This month I want to focus on what we know about the impacts of Hurricane Ian in the GCOOS and Gulf of Mexico ocean observing community.
GCOOS partner the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) on Florida’s southwest coast felt the full strength and impact of the devastating storm. As proof of institutional and human resilience of science-based institutions, their staff was safe and the Lab jumped in to help with hurricane response and recovery after the storm, lending vessels and vehicles to support emergency rescue services. Their vessels also have been ferrying necessary supplies to and from Sanibel Island after it was cut off from the mainland by the collapse of the causeway — the only way on and off the island for vehicles.
“We were fortunate to have several vehicles on the island that were at high enough elevation that they were not impacted by the storm surge,” said SCCF CEO James Evans. This included several pickup trucks, a transit van, a skid-steerer, and several ATVs and utility vehicles. This equipment was used in the initial search and rescue operations and continues to support recovery efforts.
SCCF has now partnered with the University of Florida to assess water quality post-Ian. (See the latest post-hurricane information from SCCF here.)
Although it is still early, they continue to assess the span of the full damages in observational assets, including the loss of sensors for their RECON array. The River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) is a network of water quality sensors deployed throughout the Caloosahatchee River and estuary to provide real-time, water quality data to scientists, policy makers, and the general public.
Our partners at Mote Marine Laboratory also sustained damage to the Programmable Hyperspectral Seawater Scanner (PHySS) that was located in San Carlos Bay, near Sanibel, and to a building on their main campus in Sarasota.
We expect that recovery will be a team effort. GCOOS and others are standing by to help with the long road to fully rebuild some of the coastal infrastructure needed to conduct marine research and restore observations.
At GCOOS, the storm also forced us to postpone the Fall Members Meeting planned for Sept 28 to allow everyone to prepare for the storm, though the Board of Directors were able to hold a virtual meeting to install new members and directors.
I'd like to offer a warm welcome to our new Board Chair, Kirsten Larson (NOAA/NCEI-MS), and new Vice Chair Dr. Kim Yates (USGS). We also welcomed new board member Thomas Wissing (Naval Oceanographic Office). Special thanks also go to Immediate Past Chair Joe Swaykos for his leadership and support during his chairmanship.
The Members portion of the Fall Meeting has been rescheduled to a virtual platform that will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 16. (The details are below.) We hope you can join!
Stay well and see you soon! Until next month,
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GCOOS Fall Meeting Now Online
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We're pleased to announce that we have rescheduled the GCOOS Fall Members Meeting, which was postponed because of Hurricane Ian. Given the impact from the storm, the GCOOS Board of Directors decided to move the meeting to a virtual platform.
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When: 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16
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Where: Online
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Registration: You must register here to receive the meeting link
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Please note: We will be using Mentimeter during the panel discussions. We will send the participation link for Mentimeter along with the virtual meeting link after you register.
Meeting Agenda
1-1:10 p.m.: Welcome and Purpose of Meeting — Kirsten Larsen, GCOOS Board Chair and NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
1:10-1:30 p.m.: GCOOS Overview of New Five-Year Funding Cycle and Introduction to Panels —Dr. Jorge Brenner, GCOOS Executive Director
1:30-2:20 p.m.: Panel 1 — Marine Operations (four-minute presentations followed by Q&A)
- Shell — Dr. Ruth Perry, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Offshore Wind Americas
- Fugro — Ben Williams, Metocean Director, Americas
- NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations — Dexter Malley, Division Chief, UMS
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) — Tershara Matthews, Chief of the Office of Emerging Programs
- Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi — Felimon Gayanilo, GCOOS Co-Data Manager
2:20-2:30 p.m.: Break
2:30-3:20 p.m.: Panel 2 — Coastal Hazards (four-minute presentations followed by Q&A)
- U.S. Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) — Bill Lingsch, Coordinator
- NOAA Office of Coast Survey — Tim Osborn, Navigation Manager, Eastern
- University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science — Dr. Yonggang Liu, Associate Research Professor
- Louisiana State University (LSU) — Dr. Nan Walker, Professor, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Director, Earth Scan Laboratory
- University of Southern Mississippi (USM) — Dr. Stephan Howden, Professor, School of Ocean Science and Engineering
3:20-3:30 p.m.: Break
3:30-4:20 p.m.: Panel 3 — Healthy Ecosystems/Human Health & Safety (four-minute presentations followed by Q&A)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gulf Program — Dr. Troy Pierce, Chief Scientist
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) — Dr. Kim Yates, Senior Research Oceanographer
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) — Dr. Kate Hubbard, Director of the Center for Red Tide Research
- LSU — Dr. Nancy Rabalais, Professor of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
- The Water Institute of the Gulf — Dr. Alyssa Dausman, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist
4:20-4:45 p.m.: Director’s Update — Dr. Jorge Brenner, GCOOS Executive Director
4:45-5 p.m.: Closing Remarks and Adjourn — Kirsten Larsen, GCOOS Board Chair
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Last Chance to Take Our Survey About Gulf Observing Needs!
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Know of a location where additional ocean observations are needed? Have an observing-related product in mind? Now’s your chance to tell us!
We’ve extended the deadline to complete our short Stakeholder Survey to Oct. 31. By taking the survey, you’ll be helping to ensure that our work reflects the observing needs of Gulf of Mexico communities.
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Story Map
Hurricane Ian brought significant storm surge and heavy rain to Florida and the southeastern U.S., resulting in extensive flooding and catastrophic damage. NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) tracked water levels during the storm in real-time through the CO-OPS’ Coastal Inundation Dashboard web mapping application.
This tool allows users to monitor elevated water level conditions along the coast when a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning is issued. CO-OPS’ network of water level stations along the coast captured significant water levels at many locations, providing insight into the devastating impacts that Hurricane Ian had on the communities in its path. The water level observations are also critical for National Weather Service (NWS) hurricane specialists at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) who use the data for storm surge forecast validation in real-time.
Post-Storm Imagery
On Sept. 29, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) began collecting aerial damage assessment images in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Imagery has been collected in specific areas by NOAA aircraft, identified by NOAA in coordination with FEMA and other state and federal partners. Collected images are available to view online via the NGS aerial imagery viewer.
Satellite Imagery
The Earth Scan Laboratory at Louisiana State University released an animation of Hurricane Ian — from its initial designation as an investigative area in the Caribbean Sea to its full force as a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall in Southwest Florida on Sept. 28 and its final landfall on the South Carolina coast.
The Quicktime animation, created by ESL System Manager Ric Haag, is taken from Band 13 of the GOES-16 ABI sensor, providing a thermal signature of cloud tops, color-coded for the colder extremes which can indicate intense rainfall activity below. (See more at https://www.esl.lsu.edu/)
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The IOOS DMAC team is hosting a webinar next week on “Tracking the Status of Data Sets Submitted to the Glider DAC and Best Practices for Data Discoverability.”
The webinar will discuss the release of the second version of the U.S. IOOS Glider DAC (GDAC) data set status page, with views that facilitate the tracking of data sets from submission by data providers to GTS distribution and permanent archiving by NCEI. Dataset discovery and archiving are dependent on the quality of metadata included in the submitted data sets.
The webinar will also discuss common pitfalls observed by the GDAC administration team and potential solutions.
The featured presenter is John Kerfoot, a biological oceanographer who now leads data management efforts at the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observing Laboratory (RU-COOL).
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When: Noon ET Thursday, Oct. 27
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Google Meet: Video call link or dial: (US) +1 510-766-1962 PIN: 845 031 171#; More phone numbers
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International OA Summit This Week
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The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) and the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies are hosting the first Gulf of Mexico International Ocean Acidification Summit this Tuesday and Wednesday Oct 18-19.
The summit is a tri-national collaboration that includes experts from Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. to improve our understanding of OA conditions, monitoring gaps, current efforts and needs that will enable partnerships and collaborations throughout the Gulf of Mexico region.
GCOOS leadership at the meeting includes Executive Director Dr. Jorge Brenner, GCAN Coordinator Jennifer Vreeland, and Dr. Kim Yates, USGS Research Oceanographer, GCOOS Board Member, and Chair of the GCAN Steering Committee.
GCAN will be providing summit outcomes via webinar and will announce the session as details are in place.
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GCAN & SOCAN Collaboration
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GCAN and the Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network (SOCAN) are collaborating on a “key findings” Executive Summary of OA research and monitoring gaps identified in the draft Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWGOA) Vulnerability Assessment Report.
The Executive Summary will be distributed to members and stakeholders, along with a report card-style survey designed to rank locations, research and monitoring activities, and identify collaborative opportunities to fill knowledge gaps.
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GCAN/SOCAN will synthesize survey responses and create a report for OAP and the IWGOA to inform future monitoring priorities. The report will also serve as an internal document for SOCAN/GCAN research, education and outreach priorities.
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State of OA Science Report Published
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The GCAN Science Working Group's manuscript “Ocean Acidification in the Gulf of Mexico: Drivers, Impacts, and Unknowns” is now published online by Progress in Oceanography. GCAN would like to thank all the contributors and especially lead author Dr. Emily Osborne (AOML).
The report synthesizes current peer-reviewed literature on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) acidification across the ocean-estuarine continuum and identifies critical knowledge, research, and monitoring gaps that limit our current understanding of environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic impacts from acidification.
According to the report, the GOM remains a relatively understudied region with respect to ocean acidification, particularly regarding regionally important organism and ecosystem responses. Within the GOM, ocean acidification is also spatially variable and numerous physical and biogeochemical processes contribute collectively to carbonate chemistry dynamics.
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Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Workshop a Success!
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The Underwater Glider User Group’s (UG2) third workshop was recently held in Seattle, Washington, to share research and development accomplishments across the glider operator community and to build on deliverables for the UG2.
Led by UG2 Coordinator, Bill Lingsch, the community discussed ways to strengthen international collaborations and better coordinate activities for marine monitoring, services and research. The agenda included six thematic breakout sessions, science talks, and posters. The breakout sessions were Biogeochemical (BGC) Standard Sensors, National Plan for Sustained Observing, Collaborative Science, Data Management, Modeling Impacts of Gliders, and Biological Sensors - Acoustics. In addition, our industry partners demonstrated their products and presented briefs in the open session and sponsored the social cocktail hours.
If you attended, please take the workshop survey to provide feedback that will improve future workshops. Building on momentum from the workshop, UG2 has also scheduled a webinar to discuss operational challenges and potential solutions.
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When: 2-3:30 p.m. ET Nov. 17
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To volunteer or recommend presenters, email [email protected].
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Gulf Research Program Webinar
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Three federal agencies will describe their work related to legacy oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico in an upcoming GRP webinar.
“Federal Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future of Legacy Oil and Gas Infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico” will include the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
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The 11th Annual U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae takes place Oct. 23-28 in Albany, New York. “Science to Support Solutions from Shore to Shore” will include tracks on predictive modeling and forecasts, bloom dynamics, remote sensing, taxonomy and genomics, control, impacts and more.
The GCOOS/NOS-developed Red Tide Respiratory Forecast and HABscope, the portable microscope system developed by GCOOS/TAMU will be featured during the symposium.
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Healthy Ecosystems & Living Resources
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Capturing Local Ecological Knowledge
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The Coastal Monitor Project recently captured expertise of the recreational fishing industry in Texas. The year-long effort, led by Texas Sea Grant Fisheries Specialists Laura Picariello and Alexis Sabine, set out to amplify the voices of local experts who comprise a group called FlatsWorthy, a coalition of anglers, guides, paddlers and boaters committed to creating respect and considerate behavior for people and the environment. Funded by the National Sea Grant Office, the study gathered information that combined 230 years of experience fishing the Texas coast to document environmental changes in habitats, water depth, water quality and wildlife. The study team shared their identified priority issues of concern with researchers, resource managers and educators.
Among the trends observed were:
- An expanding northern range of black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) over the past 30 years, an indication of warming temperatures suitable for tropical species
- Increasing water depths in the upper and mid-coast, evidenced by the ability to reach areas by boat that were previously inaccessible. This observation agrees with peer-reviewed reports of higher-than-average sea level rise rates over the past 10 years, particularly in Galveston and Rockport.
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Read more
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GOMA Tackles Marine Debris One Water Station at a Time
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Thanks to the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Gulf Star partner Hess, 16 new water bottle refill stations will be placed in south Louisiana schools this fall and early next year. The filling stations are an expansion of a project conducted by the Education and Engagement Team in partnership with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program that has already provided 13 stations to south Louisiana schools. So far, the team estimates that more than 49,000 water bottles have been saved! That’s a win-win for the environment and students who are modifying behaviors to reduce single-use plastics as they learn about the negative impacts of marine debris.
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Carbon Dioxide Removal Academy
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The North American Carbon Program (NACP) and the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program are presenting a Carbon Dioxide Removal Academy from October to December.
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is a hot topic right now, and as a community of practice focusing on carbon cycle science in North America and adjacent oceans, NACP is poised to make significant contributions in this arena.
The Academy will include introductory material on the basics of CDR in different Earth systems, including:
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A curated list of introductory resources (reports, videos, articles, etc.) on CDR
- A series of 1-hour webinars on CDR in different ecosystems/contexts, such as oceans and coasts, geological reservoirs, natural and working lands, and the atmosphere. These webinars will be recorded for future viewing and reference.
- A panel discussion with webinar presenters discussing cross-cutting themes, research needs, and potential opportunities for collaboration.
- Full details & registration
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U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan
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The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), on behalf of the interagency Ocean Policy Committee (OPC), request input to inform the development of a U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) to help guide and coordinate actions by the federal government and society to address ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes-based mitigation and adaptation solutions to climate change.
The input will be used to inform the development of the OCAP, which will summarize planned federal ocean-based climate action and the benefits of these actions, identify gaps in knowledge and application of knowledge to emerging ocean-climate issues, and recommend actions to advance the effectiveness of the nation's response to the impacts of climate change.
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Deadline: Responses are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on November 18, 2022.
- Details
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Submit comments to [email protected] and include “RFI Response: OCAP” in the subject line
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Assessing Ecosystem Restoration in the Gulf
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In 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Gulf Research Program created the Committee on Long-Term Environmental Trends in the Gulf of Mexico, tasked with considering the synthesis of additive, synergistic, and antagonistic cumulative effects resulting from ecosystem restoration following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill.
Committee members from the study — “An Approach for Assessing U.S. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration” — outlined the essential features of an approach to synthesize the cumulative effects of restoration efforts in a recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
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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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HRI Director Named to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
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Congratulations to Dr. David Yoskowitz, recently named Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Dr. Yoskowitz was most recently the Senior Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) since 2020. Prior to that, he served as HRI’s Associate Director for Research, Policy, and Development, and was chosen as one of the institute’s founding chairs as HRI’s Endowed Chair for Socio-Economics.
Dr. Greg Stunz, Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health, and Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation Director will become interim senior executive director for HRI.
Dr. Yoskowitz replaces Carter Smith, who led TPWD for the past 15 years. GCOOS wishes Carter a happy retirement and looks forward to our continued collaborations with Drs. Yoskowitz and Stunz in their new roles!
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New IOOS Association Executive Director
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Welcome to Kristen Yarincik, new IOOS Association Executive Director. Yarincik is taking the helm from Josie Quintrell, who announced her retirement earlier this year (she will remain as Senior Advisor to help with the leadership transition).
Yarincik brings more than 20 years of experience leading and managing programs that advance the ocean community, including a leadership role in developing and supporting community initiatives. She has strived to advance the ocean community through her areas of personal interest and commitment, as demonstrated by her work to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and safety in ocean science.
Most recently, Yarincik served as Vice President and Director for Research and Education at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, where she provided strategic and programmatic oversight for research and education programs, including the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee and the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. Yarincik has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geosciences from Boston College and a master’s degree in Earth Science from Boston University. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband and two children.
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Caraid Nominations Now Open
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The IOOS Association has opened nominations for the next Caraid Award, which recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to observing and understanding our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes through vision, leadership, friendship and collaboration. Candidates may be any person who has contributed to observing and understanding the oceans, coasts, and/or Great Lakes through collaboration, innovation, and/or a commitment to working with stakeholders.
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Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Ramps Up for 50th Anniversary Celebrations
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Two receptions are planned in November to celebrate the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium’s 50th anniversary.
The first event will take place from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The second will take place from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at the Seafood and Maritime Industry Museum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Both receptions will include seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.
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The events are free, but you must RSVP here.
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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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Texas A&M University: Scientific Computing Specialist
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Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi: System Administrator II
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NOAA NOS: Deputy Assistant Administrator
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Ocean Associates Inc.: Oceanographer
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Ocean Associates Inc.: Coastal Modeler
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Ocean Associates Inc.: Stakeholder Engagement Specialist
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Ocean Associates inc.: Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, Risk Communication
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Lynker: Coastal Hydrodynamic Modeler
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State of Louisiana: Coastal Resources Scientist Senior DCL B
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Gulf of Mexico Alliance: Program Coordinator
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Mote Marine Laboratory: Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Postdoctoral Fellow; Seagrass Ecosystem Research
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The Woods Hole Group, Inc.: Senior Oceanographer
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The Woods Hole Group, Inc.: Metocean Analyst
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GOOS Biology: Data Manager
Postdoctoral Positions:
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, NRC Research Programs
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National Research Council: Research Associateship Programs Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards
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Rosenstiel School's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences: Postdoctoral Associate
Fellowships:
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National Academies of Science, Engineering and Mathematics: Early Career Fellowships
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Sciences: Minorities in Aquaculture Internship Opportunity
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Department of Defense: Visualization of Coastal Data, Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Fellow
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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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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Infrastructure and Jobs Investment Act
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Translating Coastal Research into Application
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IOOS: Ocean Technology Transition Project
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Gulf Research Program: Understanding the Effects of Climate Change on Environmental Hazards in Overburdened and Underserved Communities
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Gulf Research Program: Safer Offshore Energy Grant
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Climate and Fisheries Adaptation Program (CAFA): FY23 Funding
- Gulf Research Program: Safer Offshore Energy Systems Grants
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance
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8-10: IOOS Fall Meeting will be hosted by CariCOOS in San Juan, Puerto Rico
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10: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) annual Mississippi Restoration Summit at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center.
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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, accurate and on-demand 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. Jorge Brenner, Executive Director • Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, Senior Advisor • Bill Lingsch, U.S. Glider User Group Coordinator • Dr. Chris Simoniello, Outreach & Education Coordinator • Felimon Gayanilo, Systems Architect, Co-Data Manager • Bob Currier, Research Specialist, Product Developer, Co-Data Manager • Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, Research Associate • Grant Craig, Program Coordinator • Laura Caldwell, Program Assistant • Nadine Slimak, Public Relations & Content Marketing, Vetted Communications
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In Memoriam: Matt Howard, 1952-2018
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