PI Jack Barth joined the restored historic R/V Western Flyer’s Pacific Northwest expedition to deploy an autonomous underwater glider off the coast of Washington. These glider deployments are a collaboration with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Quinault Indian Nation and provide invaluable data to better understand regional concerns like hypoxia, HABs, and rising water temperatures. Data is available on the NVS Autonomous Vehicle app and learn more about the glider here.
  • What do you know about BioTrack? SECOORA takes a deep dive into the project here!
  • NOAA’s 2026 Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Early Season Projection predicts a moderate bloom in western Lake Erie this summer.

IOOS Enterprise

  • July 28-30, 2026: Registration is now open for the 2026 IOOS Modeling Community of Practice Workshop, being held in Washington, DC at the Reservoir Center. Virtual attendance will be accommodated. Please register by July 17, and find the website and draft agenda here.

  • Collecting Ocean Data depends on reliable equipment, and dedicated stewardship of the equipment and data. Visit the Backyard Buoys website for a video focusing on the new Pacific Northwest Spotter Mooring that details how a buoy mooring is designed!

  • The GLOS Strategic Plan (2026-2031) is out. The new plan summarizes the GLOS mission and provides an overview of their intended approach through three key focus areas, as directed by GLOS’s impact priority areas.

  • GCOOS has revalidated a set of more than 19 million hypoxia and nutrient records, spanning 1922 to 2014. The current dataset includes 19,907,246 records from sites across the Gulf of America that provide users with a historic picture of important water quality parameters and trends.

  • In April, Alice Bailey (AOOS), and Ali Chene (PacIOOS) brought the Backyard Buoys project to life for students in Sitka, Alaska. In partnership with the Sitka Sound Science Center, the team engaged 7th graders at Blatchley Middle School in a hands-on exploration of ocean science. Read more here.

  • California Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin now available! This latest edition includes a comprehensive summary of model outputs, real-time observations, and public health advisories.

Partners

  • NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring Observing Program has a new Data Access & Discovery webpage that serves as a central repository for their extensive data collection. This webpage provides direct access to GOMO-sponsored data products and verified observational outputs.

  • The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) has integrated Port Meteorological Officers into its organization to streamline global marine data collection. By aligning shipboard outreach with NDBC infrastructure, this initiative enhances weather forecasting and improves safety for mariners.

  • CODAR SeaSonde® Training for oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) operators is being offered in-person at CODAR Ocean Sensors’ headquarters in Mountain View, California November 9 - 13, 2026. Space is limited and advance registration is required. 

  • NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Service is expanding its harmful algal bloom monitoring to include new products for the Northeast coast and Great Lakes.

  • NOAA CO-OPS is assessing whether its tide gauges can also deliver real-time wave data at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, alongside standard water levels. This effort demonstrates CO-OPS’s commitment to maximizing the public's investment in observing infrastructure.

  • A Circular Letter was sent out by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO (CL-3074) to IOC Member States with a request to review their GOOS National Focal Points and Argo National Focal Points and to update them as necessary using the nomination forms.

  • The Ocean Decade announces the endorsement of 73 new Decade Actions. These initiatives reflect a growing global movement to rethink how we understand, value, and care for the ocean through science, knowledge, innovation, and collective action. Learn more.

New Papers and Reports

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