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PacIOOS received $2.65 million in grant funding from IOOS. Photo Credit: Karen Bryan |
Continued Funding for PacIOOS
PacIOOS received $2.65 million in competitive grant funding in its third year of a five-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). PacIOOS will build on existing efforts to sustain and enhance ocean observations and further develop its suite of coastal, ocean, and atmospheric forecasts. Accurate, reliable, and easily accessible data provide numerous stakeholders with valuable information to make informed and safe decisions. PacIOOS data users and partners include local, state, and federal agencies, recreational and commercial ocean users, industry, non-profits, and many more.
Based within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, PacIOOS is one of 11 regional associations across the nation that make up the non-federal component of IOOS.
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More than 55 workshop participants gathered in Hai Kou, China. Photo credit: JCOMM |
3rd Pacific Islands Training Workshop on Ocean Observations and Data Applications
The Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) convened the third Data Buoy Cooperation Panel Pacific Islands Training Workshop on Ocean Observations and Data Applications (DBCP-PI-3) in conjunction with the fifth JCOMM Marine Instrument Workshop for the Asia-Pacific region (RMIC/AP-5). The joint workshop took place in Hai Kou, China, where more than 55 workshop participants discussed global ocean observing systems, data utilization, quality control, best practices and many other topics. PacIOOS provided a program overview and insights into its nearshore sensor water quality program. The meeting was hosted by China's National Centre of Ocean Standard and Metrology (NCOSM), State Oceanic Administration (SOA), and Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Workshop presentations and a list of participants are available on the workshop's webpage. A workshop report with recommendations and actions will also be made available online.
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PacIOOS Tools and Instruments
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The Ritidian wave buoy was held under water as shown by the drop in wave height. |
On July 5th, Guam was hit by Tropical Storm Maria. Luckily, no injuries were reported during the closest approach. For extreme events, such as tropical storms or typhoons, observational data are critical for the National Weather Service. PacIOOS maintains two wave buoys off Guam, one to the north of Ritidian Point and one to the east, off Ipan. Tropical storm Maria generated dangerous ocean conditions, with significant wave heights measuring up to 16 feet. During the chaotic sea state, the Ritidian Point wave buoy was held underwater and resurfaced after several hours -- intact! Check out our dynamic data plots online to find the drop!
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The Pearl Harbor wave buoy in tow for a buoy swap. Photo credit: K. Millikan |
Pearl Harbor Entrance Wave Buoy Maintenance
This month, PacIOOS conducted scheduled maintenance at the Pearl Harbor Entrance wave buoy off Oʻahu. Part of the mooring line and the buoy were swapped to keep the asset operational. The Pearl Harbor Entrance buoy is the only PacIOOS wave buoy that measures
currents
, in addition to
wave conditions
and
sea surface temperature
, which results in higher battery energy needs.
Data management for the PacIOOS 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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Waikīkī shoreline during a King Tide event. Photo credit: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant |
Save the Date: King Tide Photo Survey
Join the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program as a citizen scientist for the Hawaiʻi and Pacific Islands King Tides Project! The next photo survey is coming up on August 9 and 10 -- mark your calendars and get your smartphone or camera ready. King tides are the highest astronomical tides of the year. Through community participation, the photo survey documents shoreline conditions and impacts to better understand high water level events and future impacts from sea-level rise and other coastal hazards. The information gained through the survey informs research, policy, and decision making across the state and Pacific region. In collaboration with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, PacIOOS is developing a new online platform to provide participants with a quick and easy way to submit photos (pacioos.org/kt). More public features, including a photo submission map viewer, are in development -- stay tuned! To learn more about the project and to find out how to participate, please visit pacificislandskingtides.org.
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Mahalo to Young Brothers Ltd. and Liquid Robotics, Inc. for supporting ocean observations. Photo credit: Young Brothers, Ltd. |
Generous Industry Support
PacIOOS' MOA partner Liquid Robotics, Inc. donated two ADCP bottom mounts and a floating ADCP mount to PacIOOS and the Department of Oceanography at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The mounts will support ocean observation efforts and will allow for safe deployment and maintenance of instrumentation. To relocate the equipment, Young Brothers, Ltd. kindly supported the donation through their Community Support Program by providing gratis shipment from Liquid Robotics' location in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaiʻi Island, to Honolulu, Oʻahu. PacIOOS is grateful for the support from these two industry partners. Mahalo nui loa!
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1,200 participants gathered for the 25th Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference. Photo Credit: HCA |
25th Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference
The Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance hosted the 25th annual Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference in Honolulu. This year's theme Ulu Ka Lālā I Ke Kumu: From a Strong Foundation Grows an Abundant Future, is in recognition of the foundation set and the lessons learned from past conservation efforts and how they support today's work. Through a variety of session formats, the conference brought together 1,200 scientists, policymakers, conservation practitioners, educators, students, and community members from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to share the latest findings from the field and updates on critical conservation issues that affect the natural resources upon which island communities depend.
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Planting the Seeds
Camilla Tognacchini is a Physical Oceanography Master's degree student in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), and a graduate research assistant with PacIOOS co-investigator Professor Doug Luther. Originally from Italy, Camilla is no stranger to SOEST -- she received her undergraduate degree in Global Environmental Science from the SOEST Department of Oceanography and contributed to research projects at Heʻeia Fishpond, Oʻahu.
Camilla is part of PacIOOS' and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant's efforts to develop a high resolution wave run-up forecast for West Maui through NOAA Coastal Resilience Grant and Sea Grant awards. She will participate in field work to collect observations of pressure and current fluctuations in nearshore areas off West Maui. Camilla will also analyze this data and model output to determine how and why the different phenomena that comprise wave run-up vary along the shoreline. Camilla is eager to learn more about the particular wave dynamics that occur in West Maui and she finds great interest in helping coastal communities to prepare and adapt to rising sea levels. When not on campus, she enjoys sustainable country living and cultivating her 1-acre farm where she grows local produce. Camilla's absolute favorite activity is to catch waves surfing with her kids.
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