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PacIOOS Instruments and Tools
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New wave buoy off the Pearl Harbor Entrance. Credit: Karen W. Bryan. |
New Wave Buoy off Pearl Harbor
PacIOOS deployed a new wave buoy near the entrance to Pearl Harbor, Oʻahu, approximately 1.5 miles offshore. The buoy is the first within PacIOOS' wave buoy network to measure surface currents, in addition to wave height, direction, and period, and sea surface temperature. County, state, and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and NOAA's National Weather Service, incorporate real-time wave buoy data into their daily operational decision-making processes. Many commercial and recreational ocean users, community members, and researchers, also rely on the data. Wave information, along with currents data, will help to enhance marine safety, navigation, and harbor operations on Oʻahu's South Shore, and allow for improved wave modeling and surf forecasting. The Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) at the University of Hawaiʻi provided the initial support to purchase this buoy with funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
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PacIOOS team on the way to swap the Hilo Bay wave buoy. |
Wave Buoy Maintenance
PacIOOS' operations team swapped the wave buoy off Hilo Bay, and replaced the mooring of the Mokapu (Oʻahu) wave buoy. Regular maintenance of the wave buoys is necessary to keep the equipment operational. Wave buoy data
are available online on the PacIOOS website or PacIOOS Voyager. 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).
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The Ocean Tipping Points Project supports effective coral reef ecosystem management. Credit: NOAA. |
Ocean Tipping Points - Hawaiʻi Case Study
Data from the Ocean Tipping Points Hawaiʻi Case Study are now available for download on the PacIOOS website. The Ocean Tipping Points Project aims to support effective ecosystem-based management by providing resource managers and practitioners with tools to anticipate, avoid, and respond to coral reef change in Hawaiʻi and beyond. Ocean tipping points occur when shifts in human pressures or environmental conditions cause large, sometimes abrupt changes in an ecosystem. More than 40 data layers were developed, showing the influence of environmental factors and human-based activities on coral reef ecosystems across Hawaiʻi. Users can download data layers in various formats, find metadata, and explore all layers in an interactive map viewer. The project pages also offer information about the Hawaiʻi case study, its value, project findings, and partners involved in the study.
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Video Introductions: PacIOOS Inundation Forecasts
To increase coastal resiliency and preparedness, PacIOOS offers Six-Day High Sea Level and Wave Run-up Forecasts for various locations in the State of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands region. If you wonder how to read these forecasts, we recommend watching two short video introductions that describe the elements of the high sea level forecast and the wave run-up forecast. The highest astronomical tides of the year ("King Tides") at the end of April, May, and June have been coinciding with higher than normal sea levels and swell events, resulting in increased wave inundation and flooding in various parts of the State of Hawaiʻi. Record breaking water levels of more than 3 feet have been recorded.
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Gathering at the beginning of the Kewalo Basin Park Clean-up. Credit: Friends of Kewalos. |
Water Quality Monitoring Outreach
The PacIOOS Nearshore Water Quality Group took part in the annual Kewalo Basin Park Clean-up and Fundraiser at the beginning of June. Hosted by the Friends of Kewalos, PacIOOS offered a fun booth to learn about nearshore water quality monitoring. Young and old participated in hands-on activities to explore different water characteristics of nearshore ocean environments. Water quality monitoring was also the topic of a free public talk by Gordon Walker at Hanauma Bay. The Hanauma Bay Education Program offers weekly presentations at the "Theater Thursdays" seminar series - be sure to check out their schedule!
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Buoy operations at SECOORA. Credit: USF CMS |
The Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA), one of our sister regions within the IOOS system, is recruiting a new Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (RCOOS) Manager. SECOORA works with stakeholders in the four southeastern states -- North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Responsibilities of the RCOOS Manager include completing and maintaining the RCOOS build-out plan, managing the RCOOS, leading SECOORA's Data Management and Communications, and supporting other management and operation functions. Deadline to apply is July 10! For more information, please visit the full job announcement.
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Applying Science to Support Coastal Communities
Dr. Douglas Luther serves as the co-investigator for PacIOOS' coastal inundation forecasts, including the Six-Day High Sea Level Forecasts, Wave Run-up Forecasts, and Harbor Surge Forecast. Fascinated by the underlying physical processes that produce wave energy transformations near the shore, Doug, along with his team of researchers, developed a variety of short-term inundation models to support community preparedness and resiliency. For Doug, the most valuable and meaningful aspect of his work is to be able to turn state-of-the-art knowledge into user-friendly end products that are relevant for a wide range of stakeholders. Doug and his team are eager to expand the inundation forecasts to new locations within Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands region, and to maintain and improve forecast accuracy even as erosion and deposition continually alter the coastline and bottom contours.
Originally from San Diego, CA
, Doug brought his family to Hawaiʻi in
1993 after accepting a faculty position in the
Department of Oceanography at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST)
. When not on Mānoa campus, Doug prefers to spend time with his family. But, he is a seasoned waterman; so, you may find him bodyboarding at either his favorite winter break - Mākaha - or at his home-break - China Walls - usually at dawn.
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