The Eyes on the Ocean™ Bi-weekly is an informal way of keeping you up-to-date on US IOOS® activities.
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- From the Director
- From the U.S. IOOS Office
- Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies
- DMAC Subsystem and Tools Built on IOOS data
- Modeling and Analysis Subsystem
- Interagency and International Collaboration/News
- Delivering the Benefits
- Congressional
- Communications/Outreach
- Upcoming Meetings
- Job & Internship Opportunities
From the Director:
Dear IOOS Community,
As we enter August, I hope you have had an opportunity to take a break and recharge sometime this summer. I’m looking forward to some personal ocean observing and spending time with family over the next two weeks. Taking some time to both mentally and physically recharge is critical to build a healthier, more sustainable self - something especially needed now and important to prioritize.
Across IOOS and at NOAA, we are also prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Last week, NOAA held “We are NOAA Week”. During this week, NOAA’s Office of Inclusion & Civil Rights and Workplace Violence Prevention & Response Office hosted a two-day summit on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and sexual assault/sexual harassment (SASH). The week also featured awareness campaigns about NOAA programs and services to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and environmental justice.
As an enterprise, we are also working to identify opportunities to improve and engage with underserved communities. Please see below for a fellowship opportunity from the IOOS Association working on these important issues.
I’ll sign off this week with a fun tidbit. Oceanographers found the real-life SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star hanging out together on a rock at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. A NOAA camera was filming the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the New England coast when a yellow sponge appeared beside a pink starfish, very similar looking to the iconic cartoon characters. The ocean is always full of surprises!
Thanks,
Carl
From the U.S. IOOS Office:
- News from the IOOS Association:
- IOOS Association Announces Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Fellowship: The IOOS Association seeks a one-year, fixed-term Fellow to work with the national network of RAs and the IOOS Office to amplify regional work and identify opportunities to improve IOOS' ability to serve and engage underserved communities. Click here for more information. To apply, submit a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to josie@ioosassociation.org by September 10, 2021.
Observation Subsystem and Sensor Technologies:
- Surface Current Mapping: (IOOS Surface Currents Program Manager, Brian Zelenke, brian.zelenke@noaa.gov):
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- HFR Technician Wanted: As the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) expands its oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) network, USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering - Marine Science is looking for another HFR technician to help with all of the sites. If you or anyone you know is interested, please go to the following link for more information and to apply: https://usm.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=2116. Questions regarding this position may be directed to Kevin M. Martin, M.S. at kevin.m.martin@usm.edu.
- Gliders (IOOS POC Kathleen Bailey, kathleen.bailey@noaa.gov; Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) POC Bill Lingsch, bill.lingsch@noaa.gov); Click here to join UG2:
- Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Updates:
- UG2 Underwater Gliders Deployments: Please visit http://underwatergliders.org/index.php/deployments/ and update your 2021 and early 2022 operations and plans to share with the UG2 community
- UG2 Webinars: Please submit desires to brief for the upcoming August series that includes glider sensors and/or operational lessons learned.
- UG2 Steering Committee: The Committee has begun initial planning for a 2022 glider workshop. A committee for the workshop will be established to include UG2 members.
- Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) (National Coordinator Bill Woodward, Bill.Woodward@noaa.gov):
- OCG Web Series #3: Animal Borne Ocean Sensors – AniBOS, 11 August 2021, 6pm UTC:Introducing a new Global Ocean Observing System network: Equipping marine animals with biological and physical sensors is a long-established approach for studying their behaviour, their ecology and their environment, and has been producing rich data streams for several decades. A new GOOS network, the Animal Borne Ocean Sensors (AniBOS), aims to coordinate the collection and deliver of marine data into the broader observing network. Click here for more info and registration.
- Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) (IOOS PO POC Gabrielle Canonico, Gabrielle.Canonico@noaa.gov):
- No update.
Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Subsystem and Tools Built on IOOS data (DMAC listserv – contact Micah Wengren, DMAC System Architect, data.ioos@noaa.gov or the 'ioos_tech' listserve: https://groups.google.com/g/ioos_tech):
- Last Call! Frontiers in Climate Special Issue Still Accepting Submissions: Don’t forget you submission for a new Frontiers in Climate special issue on Democratizing Data: Environmental Data Access and its Future. We currently have 12 submissions across a fascinating range of topics. Manuscripts are due 24 August (with some slight flexibility on the deadline).
- Description: A community goal is to have improved data access with the aim of democratizing data by removing gatekeepers so that data are unrestricted and available in a meaningful way to all. Improved access to data also supports data equity - “The term “data equity” captures a complex and multi-faceted set of ideas. It refers to the consideration, through an equity lens, of the ways in which data is collected, analyzed, interpreted, and distributed.” By making data more easily accessed and used we also make the ability to use data more equitable.
- We want to gather a set of papers that bring together all aspects of the data access process with a focus on improving data access for a wide range of users. We propose the following structure:
- data discoverability
- data access
- data and service equity
- data usability
- user interface/engagement/input
- visualization tools
- reproducibility and tracing - after access
- We have defined the topic rather broadly. Details at https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20014/democratizing-data-environmental-data-access-and-its-future
- Tiffany Vance [tiffany.c.vance@noaa.gov] is happy to talk with anyone who has any questions about the special issue.
- QARTOD (National Coordinator Mark Bushnell, mark.bushnell@noaa.gov):
- 5-Year QARTOD Plan: The initial draft of the next 5-year QARTOD plan (2022-2026) was distributed in early July to the eleven members of the working group established to support the development of this plan. Comments and suggestions are now being received, recorded in an adjudication matrix, and addressed. Working within the guidance provided by the Board of Advisors (https://ioos.noaa.gov/ioos-in-action/qartod-board-of-advisors/), over the next few months the working group will review and comment on the emerging plan. Contact Mark if you’d like to participate.
- Ocean Best Practices System Update: The OBPS monthly newsletter welcomes stories, photos, or video clips relevant to best practices – or worst practices, we can learn from them too! Share your team’s knowledge and contribute to an accelerated process for continuously improving best practices. Please send submissions to newsletter@oceanbestpractices.org, and see back issues at https://www.oceanbestpractices.org/publications/newsletter.
Modeling and Analysis Subsystem (IOOS PO and IOOS Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) POC – Tracy Fanara, Tracy.Fanara@noaa.gov):
- No update.
Interagency and International Collaboration/News:
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UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates:
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Call for Nominations to the Ocean Decade Advisory Board: The Decade Advisory Board will be a multi-stakeholder advisory body that will assist the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in performing its function as coordinator of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030 (the 'Ocean Decade'). The Board will report both to the IOC Governing Bodies and the IOC Executive Secretary. The Board’s advice to the IOC Governing Bodies will concern strategic elements of the Decade implementation, such as reviews of the Decade progress in moving towards the Decade societal outcomes and on the research work in the domains of Decade challenges, identifying gaps and opportunities, advising on data stewardship strategies, the development of resource mobilisation strategies, and supporting the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework of the Decade. The Board will also provide advice and operational support to the IOC Executive Secretary to facilitate the endorsement process of Decade Actions, specifically at the programme level. The Decade Advisory Board will comprise up to 15 expert members drawn from government, private sector, philanthropy, civil society, and the scientific community. They will serve in their individual capacity. Five representatives of United Nations entities will also sit on the Board. Nominations are due 15 September 2021.
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Ocean Decade Laboratories: The Ocean Decade Laboratories are a creative, interactive platform to support action for the Ocean Decade around the globe. Each Laboratory focuses on one of the seven Outcomes of the Ocean Decade. Laboratory participants leverage the opportunity for exchange, collaboration and the creation of sustainable partnerships. Each Laboratory will comprise a ‘core event’ where globally recognised experts, including representatives of the endorsed Decade Actions, will incite discussion and exploration of the issues surrounding each Decade Outcome, and a series of interactive ‘satellite activities’ that will be hosted by partners.
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The first Laboratory for an “Inspiring and Engaging Ocean” was held on 7 - 8 July and attracted over 700 participants who heard an innovative and diverse range of views from scientists, archaeologists, writers, artists and more on tangible ways that we can protect the ocean for future generations by ensuring that it is a source of wonder and inspiration that is fully understood and valued by communities and individuals around the world.
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Calls for satellite activities for upcoming Laboratories are now open and make sure you join the next Laboratory on A Prediction Ocean on the 15-17 September 2021!
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15 – 17 September 2021 - A Predicted Ocean
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17 – 19 November 2021 - A Clean Ocean
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23 – 24 February 2022- A Productive Ocean
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Ocean Image Bank: The Ocean Agency together announced the official launch of the Ocean Image Bank, an online library of thousands of powerful ocean images that have been made freely available for download and use. The imagery collection has been developed specifically to support the objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (the ‘Ocean Decade’) and has been endorsed as one of the official contributions to the Decade. Explore the Ocean Image Bank.
- NASA Earth Science Applications Week - August 9-12: Join NASA August 9th -12th for Earth Science Applications Week to learn about how NASA Earth scientists utilize data to make our world a better place. The celebration will include presentations, career panels, and networking opportunities. More info here: https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/our-impact/events/2021-earth-science-applications-week
- Ocean Observatories News: Summer at Sea: Three Arrays Turned: This summer has been a busy time for OOI’s teams, who are actively engaged in ensuring that OOI’s arrays continue to provide data 24/7. Teams are turning – recovering and deploying – three arrays during July and August. The first expedition occurred earlier in July when a scientific and engineering team spent 16 days in the Northeast Pacific recovering and deploying ocean observing equipment at the Global Station Papa Array. The team recovered three subsurface moorings and deployed three new ones. They also deployed one open ocean glider, recovered one profiling glider, and conducted 11 CTD casts (which measure conductivity, temperature, and depth) to calibrate and validate the instruments on the array. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2021/08/summer-at-sea-three-arrays-turned/
- New NOAA Climate Council to enhance delivery of climate science and services: NOAA announced the creation of a new NOAA Climate Council, which will leverage the agency’s resources and expertise in support of the whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis. The Climate Council is composed of senior leaders at the highest levels from across the agency, and provides recommendations to the NOAA Administrator on the agency’s climate-related mission, resource, and policy priorities. By coordinating climate work across NOAA and partners, the Council will strengthen NOAA’s climate services and bolster existing coordination activities. The Council will ensure that critical environmental information and services provided by NOAA to the American people keep pace with increasing demand and are delivered effectively and equitably to all communities. Read more here: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/new-noaa-climate-council-to-enhance-delivery-of-climate-science-and-services
- Help us fill the gaps! Do you have ocean mapping data to share? Let us know at https://iocm.noaa.gov/data-sharing/provider-engagement-form.html. Your contribution is more important now than ever, as it will support U.S. national mapping strategies, The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO global Seabed 2030 Project to map 100% of the ocean floor, and many other activities. Seafloor mapping of U.S. oceans, coastal zones, and the Great Lakes is a critical element of NOAA’s mission. These data are key to a vibrant maritime economy, providing the scientific foundation for applications such as habitat mapping and restoration, seafood production, tourism and recreation, climate adaptation strategies and coastal flood mitigation.
- OCS Participates in Joint Hydrographic Center Annual Review: NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS) participated in the NOAA-University of New Hampshire (UNH) Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC) Annual Review, which included an online audience of over 90 NOAA, university, and partner government agency representatives. JHC began the review by dedicating and naming their conference room as the RDML Rick Brennan Conference Room. NOS’s acting deputy assistant administrator, Paul Scholz, and OCS’s acting director, Kathryn Ries, offered opening remarks, noting the importance of the ongoing 22-year NOAA-UNH partnership in hydrographic and ocean mapping technology and education. The review included an overview of the center's accomplishments during the past year, detailed presentations on four JHC projects, and a presentation of JHC’s uncrewed surface vessel project. Other presentation topics included water column mapping, a new undergraduate course in ocean mapping, and ongoing cartographic research.
- First xGEOID Model Jointly Computed by U.S., Canada, and Mexico Submitted to International Service for the Geoid: In June the xGEOID20 model—the first gravimetric geoid model jointly computed by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey, the Canadian Geodetic Survey of Natural Resource Canada, and National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico—was submitted to the International Service for the Geoid (ISG). The ISG is a service of the International Association of Geodesy that collects geoid estimates worldwide, when possible validates them, and disseminates them to the scientific community upon request. The submission of this new xGEOID model is the culmination of years of collaboration and joint data processing between the 3 national geodetic agencies for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; and heralds a new level of accuracy and interoperation among the geospatial data models used by all three. The xGEOID20 covers the entire region of North America, including the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii; the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands; and neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico. The new model—an essential piece of geodetic infrastructure—will provide improved accuracy and data for navigation, positioning, and enable the myriad of applications of geodesy including autonomous navigation, precision agriculture, civil surveying, early warning systems for hazards, and improved floodplain mapping.
- NOS Releases Annual Report on High Tide Flooding: NOS released the 2021 State of High Tide Flooding and Annual Outlook report. The report shows that coastal communities across the U.S. saw record-setting high tide flooding last year, a trend that is expected to continue. High waters affect coastal residents, economies, and crucial infrastructure like waste and stormwater systems. The report documents changes in high-tide flooding patterns from May 2020 to April 2021 at 98 NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. coast. It also provides a flooding outlook for May 2021 to April 2022 and projections for the next several decades for those locations.
- CO-OPS Reinstalls Springmaid Pier NWLON Station: A Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) field team successfully reinstalled the Springmaid Pier National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) station in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The previous station was destroyed in 2016 by Hurricane Matthew. Springmaid Pier is one of the few East Coast NWLON stations on an ocean-facing shoreline, critical for providing unobstructed water level and meteorological data, especially during hurricane season. The new permanent station includes primary and backup water level sensors, as well as a barometer and sensors for wind, water temperature, and air temperature. It now sits on a pier reinforced with steel and concrete, rather than timber, which fortify it to withstand future hurricanes.
- NOAA Releases Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast: NOAA and Ohio Sea Grant released their annual Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast. The forecast gives coastal managers, lake users, and drinking water facility operators a sense of the potential severity of the upcoming bloom season. NOAA and its research partners predict western Lake Erie will experience a harmful algal bloom this summer measuring 3 on the severity index, with a potential range of 2 to 4.5. The severity index is based on bloom's biomass — the amount of its harmful or toxic algae — over a sustained period. Blooms over 5 have substantive impacts, with noticeable areas of scum, and have larger areas and duration of impact. Blooms over 7 are particularly severe, with extensive scum formation coverage. NCCOS launched a new website to provide biweekly forecast analysis and daily visualizations.
- Now Available: Enhanced Gulf of Mexico HAB Forecasting: NOAA’s newly enhanced harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasts are now available to the public in real time. The forecasts are higher resolution and provide hourly observations at the individual beach level. Analysis of "red tide" algal bloom locations and reported impacts are now automated, and reports include forecasts of potential development, intensification, transport, and impacts of algal blooms. These forecasts are available via the interactive dashboard on the NCCOS Gulf of Mexico Forecast website, or users can subscribe to HAB Alerts. Emails will be sent to subscribers when a bloom forms, weekly during a bloom, and when bloom conditions change.
- Grants & Funding Opportunities:
- RFP: Request for Pre-Proposals for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Analogues: ClimateWorks Foundation and Ocean Visions has released a request for proposals (RFP) to help close key knowledge gaps to advance ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Ocean-based CDR approaches have the potential to capture significant amounts of CO2. Ocean Visions’ road maps to accelerate the development and testing of ocean-based CDR approaches have identified the critical role of small, controlled field trials as a next key in providing real-world evidence of carbon sequestration potential, environmental co-benefits, and environmental risks. Together, ClimateWorks Foundation and Ocean Visions seek to award up to two, 18-month grants to evaluate the effectiveness and environmental impacts of ocean-based CDR approaches via the study of field-based analogues. Submission deadline: Pre-proposals are due by August 11, 2021. For more information, see https://oceanvisions.org/request-for-proposals-ocean-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-analogues/
- FY2022-2023 Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship Request for Proposals: NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2022 - 2023 Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship request for proposals. This program offers graduate students admitted to or enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program the opportunity to conduct estuarine research within a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Davidson fellowship supports research projects that help scientists and communities understand the coastal challenges that will likely influence future policy and management strategies, and offers professional development opportunities geared to build the next generation of coastal professionals. NOAA is committed to reaching applicants from minority serving institutions, and to partnering with these universities for collaborative science initiatives and fellowship opportunities within the research reserves. NOAA will award one fellowship at each of the 29 reserves in the national system. Each two-year project will employ the tenets of collaborative research, including engaging end-users, incorporating multi-disciplinary perspectives, and ensuring outcomes are applicable to local coastal resource management needs and decision-making. The fellowship honors the legacy of Margaret A. Davidson, a true visionary and pioneer in the field of coastal resource management. Applications are due December 10th, 2021. A link to the request for proposals can be found here. Additional information about the program can be found on our website.
- Understanding multi-stressor impacts on marine ecosystems under climate change: NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Competitive Research Program (CRP), the NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO), and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), in partnership with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), are soliciting proposals to understand the combined impacts of multiple stressors on the function and health of marine ecosystems within the context of climate change. This information will be used to improve place-based management of marine protected areas and enable the proactive protection of these critical ecosystems under future climate scenarios. Applications are due January 18, 2022. Click here for full details and how to apply.
Delivering the Benefits:
- Hypoxia off the PNW Shelf: Several NANOOS and partner buoys have been and still are recording widespread hypoxia over the coastal shelf of WA and OR. We summarized some of these oxygen observations in the presentation for NOAA West Watch (see item 2 below), and contributed to an article published by NOAA detailing their observations on a west-coast wide cruise. You can also view both LiveOcean and J-SCOPE forecast model projections for oxygen. We have concern that the hypoxia is so widespread and early in the year.
- Monitoring Ocean Acidification in Caribbean Coral Reefs: Since 2008, a NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) buoy has been positioned in La Parguera, Puerto Rico where it collects data for scientists studying the chemistry, biology, geology, and physics of the Caribbean Sea. A recent NOAA video available in English and in Spanish explains the impact of increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ocean acidification on ocean chemistry and on marine life in our oceans. Read more and find the video here!
- Chukchi whale glider: The 2021 Chukchi Whale Glider mission is underway! A Slocum autonomous underwater glider was launched on July 12 in the Chukchi Sea. The glider has acoustic sensors to detect the occurrence of several species of marine mammals, and also sensors to measure oceanographic data such as temperature, salinity, chlorophyll fluorescence, and turbidity. The resulting data will be used to study relationships between the distribution of Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals and the oceanography of the Chukchi Sea. See what marine mammals the glider has detected on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution website and the oceanographic data on the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer.
- New GFS wave model on AOOS portal: The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model GSM v16 implementation was completed 2021 and is now available on the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer. The model includes a one-way coupling of atmospheric model with Global Wave Model (WaveWatch III). The Global Forecast System (GFS) is a global numerical weather prediction system containing a global computer model and variational analysis run by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS). The GFS is run four times a day, and produces forecasts for up to 16 days in advance. The forecast component uses the FV3 model with a resolution of ~13 km. In the vertical, the model is divided into 127 vertical layers. It produces forecast output every hour for the first 120 hours, then every 3 hours for days 5-16.
- Funding to Assess Ocean Acidification Vulnerability in Hawaii: NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program awarded a multi-disciplinary team of researchers with $1 million in grant funding to Assess Current and Future Ocean Acidification and Climate Vulnerabilities Along the Hawaiian Archipelago. Dr. Christopher Sabine, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) Associate Dean for Research and Professor in the Department of Oceanography, serves as the lead Principal Investigator. PacIOOS co-investigator Dr. Brian Powell and PacIOOS Researcher Dr. Tobias Friedrich will support the assessment by combining state-of-the-art climate, regional, and coral reef ecosystem models to produce projections of the frequency, duration, spatial variability and severity of ocean acidification related stress in the Hawaiian Islands for the period 2020-2070. Data and synthesis results from this 3-year project will be made available through PacIOOS’ data services.
- New reports available:
- Experimental Weekly Sargassum Inundation Report by NOAA and University of South Florida- Status – July 20-26, 2021
- Enhanced Monitoring of Life in the Sea is a Critical Component of Conservation Management and Sustainable Economic Growth is now available as an open access publication in Marine Policy (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104699).
Congressional:
- No update.
Communications/Outreach/Education:
- NANOOS participates in NOAA West Watch: This webinar summarizes coastal environmental conditions and impacts in the Western Region, including contributed updates from NANOOS, CeNCOOS, and SCCOOS. A focus of the July edition from NANOOS was the recent hypoxia off the coast and higher than normal temperatures in two areas: coastal ocean buoy temperatures during the recent land-based heat wave were greater than 2 standard deviations warmer than average, but the anomaly was short-lived; and there is a marine heatwave well offshore in the NE Pacific. We have heard reports of dead crab, fish, and shellfish from these low oxygen and high temperature conditions. Slides are available from our website. If you are not on the mailing list and want to attend, let us know.
- SCCOOS Stakeholder Survey: SCCOOS is often asked about the value of the data and information services we provide our users. Together with the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) we are sponsoring a survey of users to learn about how valuable the data and information is. We have engaged the Center for the Blue Economy of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey to help with this project, and we would like to ask you to assist by responding to the survey. The survey can be accessed here. It will take about 3 minutes to respond. Your answers will be kept confidential by the research team, who will report on aggregated responses from SCCOOS and other observing systems. If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact the research team leader, Dr. Charles Colgan at ccolgan@middlebury.edu.
- Making Biological Data Accessible: Making biological information fully interoperable is essential to informing policy and management on the scales needed to address expanding human pressures on marine resources, coastal development and climate change. It’s a difficult task because the research is so varied — covering everything from habitat features to biotic measurements to metadata about sampling methods. Read more on this story from GCOOS here.
- IOOS Enterprise in the News:
- National Weather Service issues beach hazard statement over red tide concerns (GCOOS), WTSP 10 Tampa Bay, 7/23/2021
- How Olympic Surfing Is Trying to Ride the Machine Learning Wave (PacIOOS), Wall Street Journal, 7/27/2021
- Scientists in Sarasota are concerned red tide may have long term effects on the human brain (GCOOS), ABC Action News, 7/28/2021
- Researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of eDNA in the calculation of marine biodiversity (CeNCOOS), Phys.org, 7/29/2021
- Citizen scientists helping monitor red tide with low-cost HABscope (GCOOS), WTSP 10 Tampa Bay, 7/29/2021
- Researchers Demonstrate Effectiveness of eDNA in Tracing Marine Biodiversity (CeNCOOS), Noozhawk, 8/1/2021
Upcoming Meetings with IOOS Participation (Please check links as we move forward as things may change quickly for planned events):
- Polar Data Forum IV, 20 - 24 September 2021, The Hague and virtual: Polar Data Forum IV will be co-hosted online by the Royal Belgian institute of Natural Sciences and the European Polar Board (EPB) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in The Hague (NL) from September 20th to 24th, 2021. This event will be co-organized with the Second Southern Ocean Regional Workshop for the UN Ocean Decade and Hackathon and focus on the polar oceans. It will combine a two-day conference style meeting (September 23-24) in support of information exchange, with the remainder of the week using a “hackathon” approach that will build on the development work done in previous meetings and workshops (September 20-22). The forum registration deadline is September 10. More information and a link to the abstract submission system (abstracts due July 4) are available on the conference website: https://polar-data-forum.org/conference/abstracts/.
- MTS 14th Buoy Workshop, 25 - 27 October 2021, Wilmington, NC: The MTS 14th Buoy Workshop has been rescheduled for October 25 – 27, 2021 and will be held in Wilmington, North Carolina. This year’s theme is Moored Systems for the Future. Areas and topics will include, but are not limited to: Ecosystems Monitoring, Long-Term Observing Systems, Reliability & Harsh Environments, Power Systems, Data, Sensors & Instrumentation, Mooring Design and Synergy. Registration opens and the call for speakers begins April 15, 2021, and abstracts are due September 1, 2021. Please see the Buoy Workshop homepage for more information.
- SECOORA Annual Meeting, 2 - 3 December, St. Petersburg, FL: Join SECOORA for an in-person meeting on December 2-3, 2021 hosted in St. Petersburg, FL. The meeting will focus on Harmful Algal Blooms, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and new SECOORA observing projects. The deadline to register is November 15, 2021. Click here for more information and to register for the free meeting.
Other Upcoming Meetings:
- 3rd NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences, 13 - 17 September 2021, Boulder, CO and Virtual: This hybrid workshop is a continuation of the NOAA series of workshops on “Leveraging AI in Environmental Sciences.” The third event continues the successes of previous workshops and encourages participation by scientists, program managers, and leaders from the public, academic and private sectors who work in AI and environmental sciences. The theme for this year’s workshop is “Transforming Weather, Climate Services, and Blue Economy with Artificial Intelligence.” As a hybrid event, in-person capacity at Boulder will be limited in accordance with the most recent public health guideline while the virtual event will be open broadly to the public. The call for abstracts is open until 6/18/21. Find all the details here.
- OCEANS 2021 - San Diego - Porto , 20 – 23 September 2021 (In person and Virtual): Global thought leaders and innovators in the areas of marine technology, engineering, science, research, and education will gather together to learn and experience cutting-edge technologies in the field of marine science, hear from industry experts and engineers regarding the latest research and innovations, discuss current environmental issues and policies affecting the field, and collaboratively work together to move the fields of marine technology and engineering forward. Registration is now open from the event home page.
- OBPS Community Workshop: An Ocean of Values, 20 - 24 September 2021, virtual: The Fifth Annual OBPS Community Workshop, "An Ocean of Values", will be held from the 20th to the 24th of September. All members of the ocean community - including educators, scientists, citizens, artists, conservationists, cultural ambassadors, policy makers, and ocean explorers - are invited to co-develop this workshop by proposing sessions, tracks, or other contributions by the end of June. As an overarching theme, participants will be asked to help understand how to better represent and safely archive the methods, policies, guides, or standard specifications that bring value to their communities. The workshop will be facilitating value mapping activities across all groups, so we can better connect "how" things are done to "why" they are done as well as why they matter. Early Information and pre-registration are available here.
- Lakebed 2030, 29 Sept - 1 Oct 2021, virtual: Momentum continues to build behind Lakebed 2030, the initiative to map the Great Lakes at high-density. This past year, partners across sectors continued to connect around the goals of mapping new areas, sharing data, and building a free, publicly accessible, highly detailed map. With only 5% of the lakefloor mapped at high-density, there is a lot of exciting work to be done. This year’s conference theme is “Let’s dive in!” and will help connect leaders dedicated to the Lakebed 2030 vision. Presentations will feature keynote speakers Geneviève Béchard and Nicole Raineault. Conference organizers are seeking proposals for presentations and student lightning talks. Abstracts are due by July 30, 2021.
- CERF 2021, 1 – 4 & 8 – 11 November 2021, virtual: You and our colleagues will come together to network, celebrate our work, learn from each other, and grow within our amazing field as we endeavor to connect science and society in the collective goals of preserving coastal and estuarine habitats, resources, and heritage. Collaborate and discuss with more than 1,700 scientists and researchers from all over the world. Registration is now open from the event home page.
- SAVE THE DATE! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum, 3 – 4 November 2021: This forum brings together the growing community of weather, climate, and ocean science professionals to share advances in data collection, analysis, and our understanding of climate and ocean interactions. Join this community as it forges new and better concepts in ocean and atmospheric analytics and applications.
- Call for Lightning Talks! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum November 3-4 2021: We are now accepting submissions for Lightning Talks. If you have used Esri GIS technology for collecting data, performing analysis, and advancing our understanding of climate and ocean interactions, we want to hear from you. Submit an abstract for the chance to share your extraordinary work with an audience of engaged peers. In these eight-minute presentations, you can earn recognition as a GIS thought leader and inspire the ocean, weather, and climate community to better conserve our natural world. The deadline for submissions is August 20, 2021 See the conference website for more details.
- Call for Maps! 2021 Esri Ocean, Weather, and Climate GIS Forum November 3-4: Contribute to the Virtual Map Gallery by showcasing your most successful GIS creations. Inspire your peers by illustrating how you are using Esri's powerful GIS capabilities to let others explore beautiful, innovative stories through your map. Deadline October 1, 2021.
- 9th annual Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Symposium, 15 - 16 November 2021, virtual: The 9th annual Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Symposium will take place on November 15-16, 2021. This free online event will feature presentations, panels and workshops. The Symposium is an annual event that brings together researchers from across the globe to collaborate, develop strategies and seek new opportunities for the sustainable management of aquatic animals in changing ocean environments. It's open to Network members, early career researchers, and those interested in aquatic species research. Abstracts are currently being accepted through August 16. You can find further information on the symposium webpage. https://oceantrackingnetwork.org/2021-otn-symposium/
- International Ocean Data Conference 2022 - The Data We Need for the Ocean We Want - 14-16 February 2022: The conference, to be held in Sopot, Poland 14-16 February 2022, The will be held as a hybrid event with a number of participants on-site while others will participate through video conference. The conference programme includes the following topic areas: Global Strategies and Policy, Implementing the Digital Commons, and Looking Forward. Learn more on the conference website.
- AMS Annual Meeting - 23-27 January 2022, Houston Texas: Abstract submission for the 102nd American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting, 23–27 January 2022, Houston, Texas is open. Submissions close 1 September 2021. See https://annual.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/2022/call-for-papers/. Contact Tiffany Vance for more details.
- Cloud Computing for Big Data in Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate (Joint with 21st Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science, 12th Symposium on Advances in Modeling and Analysis Using Python, and the Eighth Symposium on High Performance Computing for Weather, Water, and Climate)
- Developing Cloud-based Tools for Data Analysis and Archiving (Joint with 21st Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science, 12th Symposium on Advances in Modeling and Analysis Using Python, and the Eighth Symposium on High Performance Computing for Weather, Water, and Climate)
- FAIR and Open Data and Software within the Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences to Support Replicable Research and Reusable Tools for Climate Analysis (Joint with 25th Conference of Atmospheric Librarians International and the 12th Symposium on Advances in Modeling and Analysis Using Python)
- Meeting Data Stewardships Needs for Heterogeneous Earth and Atmospheric Science Data via the Exploitation of Emerging Technologies (Joint with 25th Conference of Atmospheric Librarians International and the 21st Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science)
- Life on the Edge: edge computing and the Internet of Things for environmental information processing (Joint with the 21st Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science)
- Applying GIS Techniques to Analyze and Communicate Weather and Climate Impacts
- Advanced Products and Technologies That Can Be Used Now and Their Path to Quasi-operational or Sustained Operations: The View From The Dry and The Wet Side (Joint with 12th Conference on Transition of Research to Operations)
- Sessions in the 38th Environmental Information Processing Systems (EIPT) Conference that might be of particular interest include:
- Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022 - Feb 27 - March 4 - Honolulu, HI: This year’s theme emphasizes the importance of working together. “Come Together and Connect,” focuses on strengthening the ocean sciences community through discussing both basic and applied research while making scientific and social connections. https://www.aslo.org/osm2022/
- Tiffany Vance and Tim Kearns [GLOS] are co-organizers for a session at the 2022 Ocean Sciences meeting entitled “IoT and Distributed Sensing in Ocean Science and Research” under the Ocean Technologies and Observatories topic.
- Description: Over the past century, a tremendous expansion in sampling and analysis of the ocean, made possible by persistent connectivity and automatic data processing, has facilitated broad progress in our understanding of ocean processes. Ship-based sampling, underwater gliders, Argo floats and moored platforms, to name a few, have all contributed to distributed monitoring of chemical, biological, and physical dynamics in the ocean.
- Driven by advances in mobile, photovoltaic, and battery technology, along with the increasing availability of satellite communications, large-scale and persistent distributed sensing in our oceans and lakes has become increasingly tractable. Smart, connected devices, and the supporting processes to convert that data into information form the fabric of Marine IoT. Leveraging IoT technologies in the marine environment provides opportunities for new and innovative research, observing, and monitoring techniques that can provide end-users with the information they need faster than ever. Whether that’s through engaging interested members of the public through citizen science or incorporating smart technologies into research equipment, Marine IoT can provide important new data streams and connect us in ways that weren’t possible before. Further, developments in edge and cloud computing allow us to derive critical decision-support information from these new streams.
- Join us to explore the role Marine IoT plays in understanding our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. In this session, we aim to elevate perspectives from both instrument development, deployment, and data utilization. Thus, we invite submissions pertaining to distributed sensing technologies (e.g. low-cost buoys and other marine IoT), strategies for maintaining distributed observations, approaches for real-time data dissemination, and research methods pertinent to usage of distributed IoT data sets, particularly with high spatiotemporal coverage.
- All accepted sessions will be available to view at the 2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting website later this month. Please promote your session to your colleagues to encourage abstract submissions. Abstract submissions will officially open later this summer and will close 15 September 2021. Abstracts will not be accepted after this date.
- Tiffany Vance is a co-organizer of a session at the 2022 Ocean Sciences meeting entitled “Democratizing Data: Environmental Data Access and its Future” in the Education & Outreach topic.
- Description: One of the tenets of big data is the idea of the (2, 4, or 7) V’s - Volume, Velocity, Variety, Variability, Veracity, Visualization, and Value. With the increase in the volume and velocity of data, access becomes ever more challenging. Users have access to more types of data and they can become overwhelmed by the possibilities. In the past, data access has been confusing but now there is more user engagement in building friendlier and more usable interfaces. Discovery is now more flexible and all encompassing - for example using schema.org to enable data discovery and via Google search. This increased use of data is not limited to scientists and other professionals. Citizens use data more than they realize (maps, elevation charts, tides, etc.) so they are constantly accessing data from a variety of sources.
- There remains a broader community goal to have improved data access with the aim of democratizing data by removing gatekeepers so that data are unrestricted and available in a meaningful way to all. Improved access to data also supports data equity - “The term “data equity” captures a complex and multi-faceted set of ideas. It refers to the consideration, through an equity lens, of the ways in which data is collected, analyzed, interpreted, and distributed.” By making data more easily accessed and used we also make the ability to use data more equitable.
- We want to gather a set of papers that bring together all aspects of the data access process with a focus on improving data access for a wide range of users. We propose the following structure:
- data discoverability
- data access
- data and service equity
- data usability
- user interface/engagement/input
- visualization tools
- reproducibility and tracing - after access
- All accepted sessions will be available to view at the 2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting website later this month. Abstract submissions will officially open later this summer and will close 15 September 2021. Abstracts will not be accepted after this date.
- Tiffany Vance and Tim Kearns [GLOS] are co-organizers for a session at the 2022 Ocean Sciences meeting entitled “IoT and Distributed Sensing in Ocean Science and Research” under the Ocean Technologies and Observatories topic.
- Call for Proposals - 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5): From 23-30 June 2022, the world’s leading ocean conservation professionals will meet in Vancouver, Canada to chart a course towards protecting 30% of the global ocean by 2030. The call for proposals for the Congress program is open now until 20 September (23:59 PDT) 2021. For more information, see https://www.impac5.ca/congress-details/program/proposals/
Webinars:
- Get Into Your Sanctuary Week - August 2-8, 2021: You're Invited! Get into Your Sanctuary events are held annually during the first week of August. Join us on August 2-8, 2021 for a variety of activities across the National Marine Sanctuary System. This year, NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System will be hosting both in-person and online celebrations. So, wherever you are, you will have the opportunity to enjoy more than just the national marine sanctuary nearest you. Check out the most up to date information on this year's virtual and in-person activities here.
- August 7 at 7 am Hawai`i / 10 am Pacific / 1 pm Eastern - Virtual Tidepool Excursion, Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
- SERIES: National Marine Sanctuaries Webinars: The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides educators, students, and the interested public with educational and scientific expertise, resources and training to support ocean and climate literacy. This series generally targets formal and informal educators that are engaging students (elementary through college) in formal classroom settings, as well as members of the community in informal educational venues (e.g. after school programs, science centers, aquariums, etc.).
- August 11, 2021 - 12-1:30 pm Hawai`i / 3:00-4:30 pm Hawai`i / 6:00-7:30 pm Pacific - Tracking White Sharks! An Update on Population Changes off the West Coast of North America. Register here.
- August 12, 2021 - 8 am Hawai`i / 11 am Pacific / 2 pm Eastern - Seagrass Meadows: Unsung Heroes in Combating Climate Change? Register here.
- August 17, 2021 - 7 am Hawai‘i / 10 am Pacific / 12 pm Central / 1 pm Eastern - SERIES: Submerged NC: Where the Water is Shallow and the Current is Strong: Stone Fish Weirs of the Eastern Woodlands. Register here.
- August 19, 2021 - 12 pm Hawaiʻi / 3 pm Pacific / 6 pm Eastern - The World Does Not Stand Still - Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change in Papahānaumokuākea. Register here.
- Behavior Change for Climate Action for the Oceans and Beyond, 26 August 2021, 1pm ET: More and more environmental practitioners are incorporating behavior change into their efforts to increase pro-environmental action, building off the success of the medical community in using behavior change to improve health. Cities, national governments, and utility agencies are some of the groups driving this trend. By increasing response efficacy (the belief that one can actually do something), we can help drive the behavior and social change needed to solve our climate crisis; response efficacy is one of the strongest influencing factors for public action. This webinar by The Center for Behavior and Climate (CBC) (Co-sponsors: OCTO (EBM Tools Network, The Skimmer, OpenChannels, MPA News, MarineDebris.info)) will teach you nine principles behind behavior change and how to apply these interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary principles to increase individual and collective climate action for the oceans and beyond. From tackling habits to worldview to social influences to framing, they will provide case studies showing the impact of each behavioral tool. Find out more and register here.
- SERIES: EMB launches new webinar series: The European Marine Board is launching a new webinar series, #ThirdThursdayScience, which will focus on the science underpinning the research and policy recommendations in EMB publications. The free webinars will take place on the third Thursday of each month, and will run for one hour between 13:00 - 14:00 CEST. Webinars will also be live-streamed on YouTube and will be made available to re-watch later on the EMB YouTube Channel. Upcoming webinars:
- 19 August: Navigating the Future V
- 16 September: Involving Stakeholders in Co-creation of Ecosystem Services Research
- 21 October: Deep Sea
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SERIES: Esri Applied Meteorology Using ArcGIS Webinar Series: GIS is a foundational tool for weather and climate research and analysis. With tools to ingest multi-dimensional weather and climate data, process and analyze, and attain informative forecast products for preparedness and adaptation, ArcGIS advances our understanding of the atmosphere to benefit science and society. In this free series, you will gain insight into how you can incorporate ArcGIS into your work from fellow scientists and GIS experts. Register here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/lg/industry/government/applied-meteorology-using-arcgis
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August 25, 2021, 8 am – 9 am PDT – Use Cloud-Based GIS Technology to Deliver Briefings to Build Resilient Communities
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SERIES: Mapping the Great Lakes: A virtual webinar series focused priorities for building a comprehensive detailed bathymetric map of the Great Lakes. The events will engage the audience with presentations and discussions from leading scientists and researchers on the technologies and issues impacting the Great Lakes ecosystems. Click here for more info and registration.
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Sept 15: Archaeology/Geology, 12:30 – 2 PM EST
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Sept 29 - Oct 1: Lakebed 2030 Conference, 1 – 5 PM EST
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Nov. 18: Collaboration, 12:30 – 2 PM
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Job & Internship Opportunities:
- NEW! Postdoctoral Fellowship: Microbial & Molecular Ecology, CIGLR: The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/ at the University of Michigan is seeking a highly motivated candidate for a Postdoctoral Fellow position. This position will develop and use cutting-edge novel methods in metagenomics and metabarcoding, such as CRISPR Cas9 to investigate uncharacterized prey-predator interactions in the lower food web in the Great Lakes. This research will also investigate the role of prey-predator interactions in the dynamics of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. The successful candidate will participate in sampling trips in the Great lakes, data collection, data analysis, and writing manuscripts. The postdoc will work closely with a group of scientists at the University of Michigan and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor, MI. The postdoc will be expected to maintain a strong record of scholarly publication and presentations at scientific conferences and public meetings. Closes August 8, 2021. Click here for more info and how to apply.
- Data Manager GOOS Biology, OBIS: You will work under the supervision of the OBIS project manager and in close consultation with the OBIS data manager and the members of the Biology and Ecoystems expert panel of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS BioEco). You will be (i) managing the information about observing systems, networks, and data assets provided via a portal for the Global Ocean Observing System, Biology and Ecosystems Panel (GOOS BioEco) for official launch by the end of 2021 and (ii) provide coordination with the observing systems, networks, and data-producing projects contributing to biological and ecosystem Essential Ocean Variable (EOV) with the aim to bring more of the data from these facilities fully online through OBIS, and become interoperable and reusable as part of an integrated global ocean observing system. Closes August 10. Click here for more info and how to apply.
- Capacity Building Liaison Officer, Micronesia Conservation Trust: Under the supervision of the Capacity Building Program Manager, the Capacity Building Liaison Officer (CBLO) will receive training and assistance from PacIOOS staff, and will, over time, be expected to extend this knowledge to communities and agencies interested in the collection and analysis of oceanographic data to inform their programs across Micronesia. PacIOOS has a stated goal in their 5-year strategic outlook to “Increase observation and model coverage to fill gaps and achieve a more balanced system across the region,” and an objective to “Foster the capabilities for ocean observing throughout the Insular Pacific.” Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic a series of regional workshops were planned across the region to raise awareness of ocean observing, and a central workshop was to be held in Honolulu for selected trainer-of-trainers from the region. Due to travel restrictions, there is a need to look for alternatives to raise capacity and conduct outreach in the region. Closes August 13. Click here for more info and how to apply.
- Scientific Director of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and Professor of Biology: The Faculty of Science at Dalhousie University invites applications for a tenured Full Professor of Biology to serve as the new Scientific Director of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN, https://oceantrackingnetwork.org). The primary faculty appointment will be in the Department of Biology with potential cross-appointments in other departments across the university. The Scientific Director serves as the primary OTN grant holder and will provide leadership for OTN strategic planning and facilitate and grow scientific activities, leveraging the assets of the network and seeking mutually beneficial partnerships and synergies with other science networks and groups. The Scientific Director also leads the internal OTN management team, and oversees the management of 22+ permanent staff, as well as rotating interns and co-op students working on operations and maintenance activities. Using the OTN platform, the Scientific Director will provide leadership for the engagement of the Canadian and international scientific community in related research work and oversee the funding and science planning associated with these programs, together with OTN’s Executive Director. Open now: the review process will commence on 15 Sept 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Click here for more info and how to apply.
- Biogeochemistry Research Assistant in Support of GSFC's Ocean Ecology Lab (SSAI for NASA): Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) is seeking a Biogeochemistry Research Assistant to support the Ocean Ecology Laboratory (OEL) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in the quality assurance and quality control of oceanographic biogeochemical and optical measurements including the collection, laboratory analysis, processing, and evaluation of biogeochemical and inherent optical properties. Open until closed. For more details and how to apply, click here.
Click here to view the IOOS Association Calendar
Do you have suggestions for new things you would like to see in the Eyes on the Ocean IOOS Bi-Weekly? Contact us at: eoto@noaa.gov.