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Scientific divers deploy a pressure sensor off West Maui. Credit: A. Azouri |
Data Collection of Nearshore Wave Dynamics in West Maui
A team of researchers from PacIOOS and the Department of Oceanography at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), University of Hawaiʻi, deployed 24 instruments along the West Maui shoreline. Data from pressure sensors, current and wave meters will provide valuable insights into wave dynamics along West Maui and serve as validation for the high-resolution wave run-up forecast that is currently in development for this stretch of shoreline. Measurements will be obtained for a 6-month winter and 6-month summer period to capture seasonal differences. The wave run-up forecast is being developed as part of a 3-year NOAA Regional Coastal Resilience Grant. Funding for the extensive data collection was provided by the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program, the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR), and PacIOOS. Mahalo to our local supporters, including Ultimate Whale Watch,
Sands of Kahana,
and University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
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Governing council members came together at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa campus. |
PacIOOS Governing Council Meeting
Members of the
PacIOOS Governing Council met at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa campus in November for their annual meeting. The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (
IOOS) Office and
IOOS Association provided overviews, and PacIOOS shared programmatic updates with meeting participants. The council also engaged in valuable discussions during breakout sessions to provide input on regional capacity building workshops, biological observations, and PacIOOS' short- and long-term priorities. While on campus, council members toured PacIOOS' labs and facilities and met co-investigators and staff.
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PacIOOS Tools and Instruments
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Red marker shows the location of the drifting wave buoy in the Philippine Sea (as of Nov. 28). |
Mariana Islands Wave Buoys
The
PacIOOS wave buoy from Tanapag, Saipan,
broke free during Super Typhoon Yutu in October and has been adrift since. The buoy is currently half way between the Mariana Islands and Taiwan in the Philippine Sea. PacIOOS continues to closely monitor the buoy and possible recovery options.
The
PacIOOS wave buoy off Ritidian Point, Guam, parted from its mooring during Typhoon Mangkhut and ventured out on its own. Thanks to the rotation of a nearby eddy, the buoy drifted back close enough to shore for a safe recovery. In November, the Ritidian Point wave buoy was redeployed and is now back on site to provide valuable information on
significant wave height, period, and direction, as well as
sea surface temperature. The second Guam
wave buoy off Ipan, was swapped out this month to ensure continuous operation.
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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Coral Bleaching Alert Areas for first week of September 1987 on PacIOOS Voyager. |
33 Years of Coral Bleaching Monitoring Products
PacIOOS Voyager is now serving the updated version of the NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) coral bleaching monitoring products, covering 33 years of data, from 1985 to present. The suite of products includes daily average night-time sea surface temperature (SST), SST anomaly, coral bleaching hot spots, and degree heating weeks. A new addition is the 7-day maximum coral bleaching alert area, highlighting possible areas of concern. The new dataset replaces the previous version and can also be found on PacIOOS data servers, including THREDDS Data Server (TDS), Live Access Server (LAS), and ERDDAP along with associated metadata.
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Map of coastal flooding in case of landfall of major hurricane in Honolulu. Credit: Li, et al. |
Shift of Storm Tracks + Sea Level Rise = Increased Risk of Coastal Flooding
As the climate changes, storm systems are expected to slightly increase in number and shift northward toward the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, sea level is predicted to rise by about 0.6 m or more by the end of this century. Combining these factors will consequently increase the potential for coastal flooding in urban Honolulu. A group of SOEST researchers (Dr. Ning Li, Dr. Kwok Fai Cheung, Dr. Volker Roeber, and Dr. Yoshiki Yamazaki) conducted a pilot study Probabilistic mapping of storm-induced coastal inundation for climate change adaptation with the goal to enhance long-term planning and climate adaptation. Through a suite of spectral wave, circulation, and Boussinesq models, the study assesses waves and surge in offshore and coastal environments, and maps out associated flood and wave run-up hazards for these extreme scenarios.
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Larvae, Plankton, and Friends: Biogeochemical Modeling in Kāneʻohe Bay
Lindsay Veazey is a postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of Professor Brian Powell in the Department of Oceanography at SOEST. Lindsay currently focuses on fine-tuning a biogeochemical model, called COBALT (Carbon Ocean Biogeochemistry And Lower Trophics), for the windward side of Oʻahu. COBALT is coupled with the PacIOOS ocean circulation model (ROMS), which provides the physical oceanographic input. The biogeochemical model aims to answer questions about larval recruitment, plankton communities, and nutrient fluxes around Kāneʻohe Bay.
Lindsay is neither a stranger to the University of Hawaiʻi, nor to Kāneʻohe Bay. She received her doctoral degree in Biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in spring 2018 and spent the past five years at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). Alongside a team of researchers, she produced state-wide species distribution maps of mesophotic and shallow-mesophotic corals and created the first occupancy model for a marine alga in the State of Hawaiʻi. These modeling efforts allow her to create predictive maps of probable colonization hotspots for different plants or animals, which informs and greatly enhances the efficiency of field surveys. When not at work, you might find Lindsay tidepooling, hiking, reading, or raising her backyard chickens, Rosie and Linda.
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