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Greetings!
February is off to a busy start and about to get even busier with two major conferences in the Gulf region next week: Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024 in New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico Conference (GOMCON) in Tampa getting under way. In addition to being a GOMCON sponsor, GCOOS staff will be making several presentations and participating in poster sessions throughout the week. Be sure to stop by our booth in the main exhibit hall or during the Tools Café to meet us and see the latest in GCOOS tools and technology.
I’d also like to congratulate our two new GCOOS Fellows: Matthew Barrs, an undergraduate studying mechanical engineering in the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida, and Cassandra Stanish, an undergraduate studying mechanical engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology. The GCOOS Fellowship is made possible through the Howard Scholarship Fund and includes travel to Ocean Sciences and opportunities to participate in meetings and discussion panels as they work with the GCOOS Board of Directors, staff and partners to learn about ocean science career opportunities and the management of big ocean data.
Don't forget to register now and plan to join us in person in Galveston, Texas, for our Spring Board and Members Meeting May 9-10 and please note that nominations for the GCOOS Board of Directors will open March 1. Please consider getting more involved in ocean observation planning and implementation through service on the Board! Self-nominations are welcome.
Until next month,
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Registration is now open for the GCOOS Spring Board and Members Meeting, which is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9 and 8:30 a.m. to noon May 10 at Texas A&M University Galveston's Waterfront Pavilion, Galveston. We’ll be staying at the Tremont Hotel, 2300 Ship's Mechanic Row, Galveston, Texas 77550. The room block rate is $179 (or $95 federal) but in order to receive that rate, you must register via our online form.
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Click here to register now
- We’re still working on the meeting agenda but look for a special email soon!
| GCOOS & GCAN at GOMCON2024 | |
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We hope you’re planning to attend GOMCON next week and want to invite you to visit our booth during the Tools Café or in the main exhibit hall so we can say hello in person! We will be at Booth 13 during the Tools Café showcasing GCOOS data tools and at Booth 216 in the main exhibit hall. GCOOS staff will present on a variety of topics including data management, communications, building partnerships and more throughout the week.
Executive Director Dr. Jorge Brenner will co-Chair the "Building Science into Offshore Wind Energy Planning in the Gulf of Mexico" Session on Wednesday after the plenary, and staff will present on a variety of topics including data management, communications, GCAN, CETACEAN project, building partnerships and more throughout the week. Look for these sessions with Brenner, Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, GCOOS Senior Advisor; Bob Currier, Co-Data Manager and Product Developer; Felimon Gayanilo, Co-Data Manager and Systems Architect; Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, GCAN Program Coordinator, Grant Craig, Project Manager, and Sandeep Jilla, Research Specialist:
Tuesday, Feb. 20
- 1:30 p.m., Room 124: “The Next Generation of HABscope: Self Contained, Low Cost AI at Your Fingertips” — Currier
- 2:15 p.m., Room 124: “Evaluating the AI-enable Predictor of Enterococcus Counts for Texas Coastal Ocean Beaches” — Gayanilo | Jilla
Wednesday, Feb. 21
- 10:45 a.m., Room 117: “The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System: Oceanographic Data and Models to Inform Renewable Energy Industry” — Brenner
- Noon, Room 114: “A Tri-National Initiative to Advance Understanding of Ocean and Coastal Acidification in the Gulf of Mexico” — Vreeland-Dawson
- 3:45 p.m., Room 118: “Science Communication at its best: Linking scientists, videographers and citizen volunteers” — Kirkpatrick
- 4:45 p.m., Room 120: “Seek, Wrangle and Build. Building CETACEAN Data Platform” — Craig
Thursday, Feb. 22
- 11 a.m., Room 120: “Metocean data from the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico: The BSEE/NTL open data repository” — Gayanilo
And Don’t Forget
Today is the last day to pre-register for the conference, so if you haven’t already registered, don’t wait another minute!
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GCOOS Board Elections Open March 1 | |
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Nominations will open March 1 for the 2024 Board Elections. Members of the Board of Directors have the opportunity to help chart the course for GCOOS and supporting ocean observing opportunities across the five Gulf states, along with international efforts throughout the wider Gulf of Mexico. (View current board list here.) Self-nominations are welcome; you may also nominate a colleague, as long as they are willing to serve.
Board seats are based on sectors. In 2024, we will be electing:
- One member each from the government, academic and outreach/education sectors
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Two members from the private sectorOnly GCOOS members may vote for the Board. Not yet a member but interested in joining? Click here for details and to join.
Important dates and deadlines
- March 1: Nominations open
- March 29: Nominations close
- April 2: Ballots sent to electors
- April 19: Voting ends
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Click here for details on making a nomination
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OA Alliance Annual Report | |
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The OA Alliance has released their 2023 annual report, which details major accomplishments, activities and programmatic strategies that supported members in advancing OA leadership and achieved objectives of the OA Alliance.
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Click here to read the report
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Bob the Buoy Starts Talking | |
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GCOOS has been successful in reading hourly data from the new SO-FAR buoy — nicknamed Bob — that the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) recently installed. The buoy, installed at the East Bank, is now providing real-time information on wave height, wind speed and temperatures from the surface and at the reef cap. Support for the buoy is provided by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and Dr. Xinping Hu, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a member of GCOOS’s Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) science working group.
Bob is the first SOFAR wave buoy with temperature sensors at surface and bottom in the Sanctuary whose data is being captured on the GCOOS Data Portal.
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New NOLA International Port Terminal Construction | |
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Port of New Orleans President and CEO Brandy Christian is leading the way for development of Port NOLA’s Louisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish. With a $300 million award through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s MEGA & INFRA Grant programs, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the first berth anticipated to open in 2028. At full build-out, the site will have 2 million TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) capacity and 3,600 feet of linear berthing space.
During a meeting earlier this month, port leadership talked about how decades-long federal infrastructure projects, including the Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) and a 50-foot deepening of the river, have paved the way for the future of the maritime industry in Louisiana.
The project on the lower Mississippi is inside the HSDRRS and will be positioned to make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy, exporting U.S. products to over 100 countries and connecting the Mississippi River System to the nation’s heartland via 14,500 miles of inland navigable waterway. Port NOLA has a strategic focus on environmental initiatives and decarbonization across the supply chain to support the state of Louisiana’s goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Louisiana International Terminal will incorporate the latest green technologies.
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UG2 Webinar & Ocean Sciences Town Hall | |
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If you’re heading to Ocean Sciences in NOLA next week, be sure not to miss the Town Hall sponsored by the Underwater Glider User Group (UG2). The Town Hall will focus on the current and future role of glider technology in ecosystem monitoring and marine population management.
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When: 12:45-1:45 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Feb. 20
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Where: The eLightning Theater, first floor
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UG2 social: 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant, 701 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130
And mark your calendar for the next webinar in the Underwater Glider User Group series, which will focus on data management. Speakers will be Jennifer Bowers, NOAA NCEI COGS Coastal Science Branch and John Kerfoot, Rutgers Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory, Rutgers University
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When: 2-3:30 p.m. ET March 14
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Webinar link
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The next webinar in the UGOS webinar series led by early career researchers Dr. Luna Hiron (Florida State University), Dr. Sakib Mahmud (Texas A&M University) and Dr. Aryan Safaie (University of Rhode Island) is coming up soon!
Dr. Cristina Forbes, Oceanographer, SAR Environmental Data Management, will speak on “Oceanography and Meteorology in Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR)” and Dr. Ana Carolina Vaz, Assistant Scientist, NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, will speak on “Red Snapper connectivity in the Gulf of Mexico.”
The Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) initiative is designed to advance understanding and prediction of Loop Current dynamics to reduce risks to offshore energy exploration and production, improve hurricane intensity forecasting, support fisheries management and deal with other challenges such as sea-level rise. The webinar series is focused on UGOS-funded work and related research.
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New Roadmap for the Ocean Enterprise | |
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The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), Marine Technology Society (MTS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and industry partners launched, a new Ocean Decade action — a forum for compact and meaningful ‘Dialogues with Industry’. The goal of these dialogues is to develop actionable recommendations, through interaction between new and established companies, academia and government on how the public and private sectors can evolve an expanded and multi-sectoral Global Ocean Observing System, to meet the needs of science, society and the Blue Economy.
Following on the synthesis report released in 2023, the new “Dialogues with Industry Roadmap” outlines priority action pathways that will enhance all components of the Ocean Enterprise across the Ocean Information Value Chain.
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13th Radiowave Oceanographers Working Group Meeting | |
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Pre-registration is open for the 13th Radiowave Oceanographers Working Group Meeting. Now is the time to help shape the agenda of this hybrid meeting, scheduled for May 21–23 at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Hardy Hall in Long Beach, Mississippi. The conference is free though attendees are responsible for their own travel, lodging and meals. The meeting will focus on the installation, operation and maintenance of oceanographic and limnographic high frequency radar stations that map suruface currents up to 150km offshore.
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Economic Impact of Red Tide | |
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A paper in the Journal of Environmental Management offers a new understanding of the economic impacts of harmful algae blooms (HABs) on Florida’s tourism sector — and estimated the devastating losses of Florida’s 2018 bloom at $2.7 billion!
One of the most striking conclusions of the study is the relationship between the severity of red tide blooms and their economic impact on tourism. The study also revealed that, contrary to expectations, low concentrations of red tide can have disproportionate economic impacts compared to more intense blooms. The finding underscores the importance of how red tide information is communicated and perceived, influencing its economic fallout.
The research, conducted by lead author Dr. Sergio Alvarez, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, was funded by a partnership between NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and GCOOS.
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New Report: Managing Retreat | |
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The Gulf Research Program has released the new report “Community-Driven Relocation: Recommendations for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region and Beyond,” which examines how people and infrastructure relocate and why community input should drive the planning process. The report provides recommendations to guide a path for federal, state and local policies and programs to improve on and expand existing systems to better serve those most likely to be displaced by climate change.
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Mark your calendar for the next National Harmful Algal Boom Observing Network (NHABON) webinar:
- 3-4 p.m. ET March 20
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Learn more and view past webinars here
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Integrating Principles of Climate and Environmental Justice | |
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The National Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) is hosting a webinar series Feb. 29 to May 9, 2024 on integrating principles of climate and environmental justice into research and resource management. Speakers will share research and best practices related to environmental and climate justice and will engage audiences in facilitated “coffee hours” where participants can learn from one another.
Webinars will be held from 3-4 p.m. ET every other Tuesday. Coffee hours are scheduled for 4-5 p.m. ET March 29 and May 10.
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Plastics Pollution Symposium | |
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The 6th Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium, hosted at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi — has been scheduled for March 21. The symposium serves as a platform for scientists to delve into the latest plastics research conducted in Texas. The symposium mission includes a mission to raise awareness about the pervasive impact of plastics on the environment.
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Healthy Ecosystems & Living Resources | |
Addressing Invasive Species in the Northern Gulf | |
A new article in the journal Aquatic Invasions screened 138 marine species for their potential to become non-native invasives in the northern Gulf of Mexico because of a changing climate. The paper’s authors — including co-author Dr. Jorge Brenner, GCOOS Executive Director — used the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Ki to rank the risk of invasiveness as low, medium, high, and very high. Species considered included fishes, tunicates and invertebrates. | |
The California scorpionfish — native to the eastern Pacific Ocean — is one species ranked as a high risk for invasiveness in the northern Gulf. | |
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In the basic screening, 15 fishes, two tunicates, and 26 invertebrates were classified as high or very high risk under current climate conditions. Under future climate conditions, 16 fishes, three tunicates, and 33 invertebrates were classified as high or very high risk.
- Read the paper, which includes implications for invasive species management
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Addressing Gulf Recreational Fishing Data Needs | |
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NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Information Network (GulfFIN) have released GulfFIN’s Regional Implementation Plan, which will guide the allocation of agency and partner resources, including funding and research. These resources will address recreational fishing data needs and priorities over the next several years for Gulf Coast stock assessors and managers. This plan — which included input from each of the Gulf states, the Gulf Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries — highlights six priorities, including improved timeliness of recreational catch and effort estimates, improved discard data, and streamlining for-hire data collection.
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National Ocean Service Annual Report | |
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The National Ocean Service (NOS) has released its 2023 annual report, including the release of a new strategic plan that will guide the agency through 2028. The report shows how the agency’s activities align with its key strategic priorities, demonstrating how it is leveraging broad expertise to meet the nation's growing need for ocean and coastal products and services.
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IOOS Program Office
New Model Viewer
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U.S. IOOS has released an updated version of the IOOS Model Viewer: https://eds.ioos.us/map as a soft launch to provide users initial access to newly updated visualization and analysis tools. Some datasets from the original IOOS Model Viewer are still being implemented in v3.0, and will be available over the coming months. IOOS is also working through some updates of the current vector displays. In the meantime, users can still access all available datasets in the original IOOS Model Viewer (v2.0).
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IOOS Association
Caraid Award
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The IOOS Association announced that Dave Jones of StormCenter Communications, Inc. is the 2024 recipient of the Caraid Award. Dave received the award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to observing, understanding and protecting our oceans and coasts through vision, leadership, friendship, and collaboration.
Congratulations, Dave!
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Texas A&M University Oceanography (TAMU-Oceanography)
Anniversary Celebration
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The Oceanography Department at TAMU is kicking off the celebration of a major milestone — their 75th anniversary — with a special reception during Ocean Sciences 2024. The Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University was established in 1949, under the auspices of the University Land Grant mission to assist the state with emerging challenges in the Gulf of Mexico dealing with oyster diseases, coastal disasters, and oil platform and pipeline design. The Department of Oceanography has maintained significant research programs in Galveston and the Department has produced more than 1,000 Ph.D. and master’s graduates since its inception. Congratulations TAMU Oceanography on this major milestone! | |
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NOAA Regional Collaboration Team of the Gulf of Mexico
New Report
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The regional team — which includes GCOOS staff Jen Vreeland-Dawson and Dr. Chris Simoniello — has released its accomplishments report. It highlights accomplishments for the Gulf region as well as through the whole regional collaboration network, and gives a great sampling of all the cool things that Regional Collaborations do together.
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Women in the Sciences Leadership Workshop | |
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NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research is sponsoring a leadership workshop for those who identify as women. The workshop will focus on building leadership skills for success.
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Workshop Summary: The foundation to any great leader is the ability for that person to have a solid understanding of who they are and how they impact people. Whenever we can take time to further understand ourselves, our style, and our motivations, we have the potential to identify what is helping us get what we want AND what might be getting in our way. Some differentiating factors of great leadership include critical self-knowledge, sustained proactive inquiry, and a willingness to share our story as a means to building relationships and trust.
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When: April 16 & 17
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Cost: Registration is free but attendees must pay for their own travel/lodging
- Registration
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- IOOS: Program Analyst, Physical Scientist, IT Specialist
- NOAA: Fish Biologist
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Board on Gulf Education and Engagement: Program Officer
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The University of Southern Mississippi: Associate Marine Instrumentation Specialist
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The University of Miami (RSMAS): Tenure or Tenure-Track Professor
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GOOS Biology: Data Manager
- Mote Marine Laboratory
Postdoctoral Positions:
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, NRC Research Programs
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Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: Postdoctoral Fellowship
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National Research Council: Research Associateship Programs Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards
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Smithsonian Environmental Research Center: Animal Teletmetry Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mississippi State University: Postdoctoral Associate
Fellowships:
- Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellowship
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration - Coastal Management Fellowship
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National Academies of Science, Engineering and Mathematics: Early Career Fellowships
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Department of Defense: Visualization of Coastal Data, Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Fellow
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration – Translating Coastal Research into Application
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Early Career Research Fellowship
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: American the Beautiful Conservation Initiative
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; Gulf Research Program: Understanding Climate-Induced Mental Health Impacts
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance
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GCOOS is the Gulf of Mexico regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and the only certified system dedicated solely to the Gulf of Mexico. Our mission is to provide on-demand information about the Gulf’s coastal and open ocean waters that is accurate, reliable and benefits people, ecosystems and the economy. | |
Dr. Jorge Brenner, Executive Director • Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, Senior Advisor • Dr. Uchenna Nwankwo, Oceanographer • Dr. Chris Simoniello, Outreach & Education Manager • Felimon Gayanilo, Systems Architect, Co-Data Manager • Bob Currier, Product Developer, Co-Data Manager • Tuomo Saari, Scientific Computing Specialist • Hannah Dillahunt, GIS Developer • Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, Program Coordinator • Megan Howson, Marine Mammal Biologist and Data Scientist • Grant Craig, Project Manager and HABscope Volunteer Coordinator • Nadine Slimak, Public Relations & Content Marketing, Vetted Communications, LLC • Laura Caldwell, Program Assistant | |
In Memoriam: Matt Howard, 1952-2018
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