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IOOS^® - EYES ON THE OCEAN^™

From the IOOS Program Office:

• Only 9 Days Left - Did you vote today? Vote for Dr. Richard Feely, esteemed NOAA scientist, OA researcher and proud IOOSian, who is up for a People's Choice Sammie Award for public service.  People’s Choice voting will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 30, 2015. http://servicetoamericamedals.org/

Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:

•  HF Radar/Radio: (IOOS national coordinator – Jack Harlan; Harlan@noaa.gov):
  • IOOS CODAR Spare Parts Process: This new process was socialized with the IOOS HFR community on 15 September. To reduce spatial and temporal gaps in coverage of the IOOS National HF Radar Network, this IOOS project provides short-term replacement of damaged CODAR equipment while it is being repaired. In particular, the focus is on high priority CODAR radars whose downtime would produce a significant gap in surface currents coverage. The IOOS HF radar community is profoundly aware of the issue of an aging population of radars and this process is meant to mitigate the impact of this factor, among others. Presently, over 90% of the HF radars in the IOOS network are CODARs which allows a large portion of the IOOS HF radar community to participate in this process. For a detailed process document, please contact Jack Harlan harlan@noaa.gov.
  • 2015 GEO Global HF radar meeting in Crete begins September 22. For more information, see http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/geohfr/meetings.html
  • AOOS -Wind-powered radars collect remote data: University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers have developed the first wind- and solar-powered radar battery. The remote power module delivers energy to operate high frequency radar systems that collect data in regions where research was previously impossible.
  • Glider News:
    • CeNCOOS/NANOOS glider data available: Data from the jointly funded CeNCOOS and NANOOS glider line off Trinidad Head is now available through the CeNCOOS website and the IOOS Glider DAC.  These measurements fill an important gap in oceanographic observations between Newport, OR, and Monterey Bay, CA; an area that has been identified in many California Current plans as a key sampling location. Operations are carried out by Oregon State University's Dr. Jack Barth, Dr. Kipp Shrearman, Anatoli Erofeev and Steve Pierce in collaboration with Dr. Eric Bjorkstedt of SWFSC/HSU.  Glider measurements of subsurface temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll and backscatter complement monthly NOAA SWFSC shipboard CTD and zooplankton measurements along the Trinidad Head line.  This effort provides much needed subsurface data for assimilation into ocean models which will directly improve forecasts of ocean conditions.  More information on the project is available on the Trinidad Head glider page.
    • Gliders in the Gulf of Mexico: TheGeochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A & M University has deployed two gliders -- Stommel and Sverdrup. The recent data plots of sigma-t, chlorophyll and temperature are available on the GCOOS portal. Water temperature profiles showing upper ocean heat content can help us understand hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.

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

(Contact Derrick or Rob to get on the list serve for changes - Derrick.Snowden@noaa.gov, Rob.Ragsdale@noaa.gov):

• No update.
  

Modeling and Analysis Subsystem:

(IOOS PO and IOOS Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) POC – Becky Baltes (Becky.Baltes@noaa.gov):

• The COMT Annual Meeting Presentations are now available on the SURA website

Interagency and International Collaboration/News:

• NOAA Report Finds that El Niño May Accelerate Nuisance Flooding: According to the new NOAA report 2014 State of Nuisance Tidal Flooding, several mid-Atlantic and West Coast communities may experience a 33 to 125 percent increase in the number of nuisance flooding days in 2015. The increase is due, in part, to higher seas and more frequent storm surges from significant El Niño conditions, which are likely to strengthen during the fall and into the spring of 2016. Nuisance flooding causes public inconveniences such as frequent road closures, overwhelmed stormwater systems, and compromised infrastructure. Scientists can better understand and anticipate how weather patterns may affect nuisance flooding by analyzing historic data that NOAA has collected from tide gauges for more than 50 years.
• BOEM Geospatial Mapping Tools Reinvented: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has reinvented theEnvironmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS)  to streamline the search, discovery and retrieval of more than 40 years of environmental science. The update was done in partnership with NOAA's Office for Coastal Management. ESPIS holds information about ongoing and completed BOEM environmental studies and includes a new search tool that allows text and map-based queries. Information that can be found on ESPIS includes downloadable electronic documents of study profiles, technical summaries, final reports and links to associated publications and digital data.

Delivering Benefits:

• Climate Science Expo: AOOS and board members World Wildlife Fund and the US Arctic Research Commission, joined by a host of other agencies and organizations, many of them also AOOS board members, hosted a Climate Science Expo for the Media on August 30 prior to the GLACIER conference. The expo featured 5-minute talks by prominent scientists on topics ranging from Climate Change impacts on wetlands and wildlife, to boreal forest wildfires to ocean acidification, sea ice and walruses. Co-sponsors provided displays and handouts featuring Alaska research and expertise.
• Responding to the West Coast Harmful Algal Bloom Event: Over the past few months, a massive toxic bloom of the marine diatomPseudo-nitzschia, stretching from central California to the Alaska Peninsula, has resulted in significant impacts to coastal resources and marine life. NOAA’s National Ocean Service and IOOS’ Regional Associations have been working closely with federal, state, tribal, academic, and other partners to respond to this unprecedented harmful algal bloom. Learn more here.
• Harmful Algal Bloom Integrated Observing System (HABIOS) Plan Completed: This plan is the summation of three Harmful Algal Bloom workshops sponsored by GCOOS with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance that was attended by numerous stakeholders and systems managers.  The goal of the HABIOS plan is to establish a sustained observing system, as part of the U.S. IOOS, to support and enhance HAB management and monitoring and to reduce and mitigate the detrimental effects that HABs have on human health, living marine organisms and coastal communities. Download the report.Please submit any further questions or comments to Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick (kirkpatrick@gcoos.org) by 15 October 2015.

Congressional

• Rep Honda hosts Congressional Breakfast: Carl Gouldman, IOOS Deputy Director, represented NOAA/National Ocean Service and IOOS at a breakfast on 17 September. He had the chance, along with other NOAA colleagues, to speak with invited guests from ClimateWire, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership and Congressional staff. Carl had a chance to engage directly with Rep. Honda himself. The message focused on NOS Coastal Intelligence products, tools, and services to promote NOAA’s Resilient Communities Priority. NOS/NOAA specifically received much praise as a strong partner for navigation and observation products and services by the Program Manager of the Google Oceans Program.

Communications / Outreach / Education:

• Antarctic Edge in a finalist in the category of Best Feature Documentary in the 2015 Blue Ocean Film Festival in Monaco! http://www.blueoceanfilmfestival.org/2015-film-finalists/
• New York Times Video Features OA Monitoring Partnership: The New York Times, as part of the "California Matters" series, posted a video exploring our science-industry partnership to monitor ocean acidification and water quality in Tomales Bay.  The video follows host Mark Bitmann as he visits with Tessa Hill (UC Davis) and Hog Island Oyster Company co-owner Terry Sawyer to discuss ocean observing assets deployed at the oyster farm.  These instruments are being used to track water conditions that are important to both research science and the shellfish companies in the area. CeNCOOS has been working with Tessa and Terry on a project to test cutting-edge ocean acidification monitoring sensors since 2013.  You can find the streaming data from these sensors (and Tessa's other sensors at the farm) on the IPACOA website and in the CeNCOOS data portal. See more at: http://www.cencoos.org/#sthash.OwUpYY8V.dpuf
• Warm-water fish increasingly spotted in Alaska waters: Alaska Public Media– Sept. 15, 2015. http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/09/15/warm-water-fish-increasingly-spotted-in-alaska-waters/. Article on the atypical marine species migration patterns in connection to the large warm water patch off the West Coast, known as “the blob”. The piece notes a tracking tool for unusual catches, created by U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) regional partner – AOOS.
• Nature, Nature 525 (321), September 17, 2015, published a Correspondence piece authored by Chris Ostrander and Conrad Lautenbacher - Seal of Approval for Ocean Observations.
• NERRA redesigns their website: See the new look at nerra.org.  Their goal in redesigning this site was to create a tool for information and establish an online home that is as vibrant and engaging as the reserve system itself.

Upcoming Meetings with IOOS Participation:

• Keynote Talk at the Teledyne Marine Workshop: I will give the keynote talk at the workshop on 4 Oct, so those of you in the San Diego Region here is the link to the event - http://tm-techworkshop.com/
• Mark your calendars for Oceans ‘15 and associated events
  • Promoting Sustainable Usage of the Oceans” seminar we are planning at Johns Hopkins SAIS on Monday, Oct. 19 – for more info contact Michael Jones, The Maritime Alliance, mbjones@themaritimealliance.org
  • Exciting Events sponsored by US IOOS, The Maritime Alliance and MTS all focused on the Blue Economy, Blue Tech, Blue Voice and Blue STEM.
  • Tuesday- Ignite! A lightning round of innovations, discoveries, and applications in Blue Tech – Moderated by Dr. Holly Bamford Acting Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management, NOAA – will feature the following talks:
    • Margaret Davidson, Acting Director of NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management – invited
    • Fred Whoriskey, Executive Director of Canada’s Ocean Tracking Network (OTN)
    • Gregory Dusek, Oceanographer in CO-OPs
    • Carol Janzen, Director of Operations and Development, AOOS
    • Edel O'Connor, National Coordinator, Advanced Marine Technology Programme Marine Institute
    • Jeremy Mathis, Director, NOAA Arctic Research Program (ARP)
    • Laurie Jugan, Program Coordinator of Mississippi Marine Industries Science & Technology Cluster (MIST)
    • Ralph Rayner, Sector Director for Energy & Environment, BMT Group
    • David Murphy, Director of Science, Sea-Bird Electronics
    • Gerhard Kuska, Executive Director MARACOOS
  • Wednesday’s Townhall - Blue Economy, Blue Tech, Blue Voice will be moderated by Sherri Goodman President and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership with a senior panel that includes:
    • Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA-50)
    • Laurie Jugan, Program Coordinator of MIST
    • Harlan Doliner, Counsel and Board Chair of MOTN
    • Fred Terral, President, CEO and Executive Creative Director of Brand Architecture

View the IOOS calendar: https://ioosassociation.org/