October 2025

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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Do you know you can access more than 44,000 quality-controlled ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes datasets and models from more than 22 organizations through the U.S. IOOS data catalog? The Catalog provides a searchable graphical user interface for interactive data discovery by users, as well as a native API  and OGC CS-W-compatible service for machine-based access to its inventory of data resources.


It’s fall, so it’s also time for the IOOS Association Fall Meeting! Representatives from across U.S. IOOS gathered last month in Traverse City, Michigan where the Great Lakes Observing System hosted the 2025 event. This semi-annual meeting brought together about 65 participants including leadership and staff from the IOOS Office, IOOS Association, and the IOOS Regional Associations to discuss strategic planning, communications, and budget scenarios. 

NOS Deputy Assistant Administrator Rachael Dempsey gave remarks and highlighted NOS priorities including supporting national and environmental security, economic development, and the safety of lives and property. She emphasized that NOS has the tools necessary to meet the demands and challenges associated with the ocean and coasts and that NOAA Leadership has also made a commitment to unleash the full potential of the Ocean Economy and support innovation for NOAA’s observing systems. Other key agenda items included an update from the IOOS Program Office, highlights from the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), a strategic communications and messaging discussion, and an analysis of the successes of the last year of IOOS work.  

Bringing together representatives from all across IOOS is always invigorating. It’s a prime time to share and network ideas, roll out new developments, update each other on what’s going on all around the country, and of course spend some time building team spirit. There’s something happening at IOOS that touches everyone, and as we head into another year together, we can’t wait to show you the new ways we’re working to make businesses, industries, communities, and people stronger and safer every day.

From the
IOOS Office

  • The Ocean Enterprise Study is open! An economic analysis of the Ocean Enterprise business cluster, which comprises companies, entrepreneurs, and service providers that supply technology to generate ocean data or work with ocean information to deliver economic, societal and environmental benefits, is accepting surveys. The first two studies were conducted in 2015 and 2020, and businesses that would like to participate in the 2025 study can access the websurvey here.  If you have any questions about the study, please reach out to oes.2025@noaa.gov.

     

  • Ocean Enterprise Accelerator StartBlue has launched its first cohort of innovators and entrepreneurs! These 13 teams will embark on one of two tracks, depending on readiness, where they will be provided with the entrepreneurial expertise, training and leadership of the Rady School of Management and the ocean expertise, technical development resources and innovation of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Read the full story here.

Observing Systems, Data, and Modeling

  • AOOS and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, in conjunction with the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council, and Hilcorp Alaska, have added a second CODAR SeaSonde® oceanographic HF-radar site, KBCH, at Kalifornsky Beach, Cook Inlet to the IOOS HFR National Network. In early FY 2026, KBCH will be added to IOOS’s HFRNet data assembly center and, together with its sister station “SDPD,” provide surface current measurements in Cook Inlet. In addition to the standard HF-radar benefits, data from these stations will help in refining NOAA’s Cook Inlet Operational Forecast System.

     

  • Newly restored, the high-frequency radar (HFR) station at Nauset, Cape Cod, strengthens the nationwide HFR network, delivering real-time ocean surface current data. As the northernmost site in the MARACOOS region, it supports navigation, Coast Guard operations, fisheries, and ecosystem monitoring, filling a vital coverage gap between Mid-Atlantic waters and the Gulf of Maine. Read the full story.

     

  • GCOOS has officially joined the Webcam Coastal Observation System (WebCOOS) project being implemented by SECOORA with funding from NOAA. The two real-time cameras face the Gulf (east) and the intersection of Lydia Ann Channel with the Corpus Christi ship channel and the Aransas channel (west). There is a short (~2 min lag). Check out the cameras and imagery archives: East-facing camera | West-facing camera.

     

  • Ocean Technology Transition grantee Ocean Discovery League's Katy Croff Bell and ODL’s innovative new deep sea imaging system DORIS were profiled in National Geographic! Click through to see how this cutting edge new vehicle is getting ready to leave its mark on ocean exploration.

     

  • PacIOOS has launched two autonomous Seagliders conducting near real-time subsurface ocean observations SSE of Hawaiʻi Island. The autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) have a suite of instruments measuring the ocean's condition down to 900m depth. A dive to 900m takes approximately 5 hours, with data transmitted via satellite after each dive. Data from the current Seaglider mission is available from the Integrated Ocean Observing System Glider-Data Assembly Center, as well as on PacIOOS Voyager (Observations > Remotely Operated Vehicles > UH: sg_511_022 and UH: sg_626_005).

     

  • As part of CRITFC's long-term monitoring of the Columbia River estuary and plume, the CMOP plume buoy (SATURN-02) buoy was deployed in late August, from the F/V Cape Windy. The deployment of the SATURN-02 continues seasonal monitoring (begun in 2011) of salinity, temperature, chlorophyll, turbidity, CDOM and dissolved oxygen at multiple depths from near-surface to near-seabed, as well as meteorological observations. The plume buoy provides information on the structure of the Columbia River plume, on ocean source waters for the estuary, and on shallow shelf water conditions.

     

  • SCCOOS PI Chris Lowe (CSULB) recently deployed two new buoys to detect tagged fish/sharks and monitor physical/chemical seawater characteristics.One buoy was deployed off Oceanside and will be supported in part by City of Oceanside Lifeguards, while the other was deployed off Newport Beach (Big Corona) and will be supported in part by City of Newport Beach Lifeguards. These buoys deliver acoustic detection data of tagged marine life (e.g., sharks, rays and gamefishes), surface water, seafloor, and air temperatures, seafloor DO2 and Chl.

     

  • The Coupled Ocean Modeling Group (LSU & VIMS) developed an AI-enhanced model, supported by IOOS’s COMT program, to predict compound flooding in coastal Louisiana to save lives and reduce economic losses. This hybrid approach uses numerical model results and observations, producing forecasts 100,000 times faster and more accurately than traditional methods. Published in npj Natural Hazards, this work has gained significant media attention from Fox News, The Weather Channel, and local news outlets. These real-time forecasts are available at flood.lsu.edu.

     

  • The University of Notre Dame recently developed a user-friendly website to display STOFS 2D+ Global 7-day water level forecasts, hurricane flooding analyses, and comparisons of the model to observations. The Hurricane Analysis Mode provides street-level resolution (down to 10 meters) of total combined flooding, including waves, storm surge, tides, and rainfall. These forecasts are invaluable tools used by a variety of stakeholders to increase coastal resilience.

     

  • MARACOOS’ OceansMap has two new layers to help track and prepare for harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Chesapeake Bay. The two new layers that are available are: 
    • HAB Likelihood: Predictions from the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecast System (CBEFS) showing where harmful algal blooms may develop based on Bay conditions. 
    • HAB Forecast: A tool that estimates the chance of encountering Prorocentrum minimum (P. minimum), a species that can form harmful blooms, using factors like water temperature, salinity, and nutrients. 

       

  • The IOOS Surface Currents Program in collaboration with NESDIS has implemented an e-mail alert system to automatically notify oceanographic HF-radar station operators if an outage of their sensor is detected. These alerts complement HFR operators’ existing sensor status monitoring systems and the instrument diagnostics available via HFRNet for the IOOS HFR National Network. For more information about these alerts or IOOS’s other HFR data quality enhancement efforts, please e-mail brian.zelenke@noaa.gov.

IOOS Enterprise

Partners

  • NOAA's Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team (also known as SECART) is pleased to announce the release of Version 2 of NOAA's Sargassum Inundation Event (SIE) Disaster Guide, now available in both English and Spanish ("Sargassum Inundation Event Disaster Guide").

     

  • NDBC is updating the automatic QC limits for Weather Buoys and the Coastal-Marine Automated Network (C-MAN). Weather Buoy and C-MAN stations are being split into new regions using updated historical data, then subset into coastal, nearshore, and offshore. Implementation expected in late 2025.

     

  • NOAA, in partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi and Oshen, launched five small uncrewed surface vehicles, C-Stars, off the U.S. Virgin Islands on Aug 31 to collect critical data to better understand hurricane development and activity. Read more.
  • The MTS Ocean Enterprise Initiative announced the return of its signature Dialogues with Industry series bringing together industry leaders, innovators, government, academia, and scientists to explore the future of ocean observing. Starts October 8!

     

  • Request for Comment: Recommendations for Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. Requested by the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. Commend period ends 10/14/25

New Papers and Reports

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