 |
Decadal Ocean Observing Conference Held in Honolulu
In September, the international, decadal conference OceanObs'19 was held for the first time ever in the United States. Approximately 1,500 attendees came to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, to learn, share, and develop recommendations on how to grow and sustain global ocean observing capacity over the next decade.
Evening events, such as the Breaking Waves, Breaking Barriers reception that celebrated women's instrumental role in ocean science, leadership, and mentorship, were also a huge success.
|
|
|
|
International, national, and local partners celebrate U.S. IOOS at the Waikīkī Aquarium. Credit: Manny "gOnzo" González, @gonzolenza @freesurfmag |
U.S. IOOS Kicks Off 20th Anniversary
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), the U.S. IOOS Program Office, IOOS Association, and PacIOOS hosted an evening reception at the Waikīkī Aquarium to celebrate IOOS' past, present, and future. Around 450 international, national and local partners gathered for this informal networking event. Mahalo to all sponsors who supported the event, including Sea Bird Scientific, Shell, Teledyne Marine, Axiom, Kongsberg, Ocean Conservancy, RPS, CODAR, XPRIZE, Wildlife Computers, and SECOORA.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Over 40 participants attended the 3-day DBCP workshop in Honolulu. |
Data Buoy Cooperation Panel Pacific Islands Training Workshop
PacIOOS hosted the Fourth Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) Pacific Islands Training Workshop on Ocean Observations and Data Applications at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa campus. The 3-day workshop was funded by the
World Meteorological Organization and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology, with invited trainees from the U.S. Pacific Islands, South Pacific Islands, Australia, China and India. PacIOOS led a 1.5-day interactive learning module on how to implement ocean observations, including four Spheres of Capacity: (1) Needs Assessment; (2) Pre-deployment; (3) Field Work/Operations; (4) Data Telemetry, Access, and Utility. Participants also learned from various partner organizations about global observing systems and best practices of marine observations.
As part of the workshop arrangements, trainees also attended the first day of the OceanObs'19 conference to gain further insights from the global ocean observing community.
A workshop report, along with other workshop materials, can be found
online
.
|
|
|
PacIOOS Instruments and Tools
|
|
|
|
|
A new wave forecast is now available for Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u in American Samoa. |
New Wave Forecast for Manu'a Islands
PacIOOS is now offering a new wave model grid for the Manu'a Islands in American Samoa, encompassing the islands of Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u. With a high resolution of 275m, the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model captures shallow water effects and nearshore coastal dynamics. Information on wave height, period, and direction are provided for the upcoming 5-days, in 1-hour intervals. The forecast is updated daily. PacIOOS also generates wave forecasts for Tutuila Island and Samoa. The new Manu'a Islands grid was developed through a grant from the Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs. Another high resolution grid will be developed as part of this project for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
.
|
|
|
|
Location map of three new nearshore sensors in Maunalua Bay. |
Water Quality Monitoring in Maunalua Bay, Oʻahu
PacIOOS is working with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health Clean Water Branch (CWB) to gather oceanographic data in Maunalua Bay, Oʻahu. The CWB will use the data to assess water quality in the bay to determine whether state water quality standards are being met and to monitor how the water quality is changing over time. PacIOOS installed three autonomous water quality monitoring instruments in different water depths and locations within the bay for a deployment duration of one year. The sensors measure temperature, salinity, depth, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity in 4-min intervals. PacIOOS and the CWB are also partnering with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Oceanography, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, The Nature Conservancy, and Mālama Maunalua to collect nearshore water quality samples at 153 different locations within Maunalua Bay. Sampling and sensor data will be combined to assess water quality.
|
|
|
|
PacIOOS wave buoy off Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu. Credit: K. Millikan |
Wave Buoy Maintenance off Oʻahu
In the month of August and September, PacIOOS changed batteries and swapped out wave buoys in Kāneʻohe Bay, Pearl Harbor Entrance, and Waimea, Oʻahu. Regular maintenance ensures continued operation of the buoys to provide real-time information on wave height, direction, period, as well as sea surface temperature. Data streaming 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).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Using the Koʻa Card to determine the color of the surveyed coral colony. Credit: HIMB |
Citizen Scientists Utilize Coral Color Card to Assess Coral Health
The Hawaiian Koʻa (coral) Card was developed by researchers from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology's Coral Reef Ecology Lab to help determine the health and bleaching status of Hawaiʻi's coral reefs based on actual health factors related to each color. The color of corals serves as a health indicator and helps to identify baselines, current conditions, and change over time. With higher than usual ocean temperatures in the Hawaiian Islands, bleaching has already started and is expected to progress throughout the next months.
Become a citizen scientist! The next time you are out snorkeling, bring along a coral color card to identify the color of coral colonies, as well as their shape. Submit your observations along with your snorkeling location(s) online at pacioos.org/cc. Your efforts will help identify areas of bleaching and areas of resilience throughout the State of Hawaiʻi. You don't need to be an expert! Pick up a coral card at your nearest Division of Aquatic Resources office and check out more detailed instructions on how to participate. PacIOOS is assisting the Koʻa card project by providing data management and visualization support.
|
|
|
|
The report focuses on the wave climate for the island of Oʻahu. |
Pacific Waves and Water Levels Project Report
PacIOOS wave modeler Ning Li from the Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa, was the lead researcher of a resulting technical report titled Pacific Waves and Water Levels Project Report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources and Honolulu District via a subcontract with Louis Berger. The team utilized wave hindcast and water level analysis to better understand and quantify nearshore processes affecting Oʻahu's coastlines, thereby informing planning, operations and maintenance, and engineering design. The methodology developed and the resulting information will enable the USACE to more efficiently estimate coastal hazard risk for various coastlines of Oʻahu. The UH Sea Level Center, PacIOOS atmospheric modeling team under Yi-Leng Chen, and PacIOOS also contributed to the effort.
|
|
|
|
The West Hawaiʻi Habitat Focus Area Map Viewer is interactive and customizable. |
West Hawaiʻi Habitat Focus Area Map Viewer
PacIOOS partnered with NOAA's Habitat Blueprint Program to build a map viewer for the West Hawaiʻi Habitat Focus Area. The tool allows users to see where scientific data has been collected within the Habitat Focus Area, and also provides datasets such as boundaries, protected areas, land and seafloor features, monitoring sites, etc. For proprietary reasons, only the geographic location and the type of monitoring data collected are displayed. The goal of NOAA's Habitat Blueprint Program is to address the growing challenge of habitat loss and collaborate with communities in targeted places to measurably improve the environment. The map viewer supports NOAA and partners to make more informed decisions and to strive towards the long-term goal of improving the coral reef habitat, fostering sustainable use of marine resources, and increasing local capacity for future management in West Hawaiʻi.
|
|
|
|
Professor Cheung with students and faculty at the University of Guam Marine Lab. |
Modeling Guest Lecture in Guam
Professor Kwok Fai Cheung, from the Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) gave a guest presentation to students at the University of Guam Marine Laboratory.
Students gathered for scientific conversations in an informal setting to learn
about PacIOOS' weather and wave forecasting in the Mariana Islands. As part of a grant from the Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs, PacIOOS is developing new wave model grids for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, and is also improving the existing atmospheric forecasts.
|
|
Aloha and Iakwe to New MOA Partner
Welcome to PacIOOS' newest Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) partner, the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS). MICS is dedicated to building awareness, support and capacity for sustainable use of resources, conservation and protection of biodiversity through the Reimaanlok process and Micronesia Challenge commitment. The 29 atolls and 5 reef islands of the Marshall Islands need conservation action and stewardship to be resilient against the existential threat climate change poses to Marshallese livelihoods and culture. PacIOOS is excited to support MICS in its mission by exploring synergies for collaboration.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roger Edson at work at NOAA's National Weather Service Forecast Office in Guam. |
Roger That! Wave Buoys Ground Truth Ocean Conditions
For the past 14 years, Roger Edson has been the Science and Operations Officer at NOAA's National Weather Service Forecast Office in Guam. Roger is a meteorologist with over 40 years of experience. He came to Guam via the U.S. Air Force, with his last assignment at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. After retiring from the military, Roger remained on Guam and did research using satellite-based remote sensing to study tropical cyclone intensity and structure. In collaboration with his colleagues, Roger's main focus is to oversee the operations of the office and to bring in new science and technology for a mission to provide guidance for weather and ocean hazards, including issuing advisories and warnings throughout Micronesia.
PacIOOS' wave buoys located in the Mariana Islands and Majuro are important data points in Roger's daily assessments of the ocean state. Roger explains, "real-time, oceanic observational data are very limited throughout the region. Although observations may also come from ships and special ocean surface-viewing satellites; the buoys are often the mainstay for both the satellite observations and the computer wave models to get that essential 'ground truth' needed to determine the proper starting point for each computer model run or satellite pass." He adds, "waves can change dramatically in time and location so it is vital to have buoys in good strategic locations around the islands in order to be able to see approaches from all directions."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
