October 2017 Newsletter
PacIOOS Instruments and Tools
Dialog box shows various statistics calculated for the user-selected area.
New Area Statistics Tool on Voyager

PacIOOS' interactive mapping platform, Voyager , now features a new tool that computes statistics for a user-selected area. The Area Statistics Tool generates the mean, median, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation for a selected area in many of the gridded datasets, including forecasts, satellite data, bathymetry, and elevation. This added functionality is relevant for those examining larger areas (instead of points), and can provide information such as maximum wave height, average sea surface temperature, or minimum wind speed for the selected area. Users can view time series plots in Voyager's dialog boxes or download the data. To get to the tool, select the "area statistics" subfolder in the menu bar for applicable datasets. Development of this new utility was funded by NOAA OceanWatch Central Pacific Node.
A new, interactive version of the Ala Wai Turbidity Plume Forecast is now available online.
Updated Turbidity Plume Forecast

A revised version of the PacIOOS Turbidity Plume Forecast for the Ala Wai Canal, Oʻahu, is now live. The updated visualization features interactive controls to play, replay, and forward to different timeframes, and to loop the animation in different speeds. The Turbidity Plume Model simulates the possibility of a plume developing at the Ala Wai Canal for the upcoming two days, and also includes a hindcast for the previous three days. Turbidity (water clarity) is impacted by various factors, including rainfall, waves, wind, and tidal movement. Very high turbidity levels are normally caused by large amounts of storm water runoff that can severely impact the nearshore water quality.
Deployment of the PacIOOS nearshore sensor at Palmyra Atoll. Credit: UCSD/Jennifer Smith.
Supporting Coral Reef Conservation at Palmyra Atoll

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with the help of Dr. Jennifer E. Smith from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, successfully deployed one of PacIOOS' nearshore water quality sensors at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge to support ongoing reef recovery efforts. The sensor is part of PacIOOS' Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program and will help to increase the understanding of oceanographic conditions and associated effects at the coral recovery site. USFWS removed a large shipwreck from Palmyra Atoll in 2013, which had devastating effects on the reef. Subsequent surveys of coral growth, health, and recolonization revealed drastic fluctuations in turbidity and occasional temperature elevations, triggering seasonal coral bleaching. The Sea-Bird SeaCAT plus auxiliary sensors measure temperature, conductivity, pressure, chlorophyll, and turbidity at set intervals. All collected data will be managed by USFWS and made available through PacIOOS.
PacIOOS wave buoy in Kāneʻohe Bay.
Kāneʻohe WETS Wave Buoy Redeployed

PacIOOS successfully redeployed the Kāneʻohe WETS wave buoy on the windward side of Oʻahu, after it broke free from its mooring in late September. The wave buoy provides valuable real-time data on wave height, direction, period, and sea surface temperature, and directly supports efforts of the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) to test in-water wave energy conversion devices at the U.S. Navy Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Kāneʻohe Bay.  Data management for the wave buoys is made possible through long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Data Information Program ( CDIP ).
PacIOOS Updates
School groups learn about the PacIOOS wave buoy set-up and associated operations. 
Making Science Tangible and Fun 

Approximately 6,500 students of all ages, families, and community members took part in the 2017 SOEST Open House. The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa opened its doors to the public with 90 engaging, interactive, and fun activities, demonstrations, and experiments to explore natural sciences and research. PacIOOS offered insights into its wave buoy program with a hands-on wave tank, an actual wave buoy, and mooring line equipment.   

PacIOOS also participated in the annual Marine Educators' Night at the Waikīkī Aquarium. Specifically tailored to educators, organizations provided educational materials, activities, and ideas for all grades. PacIOOS shared classroom activities for PacIOOS Voyager and showcased various data tools available on the PacIOOS website.
Governing Council Hawaiʻi Seats
 
Elections were held to fill four open Hawaiʻi seats on the PacIOOS Governing Council. Aloha and welcome to our newest members, Mark Fox, The Nature Conservancy's Hawaiʻi Program; Doug Harper, Mālama Maunalua; Justine Nihipali, Office of Planning, Coastal Zone Management Program; and Davis Yogi, Department of Transportation Harbors Division. Elected for three-year terms, the incoming members will join our diverse council with representation from across the Pacific Islands region. The council will gather in Honolulu for its annual meeting in early November.
Partner Updates
Divers to attach sensors on the PacIOOS wave buoy mooring line. Credit: Matthew Erickson.
Monitoring Temperature Spikes in American Samoa

The PacIOOS wave buoy off Aunu'u in American Samoa has been recording sporadic but distinct sea surface temperature spikes. To further investigate the origin, local authorities, including the American Samoa Power Authority and American Samoa Renewable Energy Committee, as well as Hawaiʻi Sea Grant worked with a student from Pacific Horizons High School and Crux Diving to attach small sensors along the wave buoy mooring line to collect temperature data at different depths. The most drastic anomaly to date occurred right after the deployment of the sensors, which will provide valuable data. Researchers suspect hydrothermal fluid may be venting from the fracture zone at the seafloor. If geothermal venting is confirmed, further studies are planned to determine whether this is a potential source of geothermal energy for American Samoa.
Coastal States Organization Meeting
 
The Coastal States Organization (CSO) held its Annual Fall Membership Meeting in Honolulu. CSO is a nonprofit organization representing the nation's 35 coastal states and territories on coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes issues. As part of the panel titled Coastal Mangers and Federal Partners: Studying and Protecting Our Coasts Together, PacIOOS provided a program overview and highlighted collaborations with the Coastal Zone Management Programs in the Pacific Islands, including work with the Hawaiʻi Climate Commission, the Pacific Waves and Water Levels Project, and the West Maui Coastal Resilience Project. The IOOS Association is one of CSO's partners on the NOAA National Ocean Service Roundtable. 
PacIOOS People
Professor McManus (front) conducting research at sea with Christina Comfort, a member of the CPhOaME lab. Credit: E. Tubbs.
Coastal Oceanography in Action

Dr. Margaret McManus is a Professor in the Department of Oceanography within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She serves as one of PacIOOS' co-investigators. Professor McManus has been involved with PacIOOS from the very beginning when the program was initiated as a pilot project in Hawaiʻi in 2002. She is now the lead for both the PacIOOS nearshore sensor group and the wave buoy program and oversees a team of researchers, technicians, and engineers. Professor McManus works closely with PacIOOS staff and management to ensure smooth operations, to help trouble shoot technical challenges, and to assess opportunities to grow and improve the program.

Professor McManus is recognized for her work assessing the effects of physical oceanography on the dynamics of marine ecosystems in the coastal environment. Along with members of her Coastal Physical Oceanography and Marine Ecology (CPhOaME) lab, Professor McManus' research consists of fieldwork, modeling, and quantitative analyses. PacIOOS is one of eight coastal oceanography research programs that Professor McManus oversees. In her time off, Margaret often hikes Diamond Head to observe wave and water conditions, but more than anything she enjoys spending time with her family.
The Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) believes that ocean data and information can help save lives and resources. In collaboration with its partners, PacIOOS aims to provide sustained ocean observations in order to support decision-making and science for stakeholders who call the Pacific Islands home. Based within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, PacIOOS is part of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®).
STAY CONNECTED