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Seeking Applications for New PacIOOS Operations Coordinator
The
PacIOOS Operations Coordinator is a new full-time position responsible for the coordination and management of PacIOOS' day-to-day operations in order to achieve the vision detailed in the
PacIOOS 5-year Strategic Framework. Based in Honolulu, this position will work with the program management and all of the program components to update and maintain the PacIOOS Operational Plan and Build-out Plan, and provide field and technical support as needed. The Operations Coordinator will also develop initiatives to increase capacity for ocean observing in the region and identify and implement new opportunities to expand the ability of the program to address stakeholder needs.
We are looking for a self-motivated, detail-oriented, flexible, adaptive problem-solver with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Experience working with oceanographic instrumentation and the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues are also important. To learn more about the position, associated benefits, and how to apply, please visit our website. Applications are due by November 21, 2018. Please help us spread the word about this exciting position. Mahalo!
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PacIOOS Tools and Instruments
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NOAA-20 Satellite captured Super Typhoon Yutu passing directly over Tinian Island in the CNMI. Credit: NOAA & CIMS |
Super Typhoon Yutu Rages Through Mariana Islands
With sustained winds of 178 mph, Super Typhoon Yutu is the strongest storm to ever hit a U.S. territory.
Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) was hit directly on October 25 by Super Typhoon Yutu, causing devastating destruction to homes and infrastructure on all Mariana Islands. A super typhoon has 10-minute sustained winds of at least 130mph, which is the equivalent of a strong category 4 hurricane or greater.
PacIOOS wave buoy off Tanapag, Saipan, measured 20-25ft of significant wave height before it broke free from its mooring. While adrift, the buoy continued to collect valuable wave and temperature information, with a continuous significant wave height of 20-25ft for about 12 hours. The biggest individual wave measured by the wave buoy during the storm was 45ft, peak-to-trough.
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Recent detections from a 3-m female tiger shark, tag #122988. |
Follow Me: New Tiger Shark Tracks Available
PacIOOS now provides tracks from four new tiger sharks that were recently equipped with satellite tags off Kāneʻohe Bay by researchers from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. All sharks have sent numerous detections over the past few weeks. So far, two of the sharks tend to frequent waters off Oʻahu's windward coast and North Shore, one of the sharks went to Penguin Banks off Molokaʻi, and one is covering all those areas. The recent tracks, along with tracks from previous tagging efforts, can be viewed on PacIOOS' shark tracking pages and PacIOOS Voyager. Please note, tiger shark tracks do not provide real-time monitoring and do not serve as a monitoring system. The shark tracking effort is part of a larger research project to gain insights about shark behavior and habitat selection.
Based on records from the past 25 years, October is the month with the highest number of shark encounters in Hawaiʻi. Be sure to always swim with a buddy, avoid murky water, and do not enter the water if you have open wounds.
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The HIMB weather station is located at Moku o Loʻe in Kāneʻohe Bay. Credit: HIMB, J. Levy |
Kāneʻohe Weather Station Back Online
The Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) weather station at Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) in Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, is back online and all observational data are accessible again from the PacIOOS website. Atmospheric parameters, such as air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction, as well as oceanographic measurements of water temperature are collected in real-time. Dynamic graphs allow users to find the latest hourly readings, or explore trends and data from previous days or months.
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The PacIOOS wave buoy is moored approx. 4 miles offshore of Waimea Bay. Credit: J. Gilmore |
Modified Mooring at Waimea Wave Buoy
After testing a modified mooring line composition at the PacIOOS wave buoy off Waimea, Oʻahu, the mooring set-up is now "back to normal". PacIOOS conducted this trial to evaluate the longevity and durability of a modified version. First results indicate that the modified set-up did not affect the quality of the data. A more thorough analysis of the data will provide additional information. The Waimea wave buoy provides real-time wave information of significant wave height, period, and direction, as well as sea surface temperature. 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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Governing Council members meet annually. |
New PacIOOS Governing Council Members
PacIOOS welcomes all newly elected Governing Council members! Eli Cabrera from the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality in Saipan will serve as the representative for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Scott Burch with the National Park of American Samoa is our new member to represent American Samoa. Jennifer Conklin, U.S. Coast Guard District 14, fills a Hawaiʻi seat and Captain Mike Roth, U.S. Navy, United States Pacific Fleet, is occupying a regional seat. We are also excited that Willy Kostka, Micronesia Conservation Trust, and Jason Biggs, Government of Guam, will continue to represent the Federated States of Micronesia and Guam, respectively. New members will join the diverse council with representation from across the Pacific Islands region for a three-year term.
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Educators learned about PacIOOS tools and data at the Marine Educators' Night. Credit: WAQ, L. Golden |
Marine Educators' Night
Approximately 100 educators gathered this month for the annual Marine Educators' Night hosted by the Waikīkī Aquarium. Numerous state and federal agencies, academia, and non-profit organizations shared educational information and classroom materials. PacIOOS introduced formal and informal educators to available ocean observation and forecast products (including real-time wave observations, sea level rise viewer, and tiger shark tracking) and shared a classroom activity utilizing PacIOOS' interactive mapping platform, PacIOOS Voyager.
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Improving Forecasts of Heavy Rainfalls and Island-induced Airflow
Chuan-Kai Wang is a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Professor Yi-Leng Chen in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. As part of the Atmospheric Modeling Group, Chuan-Kai generates 7-day weather forecasts (air temperature, wind, rain, moisture) for various grids in American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and the main Hawaiian Islands. The forecasts also serve as an important input source for the PacIOOS wave and ocean circulation models.
Chuan-Kai received his Bachelor and Master of Science degree from the Department of Atmospheric Physics, National Central University in Taiwan before coming to Hawaiʻi in 2016.
With experience in island-scale airflow, cloud, solar radiation, and rainfall, Chuan-Kai's research interest mainly focuses on the prediction of orographic effects on island-scale airflow and weather, especially on localized heavy rainfall events.
Chuan-Kai's goal is to enhance initial conditions for tropical cyclones in the numerical weather model. These refinements will allow to improve the cyclones' track and intensity forecasts, which are related to disastrous heavy rainfall events that threaten lives and properties around the globe.
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