Palau has experienced a spate of very high sea levels during the past five months, peaking on September 17th at 6.4 ft above the standard MLLW datum. When the sea level exceeds 5.8 ft., which is well above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW), flooding of low-lying lands begins. The recent unusually high sea levels stem from a combination of high tides and multi-month-long sea level fluctuations.  PacIOOS MOA partner, the Palau Office of Climate Change, has been instrumental in providing on-the-ground validation for the PacIOOS High Sea Level Forecast for Malakal, Palau , during these events. Observations and photo documentation are a crucial component for PacIOOS researchers to refine the forecast.  The 6-day forecast takes tides and multi-day sea level variations into consideration, thereby providing a more accurate forecast of predicted sea level heights. The forecast was developed to enhance preparedness and improve community resilience  by providing advance notice of such events.

PacIOOS successfully swapped the Mōkapu wave buoy off Oʻahu's windward side. Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure continuos operation and data streaming. PacIOOS' network of 14 wave buoys in the Pacific provides real-time information on wave height, direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature.  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 into the PacIOOS website  and  Voyager .

During the first week of September, more than 10,000 participants gathered for the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. IOOS and PacIOOS observation, modeling, and visualization capacities were demonstrated at the Forum. Attendees learned during an e-poster session how PacIOOS' Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program informs conservation efforts throughout the Pacific Islands region. NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathy Sullivan introduced the Global Marine Biodiversity Observation Network ( MBON). A streaming of Dr. Sullivan's presentation can be viewed online. PacIOOS also provided an introduction to the IOOS EDS Model Viewer at the U.S. Pavilion's Tech Corner.

PacIOOS Voyager now features additional satellite tracking data from dolphins and whales tagged off Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, between 2013 and 2014. Robin Baird and his team from  Cascadia Research Collective ( CRC ) provided tracks for 7 bottlenose dolphins  (TtTag008-020), 5 rough-toothed dolphins  (SbTag008-012), and 8 short-finned pilot whales (GmTag070-104). All tracks can now be viewed and animated in PacIOOS Voyager. This supplements the extensive CRC sightings data (direct human observations of species locations) already accessible through Voyager.

Leadership from the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System ( IOOS), directors of all 11 regional associations (RA), and IOOS Association ( IOOSA) staff and board members came together for the 2016 IOOS Fall Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. This year's discussions focused on ecological forecasting gaps, water level observation capacity, and precision navigation. Data management topics permeated the discussions. Partners of the Alaska Ocean Observing System ( AOOS) demonstrated the use of ocean acidification sensors at a local shellfish hatchery and hosted a tour of NOAA's Kasitsna Bay Lab.

Aloha and welcome to Emma Nuss, our latest addition to the PacIOOS ʻOhana! With a Bachelor of Science in Probability & Statistics from the University of California San Diego, Emma came to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST)  in 2013  to pursue her Master's degree in Physical Oceanography. Under the supervision of Dr. Brian Powell, Emma's graduate research focused on building a coupled microbial-physical model for the Ala Wai Canal and the surrounding south shore of Oʻahu. After graduating in July 2016,  Emma will now improve modeling methods and validate the model through field experiments, with the ultimate goal of incorporating microbial prediction into the operational PacIOOS Ala Wai Plume Model. Adding the microbial component to the Ala Wai Plume Model will help to predict potential health risks and hazards due to elevated levels of harmful bacteria. 

 

Emma's interest lies in numerical modeling and improving the ability to predict ocean phenomenon, as well as biophysical interactions and the role of science in informing policy decisions. She will work on refining the microbial model for the next year while teaching Oceanography at Kapiʻolani Community College, and is considering going back to school for a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography or Applied Math afterwards.