Greetings! We’re in the thick of Spring here at GCOOS and we’ve got a lot going on!
I hope you saw the recent announcement about the new Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, or CIROH. Headquartered at the University of Alabama’s Water Institute (AWI), CIROH is a consortium of 28 academic institutions, non-profit organizations and government and industry partners — including GCOOS — that will develop and deliver national hydrological analyses, forecast information, data, guidance and equitable decision-support services to inform essential emergency management and water resources decisions. (Read more about it here).
We’ve set the agenda for our Spring Members Meeting, scheduled to take place virtually from 1-5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 4. One of the meeting’s speakers will be Scott Rayder, Executive Director of AWI. You can review the full agenda below and be sure to register today so that you can attend. During the meeting, we will also announce the results of our Board Elections. Please note that we’re currently conducting a run-off election for one of the private sector seats. If you’re a voting member of GCOOS and you have not received a ballot to vote in the run-off, please email Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson.
Finally, I hope you’ve been able to join our Spring Webinar Series, featuring our Mexican colleagues with discussion of their ocean-observing activities in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The final webinar in the series — “Renewable Energies and Technological Developments” — will take place at noon EST on Thursday, April 21, so be sure to register today. (Details below.)
I look forward to seeing you on May 4! Until next month,
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GCOOS Spring Meeting Agenda
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The GCOOS Spring Meeting will take place virtually from 1-5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 4. Members and nonmembers are welcome to attend.
- 1-1:15 p.m. — Welcome and opening remarks from Joe Swaykos, Chair, GCOOS Board of Directors
- 1:15-2 p.m. — Plenary presentation and discussion with Dr. William Burnett, Director, National Data Buoy Center (NDBC)
- 2-2:20 p.m. — IOOS Association update and discussion with Executive Director Josie Quintrell
- 2-2:40 p.m. — IOOS update and discussion with Director Carl Gouldman
- 2:40-3 p.m. — Break
- 3-3:30 p.m. — The Water Institute of the University of Alabama with Executive Director Scott Rayder
- 3:30-4 p.m. — GCOOS and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) discussion with Ashley Peiffer, IOOS Association Fellow
- 4-4:20 p.m. — GCOOS Update and discussion with Dr. Jorge Brenner, Executive Director
- 4:20-5 p.m. — Open discussion and adjourn
Attendees must register to participate. Register now.
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GCOOS Board Elections Update |
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Due to a tie in the private sector, GCOOS is conducting a run-off election for those open seats. If you’re a voting member of GCOOS and have not received your electronic ballot, please contact Research Association Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson via email.
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Voting deadline: 6 p.m. EST Wednesday, April 20
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GCOOS Spring Webinar Series |
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Please join us Thursday, April 21, for the next webinar in our spring series “Southern Gulf of Mexico Marine Observations, Research and Technology: Opportunities for Gulf-Wide Synergies and Cooperation.”
Members of the Gulf of Mexico Marine Science Research Consortium (CIGOM) and the Mexican Center for Marine Energy Innovation (CEMIE-Océano) are discussing observations, scientific contributions and innovations, as well as databases, models, human capacities and physical infrastructure. In addition to GCOOS, webinar co-sponsors are Texas A&M University (TAMU), the Society for Underwater Technology-US (SUT-US) and Network-to-Network for the Gulf of Mexico (N2N-GoM).
The webinars, conducted in English, are meant to reach a U.S. audience that may or may not be familiar with CIGOM and CEMIE-Océano — including those at federal and state agencies involved in ocean management and research, and the private sector.
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Webinar title: “Renewable Energies and Technological Developments”
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When: Noon EST, Thursday, April 21
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Register now for the link to join us on Thursday
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Missed a webinar? They’re all being archived on the GCOOS website.
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Job Opportunity: GCOOS Seeks Data Specialist |
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GCOOS is seeking a systems specialist who can assist in cyberinfrastructure management, oceanographic data curation, and large dataset analysis and synthesis.
The Data Specialist III will:
- Assist with expanding GCOOS Data Management Subsystem in data engineering activities such as cyberinfrastructure management, oceanographic data curation, large dataset analysis and synthesis;
- Collaborate with partners and colleagues to increase understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem;
- Provide accurate and reliable information to benefit people, ecosystems, and the economy.
- Salary range: $50,162-$78,811/commensurate with experience
- Full details & application process
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New Digital Elevation Models for the Gulf Coast |
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Scientists and researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) have developed new digital elevation models (DEMs) for the Gulf Coast.
NOAA NCEI, through its collaboration with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, developed DEMs for the Texas and West Louisiana Coast. This completes the tiled DEM coverage of the entire Gulf Coast.
The Texas and West Louisiana Coast DEMs integrate coastal bathymetry and topography to support National Weather Service (NWS) and National Ocean Service (NOS) storm surge modeling as part of the Consumer Option for an Alternative System to Allocate Losses Act. The DEMs were also updated with post-Hurricane Harvey elevation and depth data.
- DEMs Data Access Viewer
- 1/9th arc-sec
- 1/3rd arc-sec
- The spatial metadata indicate the locations of the source datasets used in the development of the DEMs and provide important information including the year of the data collection, the data collection agency, and the type of measurement instrumentation.
- Contact: Christopher Amante
- GCOOS will be providing a direct link to the data from our GIS Catalog to help encourage access to the files.
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Wow! HABscope Observations Hit Record |
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With a Karenia brevis bloom persisting in parts of the Southwest Florida coast for nearly all of 2021 — and even affecting parts of the Florida Panhandle in the fall — the GCOOS HABscope volunteers played the most important role in supporting the Red Tide Respiratory Forecast. Crunching the numbers from 2021, we can’t help but be impressed with the HABscope Team’s pretty amazing engagement!
Volunteers collected more than 5,400 water sample videos and uploaded them to the Forecast system. Samples came from 89 different sites.
HABscope Coordinator Grant Craig especially wanted to acknowledge the team’s top three contributors:
- Lindsey Flynn and her team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium uploaded videos nearly every day from multiple sites, offering up 535 sample videos! They’ve been on the HABscope team since 2018.
- Pradeepa Siva of Naples, Florida, came in second. She contributed 469 observations to HABscope in 2021 and collects samples just about each day while paddleboarding at Doctors Pass in Naples. Pradeepa joined the HABscope volunteer team in early 2021 and hit the ground running.
- Karl Kaukis of Port Charlotte, Florida, joined the volunteer team in early 2020 and has been uploading videos ever since! In 2021, Karl contributed 362 observations from Stump Pass State Park and even provided daily fish kill pictures during peak bloom periods.
HABscope depends on dedicated volunteers like these to provide large numbers of observations at sites along the Florida and Texas Coast in support of the Red Tide Respiratory Forecast.
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HAB Network Seeks Steering Committee Members |
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The National HAB Observing Network Community of Practice is seeking nominations or self-nominations for its steering committee.
The network is seeking a broad spectrum of HAB observing experts, system operators, manufacturers, data managers, stakeholders, and others from around the country involved in or considering being involved in developing, operating, maintaining, or using data from US HAB observing systems.
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NHABON CoP's March webinar "Making HAB Community Science Work" is now available on the IOOS Association’s YouTube channel.
- Watch it, and previous webinars, now
- Speaker slides are available here
- More HAB Observing Network news
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The next webinar hosted by the Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) will include an update on UG2 activities and an overview of members’ regional operations.
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When: 2-3:30 p.m. EST Thursday, April 21
- Webinar link
Speakers and topics:
- UG2 Updates — Bill Lingsch, NOAA; Nick Rome, Consortium for Ocean Leadership
- Alaska and West Coast Glider Operations Briefings — “Studying the carbon cycle using pH sensors on Spray underwater gliders,” with Yui Takeshita, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and “A Brief Introduction to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Glider Center,” with Hank Statscewich, University of Alaska Fairbanks
UG2 also welcomes suggested topics for new webinars — including research, science, mission operations, industry, sensors, etc. Send topic and/or panel suggestions to info@underwatergliders.org or via the UG2 Slack channel. |
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Registration is Open for Seattle Glider Workshop |
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Registration is now open for the 2022 UG2 Workshop in Seattle. The workshop will bring together the global underwater glider community to strengthen international collaboration through community dialogue, information and experience exchange and further development of best practices to support the glider community. The event will include plenaries, break-out sessions, glider lab tours, poster sessions and vendor booths spread over 2.5 days.
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New Report: Assessing Ecosystem Restoration |
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The Gulf Research Program has released a new consensus report “An Approach for Assessing U.S. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration.”
The report:
- Assesses the cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast;
- Considers the effects of acute events and long-term physical changes on restoration projects;
- Recommends adaptive management strategies; and
- Assesses existing resources, including available data, for informing decision-making.
- Download it now
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HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS & LIVING RESOURCES |
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Love the Coast Photo Contest |
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NOAA is hosting its sixth annual coastal management photo contest. From beautiful beaches and busy coastal towns, coastal management keeps coasts thriving. For the sixth edition of the photo contest, NOAA is looking for images of the way you show your love for the coast: walks by the water, fishing excursions, support of coastal businesses, and more. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and featured in our coastal management social media campaign during the month of May.
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Coastal Recovery and Restoration |
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Marine Debris: Take the Survey! |
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The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Marine Debris Cross-Team Initiative (MDCTI) is seeking input on incentives used to encourage marine debris and litter removal.
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Increasing Local Resilience |
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GCOOS Board Member Renee Collini (left) was recently featured as part of a “Women of SeaGrant” series. Collini is a Coastal Climate Resilience Specialist with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Florida Sea Grant and Mississippi State University. She leads the Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects: Sea-Level Rise (PLACE: SLR), which spans coastal Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida.
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The 2022 Gulf of Mexico Conference is almost here! GCOOS is proud to sponsor and participate in this conference (taking place April 25-28 in Baton Rouge) that emphasizes the intersection of scientific research and the management of human and natural systems in the coastal region and seeks to promote the integration of science and management into decision-making.
Conference updates:
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- Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards is scheduled to give opening remarks during the Opening Plenary at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 26.
- Be sure to stop by the GCOOS table in the Tools Café! We’ll be showcasing the functionality, purpose and reasons for several tools in our collection, including the Red Tide Respiratory Forecast, the GANDALF Glider Dashboard and the developing Global Underwater Acoustic Research Database and Interspecies Animal Tracking Network (GUARDIAN).
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Will you be attending GoMCON? Why not Tweet about it? GOMA has a full toolkit for Twitter — and other social media channels — available for your use here. Be sure to use the hashtag #GoMCon in all your posts! Other tags: #GulfofMexicoAlliance, #GulfofMexico
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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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IOOS Association Seeks New Executive Director |
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Josie Quintrell, long-time Executive Director of the IOOS Association has announced her retirement effective this fall. Quintrell’s decision to retire will bring to a close a remarkable career of 20 years in service to the IOOS Association and advancing national ocean observing strategies.
Now, the IOOS Association Board of Directors is leading a search for a new Executive Director who will continue to champion the growth of IOOS by advocating for resources to sustain and grow the system to meet societal needs. This includes communicating the importance of observations for coastal ecosystems and economies.
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The National Marine Fisheries Service announced the appointment of Kim Amendola as the new Deputy Regional Administrator for the Southeast Regional Fisheries Office. The regional office is the regulatory arm of the agency for the Southeast region, which includes eight southern states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Caribbean. Amendola has been with the agency since 2005.
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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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View Position Details/Bookmark This Page
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Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Association: Executive Director
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service: Physical Scientist
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University of Southern Mississippi: Uncrewed Maritime Systems Certificate Coordinator
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: (NOAA) - Fish Biologist (Miami and Panama City, FL, Beaufort, NC, Pascagoula, MS, and Galveston, TX)
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National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: (NOAA) Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanographic and Atmospheric Research
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Florida State University, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science: Assistant Professor (5 positions)
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Mississippi State University, Gulf Research Institute: Research Engineer
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Broward Count Board of County Commissioners:Environmental Program Manager, Beach & Marine
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Mote Marine Laboratory: Life Support Systems Operator
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GOOS Biology: Data Manager
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Texas General Land Office: Natural Resource Specialist 1 (Corpus Christi)
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Texas A&M University, Department of Oceanography: Research Specialist III
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Texas A&M University, Geochemical and Environmental Research Group: Research Assistant
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World Wildlife Fund: Program Officer, Resilient Coastal Habitats
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Audubon Society: Senior Director, Coastal Conservation
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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The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute: Algal Biological and Chemical Diversity
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Loyola Marymount University: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Bioinformatics and Machine Learning
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
- Living Planet 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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NASEM: Gulf Research Program’s Early-Career Research Fellowship
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Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative – 4th Request For Proposals
- Living Planet Fellowship
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance
- Restore Science Program
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25-28: Gulf of Mexico Conference. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Details
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26-28: 2022 DMAC Sprint, Chicago, Illinois |
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18: GCOOS Spring Meeting, Register here
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27-1 July: United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Lisbon. B roadcast live on UN WebTV
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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. Kerri Whilden, Oceanographer • Dr. Chris Simoniello, Outreach & Education Coordinator • Felimon Gayanilo, Systems Architect, Co-Data Manager • Bob Currier, Research Specialist, Product Developer, Co-Data Manager • Marion Stoessel, Senior Research Associate • 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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