It was great seeing so many people tune in to our Fall Members Meeting! The updates from the Gulf observing community were great and we were pleased to welcome new Board members and announce a few staffing changes here at GCOOS HQ. I also want to offer a special thanks to our outgoing Board members: Founding Member Dr. Nancy Rabalais and Dr. Ed Kearns.
If you missed the meeting and want to hear the latest updates, click the link below for the recording.
Around the Gulf, I know we’re all facing hurricane fatigue this year — especially our members and partners in Louisiana. Please keep us posted on hurricane recovery and repair and know that we’re standing by to help if needed.
Thanks also to the amazing GoMex glider group — which includes TAMU, USM, USF and Mote Marine Lab — for deploying and recovering not only their own gliders, but also Navy gliders during this active storm season. Glider data are key to improving storm intensity forecasts.
Let’s hope Mother Nature eases up on the Gulf for the remainder of the season!
Until next month,
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New Board Members, Staff Changes
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We’re happy to welcome some new faces to our Board of Directors, announce our new Executive Committee, welcome new staff and announce new staff roles.
New Board Members
- Dr. Kimberly Yates is a Research Oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Center for Coastal and Marine Science (SPCMSC). She represents the government sector.
- Dr. Antonietta Quigg is the Senior Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG). She represents the academic sector.
Executive Committee
- Joe Swaykos, Board Chair
- Steven Buschang, Chair Elect
- Jan van Smirren, Treasurer
- Kirsten Larsen, Secretary
- Dr. Sara Graves, Immediate Past Chair
New Staff
- Dr. Kerri Whilden, Oceanographer and Assistant Research Scientist at the Geochemical & Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A&M University.
- Stephanie Watson, Coordinator of the Compilation of Environmental, Threats, and Animal Data for Cetacean Population Health Analyses (CETACEAN) project. (Stephanie previously served as Strategic Program/Communications Manager for GCOOS.)
Staff Changes
- Systems Architect Felimon Gayanillo and Research Specialist and Product Developer Bob Currier have taken on a partnership role as Co-Data Managers in addition to their current positions.
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GCOOS Fall Members Meeting
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OOI Cyberinfrastructure Management
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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Oregon State University (OSU) jointly announced that OSU will take over systems management for the cyberinfrastructure that makes OOI data transmission possible. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, has provided OOI’s Cyberinfrastructure systems management since 2014, and will leave the OOI Program in 2021 following a transition period with OSU.
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Did you know that NOAA is celebrating its 50th year?
You can watch video messages and access a host of other materials celebrating this notable anniversary, including videos from partners, historical highlights and more here.
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Be sure not to miss the tribute from Jim Toomey, creator of Sherman’s Lagoon!
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Did you know that ERDDAP acts like a data “middleman”? An ERDDAP server’s job is to reformat your data request into the format required by a remote server, get the data from the server and then serve it to you in the format you requested. ERDDAP saves you the step of seeking different datasets from lots of different servers.
At GCOOS, one of our primary roles is to help the research community and the public access coastal and oceanographic data from many sources — which is why our DMAC team has developed three ERDDAP servers! Features include the ability to plot and map data points and an option to view data before downloading.
As part of the ocean observing community, the GCOOS ERDDAP servers are also registered and accessible via the ERDDAP Data Discover Portal on erddap.com, which links all ERDDAP servers, including the GCOOS glider data in the national Glider DAC ERDDAP.
By the way… did you know that DMAC now stands for Data Management And Cyberinfrastructure? The name change from Data Management And Communications better reflects this team’s focus on technology, data transfer and IT.
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Virtual Learning Resources for Students
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Science Festival Goes Virtual
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Like many other events typically held in person, the 2020 St. Petersburg Science Festival went virtual. The festival is an annual regional celebration where families and the public explore hands-on science, technology, engineering, art and math.
During the Oct. 16, Friday Sneak Peek event, students experienced STEM talks, demonstrations and activities from their classrooms or homes. Team IOOS, a joint effort between GCOOS and SECOORA, continued its 10-year tradition of collaborating at this event.
Approximately 100 schools and more than 3,300 students joined the live YouTube broadcast to learn about ocean observations, how IOOS supports safe and efficient maritime operations and to practice deciphering the International Code of Signals.
Dr. Chris Simoniello and Grant Craig, GCOOS, teamed up with Abbey Wakely of SECOORA to raise awareness about IOOS STEM resources and opportunities.
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You can watch taped sessions and download activity sheets here.
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Webinar Series for Students
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Toxic Algal Blooms Toolkit & Webinar
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Florida Sea Grant and the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources have curated a new Harmful Algal Bloom toolkit, which includes fliers, rack cards, information graphics and ready-to-post text for social media. Later this month, they’ll also be hosting a webinar about these resources and how you can put them into use at your agency.
Webinar: 10 a.m. EST Thursday, Oct. 29 with Betty Staugler, Florida Sea
Grant Agent, Charlotte County, Liaison, NOAA NCCOS HAB Forecasting Group, University of Florida IFAS Extension and Dr. Ricky Telg, Director, UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education, Professor, Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida. Registration required.
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The University of Southern Mississippi is planning 2021 sessions for the undergraduate Unmanned Maritime Systems Certificate Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs.
The Tier 1 course is scheduled for March 15-April 16 in-person in Gulfport, with a maximum capacity of 15 students.
The Tier 2 course is scheduled for a glider field project in Gulfport in October and November with a maximum capacity of 10 students. (Dates to be designated, but will coincide with the second half of the fall semester.). The Tier 1 program is normally a prerequisite to the Tier 2.
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Join or Update Your Membership: Underwater Glider User Group (UG2)
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UG2 is rolling out some new initiatives over the next couple of months. The best way to stay informed is to join the group. You can also join the UG2 Glider Hotline — a listserv that members use to engage with other members and ask questions, get help or share ideas. If you join the Hotline, you can opt-out at anytime.
Already a member? Please visit the link below to update your information.
“We’re encouraging all to go visit the link and give us additional information so we can best engage with you going forward,” says U.S. Glider User Group Coordinator Bill Lingsch. “That way, we’ll have continuity of information across all members and it will also validate your current status in the community.”
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GCOOS Webinar Series: Ocean Data Dashboard
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Dr. Dan Otis, Oceanographer at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, recently presented “Ocean Data Dashboard” as part of the GCOOS Webinar Series.
His work with the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network is contributing valuable lessons about how best to incorporate biological data into the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System enterprise.
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Marine Autonomous Systems Conference
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The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) has scheduled its next conference for March 2021; the deadline for abstract submissions is Oct. 30, 2020. The goal of the conference is to bring together energy industry executives and engineers, with marine technologists, government stakeholders, and research scientists to provide a one-day update on the history, status, uses and future of autonomous systems, sensors and AI in the offshore environment. The conference is currently being planned as a virtual event.
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Healthy Ecosystems & Living Resources
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Celebrating 50 Years of Dolphin Research
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On Oct. 3, 1970, two male bottlenose dolphins were tagged near Sarasota, Florida, in Palma Sola Bay. That moment would eventually blossom into the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), which today conducts the longest-running study of a wild dolphin population anywhere in the world.
The Program was the first to document the year-round residency of populations of bottlenose dolphins in coastal waters — a pioneering discovery about dolphins followed by many other findings just as groundbreaking.
Today, the SDRP is the model program for dolphin studies in locales around the world, and the Sarasota dolphins are used as a reference population for comparative studies of at-risk dolphins in other places, including Louisiana where the dolphins of Barataria Bay continue to be plagued by the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
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Compilation of Environmental, Threats, and Animal Data for Cetacean Population Health Analyses (CETACEAN) is a 5-year collaborative project funded through NRDA Open Ocean Restoration Area funds from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, with NOAA as the Lead Implementing Trustee.
The goal is to develop a Gulf of Mexico platform that provides user-friendly access to datasets that would assist the Trustees, restoration planners, responders, and conservation managers in assessing the health of cetacean stocks and the stressors that threaten them over time and space.
NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation, Office of Protected Resources, Southeast Regional Office, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center; the Marine Mammal Commission; IOOS; SECOORA/Axiom Data Science; and GCOOS are partnering in the early planning phases of this project.
GCOOS will be the Product Owner/Stakeholder Engagement Manager and will work closely with a Steering Committee (to be formed) and Axiom Data Science (Technical Project Development).
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Virtual Meeting: Marine Debris Cross-Team
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The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Marine Debris Cross-Team Initiative is planning a virtual mid-year meeting Oct. 20-21 to review cross-team updates, plan to implement the Governors' Action Plan IV for Healthy and Resilient Coasts, and discuss grant applications.
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Texas Sea Grant Priorities Survey
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Texas Sea Grant is conducting a survey to help define the research priorities included in its next RFP, which will open in December. Research projects selected will be funded from Feb. 1, 2022-Jan. 31, 2024.
The Texas Sea Grant College Program awards approximately $1 million every two years to integrated research and extension projects that improve the understanding, wise use and stewardship of Texas’ coastal and marine resources, from inland areas connected to watersheds to the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
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Have you missed past webinars hosted by the Gulf Coastal Acidification Network? We’ve got them posted to our YouTube channel and you can watch them anytime! Here are the two most recent webinars:
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Coastal Acidification Monitoring and State-Level Actions
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Forging Classroom Inclusivity Through Educational Research
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In 2010, the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon resulted in the largest man-made disaster in U.S. history. Today, each Gulf state administers restoration funds and programs. Additionally, other agencies and organizations are also tasked with administering programs designed to restore Gulf habitats and better understand Gulf ecosystems.
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GCOOS maintains a jobs listing for positions and fellowships in the ocean observing community. Want to advertise a position? Email Laura Caldwell
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Gulf Research Program: Environmental Program Director; Board on Education and Engagement Awards Specialist
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Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute: North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Survey Team Leader and Observer
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Mote Marine Laboratory: Senior Research Scientist in Shark or Manatee Biology, Staff Analytical Chemist, Exotoxicology Program; Florida Red Tide Initiative Postdoctoral Scientist; Coral Restoration Postdoctoral Researcher;
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Florida International University: Open-rank faculty position in Phycology
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Genwest Systems, Inc.: GIS Analyst
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The Water Institute of the Gulf: Data Architect for Environmental Resource
Postdoctoral Positions:
- NOAA: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, NRC Research Programs
Fellowships:
- Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship
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GCOOS maintains a listing of funding opportunities. Have an opportunity you'd like to advertise? Email Laura Caldwell
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- FY 2020 Ocean Technology Transition Project
- NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research FY2021 Federal Funding Opportunity
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance Funding Calendar
- SECOORA: Coastal and ocean management issues using geospatial data
- SECOORA: Filling product and/or observational gaps defined in the Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System Strategic Operational Plan 2020 - 2025
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5-20: Oceans 2020 Gulf Coast and Oceans 2020 Singapore have been combined into a virtual conference featuring a mix of live and on-demand events. Details. See list of Gulf presenters.
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1-3: Bays and Bayous Symposium, “Sound Science, Sound Policy: A 2020 Vision for the Future." Begins at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 1; ends at noon on Thursday, Dec. 3 Virtual
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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 timely, reliable and accurate information on the open ocean and coastal ocean waters of the Gulf of Mexico to ensure a healthy, clean, productive ocean and resilient coastal zone.
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Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, Executive Director • Bill Lingsch, U.S. Glider User Group Coordinator • Dr. Chris Simoniello, Outreach & Education Coordinator • Dr. Kerri Whilden, Oceanographer • Felimon Gayanilo, Systems Architect, Co-Data Manager • Dr. Shinichi Kobara, Assistant Research Scientist, Product Developer • Bob Currier, Research Specialist, Product Developer, Co-Data Manager • Marion Stoessel, Senior Research Associate • Dr. Steven Baum, Associate Research Scientist • Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, Research Associate • Grant Craig, Program Coordinator • Stephanie Watson, CETACEAN Coordinator, Nadine Slimak, Public Relations & Content Marketing, Vetted Communications, LLC • Dr. Chuan-Yuan Hsu, Post Doctoral Research Associate • Robbie Iles, Graduate Research Assistant • Laura Caldwell, Program Assistant
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In Memoriam: Matt Howard, 1952-2018
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