For the month of September, PacIOOS has several updates to share -- scroll down to check out the monthly newsletter or visit our website or Voyager
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PacIOOS Instruments and Tools
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| PacIOOS wave buoy off Hilo records real-time wave conditions. Photo credit: Ryan Kramer |
PacIOOS Wave Buoy Redeployed off Hilo
The PacIOOS wave buoy off Hilo Bay, Hawai'i Island, is back in the water! The wave buoy was recently redeployed, and will now continue to serve data on wave height, direction, period, and sea surface temperature in 30 min intervals. The information recorded promotes safer and more efficient maritime transit, and provides ocean users with real-time data to make well-informed decisions.
Data are managed by the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and CDIP enable data streaming.
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| Example of Tutuila, American Samoa, shows Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the island and the surrounding ocean bottom at 10m resolution. |
New Bathymetry Data Sets Available
In addition to the Main Hawaiian Islands, PacIOOS Voyager now provides 55 new bathymetry data sets for parts of the Pacific Islands region and on a global scale. These digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the ocean bottom provide measurements of ocean depth and can be found in Voyager's "seafloor" category. Data were collected through ship-borne mulitbeam sonar surveys with or without satellite-derived nearshore bathymetry. Resolution varies between 1km (global model), 5m (e.g., Majuro lagoon, Marshall Islands) and 1m (e.g., Apra Harbor, Guam).
The new bathymetry layers can be combined with the recently added DEMs for land to create an enhanced three dimensional effect. The ocean bottom and land DEMs offer a wealth of display options seldom found in online mapping tools -- be sure to check it out in PacIOOS Voyager! All data sets have been added to the PacIOOS data servers to enable standardized, interoperable, and remote access mechanisms (such as Web Map Service) to incorporate, visualize, and redistribute the data to our users.
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Attendees of the IOOS Association meeting in
St. Petersburg, Florida. |
IOOS Association Fall Meeting
The Integrated Ocean Observing System Association (IOOSA) held its annual meeting, with a focus on enhancing navigation services through observing systems, and increasing coastal intelligence for coastal communities. Leadership from the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), directors of all 11 regional associations (RA), and IOOSA staff and board members attended the meeting to coordinate strategic approaches and to prioritize the implementation of the IOOS. The University of South Florida and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission provided demonstrations of their laboratory and observing systems. The IOOSA meeting was preceded by a gathering of the RA directors to exchange lessons learned and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
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A water level station off Easter Island shows
deviations of water levels. |
Ocean Observing Systems in Action
On September 16th, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 struck Chile, sending off a tsunami wave towards Chile's coast and across the Pacific ocean. The Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) and tide and water level stations throughout the Pacific recorded the deviations of water levels. Users can easily access all DART buoy and water level stations data through
PacIOOS Voyager to find out how the tsunami caused anomalies with respect to the tidal cycle. Explore the buoys and stations to see ocean observing in action.
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The State of Hawai'i formed a committee
to address the impacts of rising sea levels. |
Hawai'i Climate Change Adaptation
The State of Hawai'i legislature identified climate change as one of the most urgent and long-term threats to the State's economy, sustainability, security, and way of life over the next century. Comprised of more than a dozen state and county agencies, the Interagency Climate Adaptation Committee (ICAC) was formed to develop a statewide Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Report. Led by Dr. Chip Fletcher, the Coastal Geology Group at the University of Hawai'i School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology provides the committee with sea level rise models and associated flooding and erosion impacts. PacIOOS works closely with the Coastal Geology Group and the State of Hawaiʻi to provide data visualization support and to enhance data access for committee members.
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The Kupuna Panel shared their knowledge
and stories of He'eia Ahupua'a, O'ahu. |
He'eia Ahupua'a Science-to-Management Symposium
NOAA's
Hawaiian Sentinel Site Cooperative, University of Hawai'i Sea Grant, and NOAA's Office for Coastal Management hosted a symposium to discuss how to best plan and prepare for climate change impacts in He'eia. Community members, local non-profit organizations, agencies, and researchers came together to share the work that is currently being done, projects that are planned for the future, and to identify opportunities for collaboration. In the afternoon, facilitated break-out sessions allowed for the exchange of ideas on the topics of native and invasive species, water, education and student research, and food security.
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Job Opening: Coastal Community Resilience and Adaptation Specialist
The Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program at the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, is seeking applications for a Coastal Community Resilience and Adaptation Specialist. The Specialist will assess and prioritize the resilience and adaptation needs of coastal Alaska, and conduct a statewide extension program for Alaska's stakeholders who are affected by changes in the marine and coastal environment. The successful applicant will be a faculty member located at the Marine Advisory Program (MAP) office in Anchorage. The first review of applications will start on October 26, 2015.
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On-water Assistance for PacIOOS Assets off Hawai'i Island
Joshua La Pinta is a Marine Science undergraduate student at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, providing hands-on support to the
PacIOOS water quality buoy program
. Along with student assistant Jon Marusek, Josh stops by the Hilo Bay buoy on a weekly basis to remove algae, barnacles and other material covering the probes, solar panels, and the buoy frame. The PacIOOS water quality buoys measure various water parameters such as salinity, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen-- all important indicators to assess coastal water quality and environmental impacts. Josh and Jon also assist in the installment and maintenance of other PacIOOS assets located off Hilo, such as the wave buoy and instruments that measure sea surface currents.
Josh's main interest lies in fish biology and ecology. As an avid spear fisherman who enjoys providing food to his friends and family, he greatly appreciates the opportunity to be out on the water for work. "Hard work isn't hard if you enjoy what you do." Upon graduation, Josh would like to get involved in fisheries management in Hawai'i, working towards a position at the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
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Based within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, PacIOOS is the Pacific Islands regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (
IOOS®
). PacIOOS is a partnership of data providers and users working together to enhance ocean observations and develop, disseminate, evaluate, and apply ocean data and information products designed to address the environmental, economic, and public safety needs of stakeholders who call the Pacific Islands home. For more information on PacIOOS, please visit
www.pacioos.org
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