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PacIOOS Instruments and Tools
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Yearly temperature data from the PacIOOS nearshore sensor located at the Atlantis Dock in Waikīkī show how 2019 values (pink) reach upper limits compared to values measured between 2009-2018 (blue). |
Higher Than Normal Ocean Temperatures
If you've been feeling like ocean waters have been warm these past months, you're right. According to measurements from the PacIOOS nearshore sensors off the south shore of Oʻahu, temperatures in the coastal ocean between May and August of 2019 have been at the upper limit of recent historical values and even often exceed them. PacIOOS has an extensive suite of nearshore sensors along the south shore of Oʻahu, with over a decade worth of data to monitor environmental changes over time. PacIOOS also monitors a number of other coastal ocean sites in the Hawaiian Islands and the insular Pacific. Additionally, data from these in situ sites along the south shore of Oʻahu corroborate the higher ocean temperature trends observed by NOAA satellites. NOAA Coral Reef Watch satellite data, such as Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies can be found on PacIOOS Voyager.
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The wave forecast for Tutuila was recently upgraded to a resolution of 250m. |
Increased Resolution for Tutuila Wave Forecast
PacIOOS' wave forecast for the island of Tutuila in American Samoa was recently upgraded to a higher-resolution grid. Previously at 500m, the revised forecast now offers a resolution of 250m within the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model to better describe wave transformation from deep to shallow water and complex nearshore processes. With daily updates, the forecast provides hourly information on wave height, period, and direction for the upcoming 5-days. Zoom into the area of interest and click into the map -- a forecast for the chosen location will be displayed in a graph below. PacIOOS also provides a variety of other wave forecasts at different resolutions for areas in the Pacific Islands region.
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The PacIOOS wave buoy is located off Maui's North Shore. Credit: K. Millikan |
Maui Wave Buoy Back on Station
PacIOOS redeployed its wave buoy off Pauwela, Maui, this month. The buoy broke free this summer, and its redeployment was greatly anticipated by users from Maui Nui and other parts of the state. The buoy provides real-time information on wave height, direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature. Many thanks to Donna Brown and Robert Burton from the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College for receiving, storing, forklifting, and staging the buoy prior to the deployment. 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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Ning Li received the prestigious RCUH Outstanding Employee of the Year Award. |
RCUH Outstanding Employee of the Year Recognition
We are very proud to announce that PacIOOS' Wave Model Specialist Dr. Ning Li won first place in the highly competitive RCUH Outstanding Employee of the Year in the Researcher/ Project Manager/ Professional category. Ning was nominated for her work conducted through the School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, PacIOOS, and the SOEST Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute. Over the past 18 months, Ning has successfully completed various projects, including a tailored forecast for the U.S. Navy Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) off Kāneʻohe Bay, refined wave forecasting grids for the PacIOOS West Maui wave run-up forecast, as well as an extensive technical report for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She also excels at mentoring graduate students by providing academic and professional guidance. In addition, Ning maintains and continuously improves PacIOOS' operational wave forecasts, which are extremely valuable to a number of stakeholders due to their accuracy and reliability. Ning is also celebrated for her excitement to grow, her willingness and ability to go above and beyond, and her collaborative and supportive work ethic. Mahalo for all your hard work, and congratulations, Ning!
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Explore coral survey submissions on the interactive map viewer. |
Participate in Hawaiian Koʻa (coral) Card Project!
Interested to learn more about the current health and bleaching status of coral reefs in Hawaiian waters? PacIOOS is now hosting the Hawaiian Koʻa (coral) Card project on the PacIOOS website, including project information, how to participate, where to submit your observations, and access to view submissions so far. The color of corals reveals valuable information about their health. The Koʻa Card is utilizing this health indicator and offers an easy way to determine coral bleaching and the health of coral reefs -- you don't have to be an expert! Pick up your card today, and next time you are out snorkeling, diving, or wading, identify coral color and shape and submit the information along with your survey location online. The Koʻa card was developed by the Coral Reef Ecology Lab at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology.
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Students from K-12 learn about PacIOOS wave buoys through hands-on activities. |
Every other year, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) invites students, teachers, and the community to its SOEST Open House. The event attracted over 6,000 attendees this year, exploring more than 80 hands-on activities, demonstrations, and presentations. Covering a variety of topics, including volcanoes, planetary exploration, hurricanes, coastal erosion, tsunamis, and marine ecosystems, PacIOOS joined the fun by focusing on its wave buoy program. Through an interactive wave tank and other hands-on exhibits, participants learned how PacIOOS measures waves and what environmental factors influence a wave buoy's movement.
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Example of Northern Elephant Seal tracks in the Animal Telemetry Network data portal. |
Animal Telemetry Network Data Workshop
The coordinators of the Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) hosted a data workshop in Honolulu with a focus on the newly developed Data Assembly Center (DAC) and its associated functionalities. The workshop started with an overview of the ATN, the DAC, data portal demo, and a round-table discussion on participants' current data management practices, policies, and needs. The afternoon focused on metadata best practices. After the introductory day, the ATN data team continued with one-on-one sessions to support researchers to upload, visualize, archive, and preserve current or historic satellite telemetry datasets.
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Alyssa Agustin in the field during a beach survey.
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Understanding Environmental Processes in Hawaiʻi
Alyssa Agustin joined Sea Engineering, Inc. as an Oceanographer in 2017, after graduating from the University of Hawaiʻi School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) with a Masters in Physical Oceanography. Alyssa's responsibilities at Sea Engineering include wave and plume dilution modeling, hydrodynamic and geophysical surveying, oceanographic instrument deployment and data processing, beach erosion assessments, and permitting. She often works onboard Sea Engineering's fleet of vessels and with their commercial dive team.
Alyssa is no stranger to PacIOOS and has worked with PacIOOS data throughout her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She continues to utilize PacIOOS products, in particular
PacIOOS Voyager to access a wide range of hindcast, real-time, and forecast products. For example, she prepares permit packages for parties interested in conducting projects near the shoreline and includes benthic habitat maps, sea level rise projection maps, protected area maps, water quality data, wave data, and surface current model data. Alyssa also utilizes PacIOOS wave data to generate daily forecasts for clients to help anticipate rapid sediment transport events and to plan field work.
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