GCOOS is the Gulf of Mexico regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Our mission is to provide timely, reliable and accurate information on the open and coastal ocean waters of the Gulf of Mexico to ensure a healthy, clean, productive ocean and resilient coastal zone.
December 2017 - In This Issue:
Greetings!   
 
We're closing out the year here at GCOOS coming off a successful staff retreat that gave us the opportunity to start planning for 2018, celebrating our most recent Gulf Guardian award -- our fourth one! -- and looking forward to all the exciting things that will be happening next year. The first of which is the Animal Telemetry Network workshop in January. We're lining up some interesting speakers for this event and I hope that if you're in the animal tracking community you'll join us to have your voice heard on monitoring needs and challenges.  
 
One thing that won't change in 2018: Our goal of helping to promote news of your Gulf of Mexico ocean observing activities. If you have a story, please contact our communications manager, Nadine Slimak
 
And, of course, I'd be remiss without offering you all a happy holidays -- please take a minute and enjoy our holiday card!
 
Until next year,
 
         
 
 
Contact GCOOS
Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick , Executive Director

Dr. Matthew K. Howard
,
DMAC Coordinator

Dr. Chris Simoniello
,
Outreach and Education Coordinator

Dr. Shinichi Kobara
, Assistant Research Scientist, Product Developer

Felimon Gayanilo
, Systems Architect

Bob Currier
, Research Specialist, Product Developer

Stephanie Watson, Strategic Program Manager

Marion Stoessel,
Senior Research Associate

 Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, Research Associate 

Nadine Slimak, Public Relations & Content Marketing, Vetted Communications, LLC

Grant Craig, Program Coordinator

Laura Caldwell, Staff Assistant
News from GCOOS HQ
atnRegister Now: Gulf Animal Telemetry Network Workshop 
GCOOS is hosting the next workshop of the IOOS Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) Jan 23-24 in New Orleans. The workshop title is "Identifying regional stakeholder needs and priorities for animal telemetry observations of marine species."
 
The workshop series -- one is being hosted by each IOOS regional association -- has several goals:
  • Identify regional priorities for telemetry observations of aquatic species, including fishes, turtles, pinnipeds, whales and seabirds;
  • Determine whether priorities could be served by an ATN baseline network;
  • Examine whether the type and extent of existing telemetry assets could adequately satisfy identified requirements.
Information generated at the workshop will be used by the ATN to ensure that a concise plan for sufficient funding of the envisioned national ATN program -- including infrastructure, operations, integration and coordination of assets -- will be achieved.  
 
Specific workshop objectives include:

  • Identifying and prioritizing regional telemetry stakeholder and research keystone monitoring/observational needs;
  • Identifying existing global telemetry observing assets and scientific capabilities in the Gulf of Mexico region;
  • Documenting examples of stakeholder uses of telemetry data from the commercial sector, resource management community and others (examples include understanding fish distributions, mortality, migration, design of protected areas, definition of essential habitat for species protected by the ESA & MMPA, socioeconomics and fisheries management);
  • Identifying data management challenges, opportunities and mechanisms for regional data integration with national linkages for sharing and collaboration;
  • Considering needs common to other regions and discuss strategies for applied, collaborative research across geographies and disciplines.
There will be three sessions: Commercial Sector, Resource Management and Research. During Sessions 1 & 2, the topics will be presented by four to five invited speakers who will represent the Commercial and Resource Management sectors. These talks will be limited to seven minutes with group discussions following each set of speakers. During Session 3, invited speakers from the research community will give 10-15 minute presentations on their telemetry activities in the region, followed by questions. (See draft agenda.)  
  • RSVP to GCOOS required before Dec. 22.
  • The workshop is being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 300 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. Please contact Jen Vreeland-Dawson to book your room stay.
GCOOS Receives Second Place Gulf Guardian Award
GCOOS was recognized recently by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico Program for developing a unique platform that enables citizen groups to share data Gulf wide.
 
The second place 2017 Gulf Guardian Award was presented Thursday, Nov. 30, during a ceremony at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear, Alabama. The Gulf of Mexico Program initiated the Gulf Guardian awards in 2000 as a way to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. First, second and third place awards are given in seven categories: individual, business/industry, youth environmental education, civic/nonprofit organizations, cultural diversity/environmental justice, partnership and bi-national efforts.
 
GCOOS was recognized for its Gulf Citizen Science Portal  in the Partnership Category for encouraging and developing citizen science to improve the Gulf.
 
During the ceremony, Ben Scaggs, Director of Gulf of Mexico Program, said: "whether for individual recreational use or as an economic engine supporting a wide variety of jobs and industry, the Gulf of Mexico is a vibrant yet vulnerable ecosystem. Protecting this national resource requires innovative approaches and proactive measures. The Gulf Guardian award winners are paving the way for out-of-the-box thinking and replicable practices."
 
The backbone of the GCOOS citizen monitoring network is comprised of retired citizens and many students from underserved and underrepresented communities. Not only are the data gathered and provide important long-term, supplemental data to resource managers, the acquisition and data sharing processes themselves provide valuable workforce development and stewardship opportunities for participants:
  • Contributors learn the value and need for research, monitoring and careful management of the Gulf's living and non-living natural resources and explore how their everyday lives and livelihoods are connected to the Gulf.
The portal was developed by Drs. Shin Kobara and Chris Simoniello of GCOOS and implemented as a cost-effective way to gather local information over long periods of time, allowing state, federal and academic programs to supplement datasets with important detail. GCOOS's unique position as a data aggregator allows the organization to address the challenges inherent in integrating diverse datasets collected with different methodologies and instrumentation so managers can have confidence in the information.
 
Other participants in the development and implementation of the Gulf Citizen Science Portal include GCOOS Board Member Ruth Perry and Dana Pounds of Nature's Academy -- who also won first place in the individual category -- along with members of the GCOOS Outreach & Education Council, a special volunteer advisory board that works with GCOOS on ways to connect the public to GCOOS data and products and advise on the development of new tools to promote ocean literacy. There are four representatives from each Gulf state and an at-large member:
  • Charlene Mauro (Co-Chair), Navarre High School
  • Mike Spranger, University of Florida
  • Debbi Stone, The Florida Aquarium
  • Chris Verlinde (Co-Chair), University of Florida
  • Sara Graves, University of Alabama Huntsville
  • Lloyd Scott, Retired, Mobile County Public School System
  • Margaret Sedlecky, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  • Lee Yokel, Gulf of Mexico Alliance
  • Jessica Kastler, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Carol Lutken, University of Mississippi
  • Angela Sallis, NCEI (NOAA's National Center for Env Info)
  • Joe Swaykos, NOAA National Data Buoy Center
  • Ann Weaver, NOAA Gulf Coast Services Center
  • Tricia LeBlanc, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
  • Dianne Lindstedt, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program
  • Jean May-Brett, Louisiana Department of Education
  • Dinah Maygarden, University of New Orleans
  • Kaitlin Grable, Galveston Bay Foundation
  • John O'Connell (Past-Chair),  Texas Sea Grant College Program
  • Rob Smith, Woods Hole Group, Inc.
  • Pamela Terasaki, Claughton Middle School (Spring ISD)
  • Rusty Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
This is the fourth Gulf Guardian award that GCOOS has received -- an honor that speaks to the commitment of the organization to the health of the Gulf of Mexico, said Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, GCOOS Executive Director. "As the Gulf of Mexico's regional association for observing, we are dedicated to making the Gulf of Mexico a safer and healthier ecosystem for all to use. We are honored by the EPA's continued acknowledgement of our efforts."
 
The Gulf of Mexico Program began in 1988 to protect, restore, and maintain the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem in economically sustainable ways. The Gulf of Mexico Program is underwritten by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is a non-regulatory, inclusive consortium of state and federal government agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural community, fishing industry, scientists, environmentalists, and community leaders from all five Gulf States. The Gulf Program seeks to improve the environmental health of the Gulf in concert with economic development.
 
Click on the images to watch videos about the winning projects:
   
Partner News
NOAA in Your State
The newest version of NOAA in Your State is now available online.  This resource provides a summary of NOAA facilities, staff, programs or activities based in, or focused on, every state or territory. This handy resource is your one-stop shop for finding out where NOAA is working in your neck of the woods.
2017 Gulf Star Program Awards 
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance has announced the 2017 Gulf Star Program recipients. More than $666,075 will support 11 projects in the five Gulf States. The awards support the Governors' Action Plan III in the areas of coastal resilience, water quality, habitat resources, education, data and monitoring, wildlife and ecosystem services.
Cool Tools: Migratory Species Website & Decision Support Too
The Nature Conservancy has launched a new Migratory Species Conservation Project website, which offers useful resources and interactive spatial tools designed to help researchers, scientists and conservationists analyze blueways in order to minimize human impact in the Gulf of Mexico, preserve migratory marine species and achieve a healthier, more resilient marine ecosystem.
  • The interactive Migratory Species Conservation Project website offers a conservation framework, species case studies and infographics; live, tagged animal tracking tools and a collaborative data-sharing portal for marine planners and others working in the Gulf. It also encourages users to share and collectively apply this information to make informed decisions, effectively closing the knowledge gap between migratory pathways and opportunities for conservation in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • The Blueways Conservation Decision Support Tool  is a spatial tool designed to highlight information about migration corridors, movement density, occurrence hotspots and stopovers, along with human and climate-related threats. The tool contains several interactive applications that can be used to visualize regulations in different areas of the Gulf so that decision-makers may plan more conscientiously as they move forward.
This project was supported by Shell as part of its broader collaboration with TNC.
 
2017 Hypoxia Task Force Report to Congress
The annual Gulf hypoxic zone.
The Hypoxia Task Force recently released its 2017 Report to Congress on the actions the federal, state, and tribal members have taken toward the goal of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin and shrinking the size of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.
The Report includes:
  • The environmental, economic and social impacts of Gulf of Mexico hypoxia and harmful algal blooms;
  • Information about the size of the hypoxic zone since 1985 and sources of nutrient loading in the MARB;
  • Progress of state nutrient reduction strategy development and implementation;
  • Federal agency programs that support state implementation of nutrient reduction strategies;
  • Evaluation and highlights lessons learned by presenting broader HTF successes and successful state projects;
  • Recent HTF efforts to track the environmental results of state strategy implementation.
  • Download the report
2018 Tide Tables
NOAA tide tables have been in production for over 150 years and are used by commercial and recreational mariners for safe navigation. Printed tide tables provide users with tide and tidal current predictions in an easy-to-read format for particular locations.  
 
NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services produce tide tables annually. You can get tide predictions  and tidal current predictions online for U.S. coastal stations for up to two years. (These services do not provide international locations.) NOAA also provides printed copies of the 2018 Tide Tables and Tidal Current Tables, visit the Tides and Currents FAQ.
Gulf Restoration News
New Chair for Ecosystem Restoration Council 
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) is preparing to nominate a new Council Chair. The RESTORE Act provides that the State Council Members select a federal member at a Council meeting and make a recommendation to the President of the United States, and the President then appoints the new Chair.
  • Those interested in RESTORE Council activities and notices are encouraged to sign up for eBlasts.
  • Complete information is available on RestoreTheGulf.gov.
      
Dispatches from the Gulf 
Dispatches from the Gulf takes listeners on a journey about the science surrounding the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In this episode, we meet Dr. Steven DiMarco, professer of oceanography at Texas A&M, as he talks about his background and how a potential Nobel Prize-winning experiment plunged into failure.
Mississippi Restoration Summit 
Did you attend the Mississippi Restoration Summit? If so, the organizers are hoping to hear from you. What did you like about the event? What would you like to see added to and/or changed?
Mississippi Restoration Projects 
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced 19 new restoration projects during the Mississippi Restoration Summit in Biloxi. When implemented, these projects will add more than $83 million to the total already being spent on restoration projects in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
$10.8 million awarded to address systemic risk in offshore oil and gas operations 
The Gulf Research Program announced $10.8 million in grant funding for six new projects aimed at improving the understanding and management of systemic risk in offshore oil and gas operations. All six projects involve research to develop new technologies, processes or procedures that could help reduce existing risks and anticipate and avoid new risks.
Awardees are from:
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Louisiana State University in cooperation with Texas A&M University and Weatherford
  • University of Houston in cooperation with Mulberry Well Systems LLC
  • Louisiana State University in cooperation with SINTEF, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Texas at Austin
  • University of Mississippi
  • Florida Maxima Corporation in cooperation with Institute for Energy Technology and University of Central Florida
  • Details
Coastal Resilience Awards 
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance has announced Coastal Resilience Awards for two community projects totaling $90,000: The City of Fairhope, Alabama and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana for a project benefiting Terrebonne and LaFourche Parishes. The awards are supported by funding from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management.
Restoration Resources
Restoration Funding Calendar
  • NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program hosts a three-year calendar that consolidates planned funding opportunities
By State:

Good Reads
Ocean Observations Worldwide 
Ocean News & Technology recently released its
Discus buoys being readied for deployment. Image courtesy NOAA/NDBC.
"Worldwide Survey of Recent Ocean Observatory Activities: 2017 Update."  
 
This update includes activities in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Canary Islands and Oceania.
Funding Opportunities
Hurricane Recovery Grants 
Natural and social scientists can apply to the Gulf Research Program for up to $50,000 to help recover research affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The grants are designed to help repair, replace, or recover equipment, data or other research materials, including communication with study participants.
The GRP will award up to $2 million in fast-track grants to support recovery of scientific research related to our focus on human health, environmental resources, and offshore energy systems in the Gulf of Mexico region.
  • Funding will occur in two cycles.
  • Applications for the first cycle are due by 5 p.m. EST Jan. 2, 2018.
  • Details
Grants to Increase Scientific and Enviro Literacy 
The Gulf Research Program is offering up to $3 million in grants to support efforts to increase the scientific and environmental literacy and problem-solving skills of children and youth, with a focus on service-, project-, or problem-based learning opportunities in areas relevant to our initiatives.
 
A letter of intent is required. Submit by 5 p.m. EST Feb. 14, 2018.
New Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) Federal Funding Opportunity  
The U.S. IOOS Program is seeking to fund projects through its Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) which advance new or existing solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal modeling and forecast product development challenges. The program priorities for this funding opportunity are to facilitate and accelerate the transition of models and model based technologies from research environments toward operational readiness, and will be focused on models, tools or products for which there are demonstrated operators and end users. Of particular interest are coastal ocean and lake phenomena that intersect the mission goals of NOAA, other operational agencies, and the IOOS Regional Associations. Projects are also expected to participate in and advance the operation of the U.S. IOOS COMT under a community modeling environment. Total estimated funding for all awards is up to $2 million per year from the U.S. IOOS Program. Multiple awards are anticipated, subject to availability of funds, in amounts up to $300,000 per year for up to three years.  
  • Due Date: Full proposals must be received no later than 11:59 PM EST Friday, Jan. 19, 2018.
  • The full funding opportunity and information on how to apply can be found on grants.gov or by visiting the FAQ for this FFO . For more information, please contact Debra Esty, U.S. IOOS, 240-533-9446 or debra.esty@noaa.gov.
Collaborative Science Catalyst Grants 
The Science Collaborative is currently soliciting proposals for one-year collaborative science catalyst grants. Catalyst grants support activities that advance collaborative science by: facilitating the development of new, collaborative science ideas; amplifying or enhancing existing collaborative research; or synthesizing NERRS System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) data for a regional or national application. All proposals must adopt an end user driven approach and meet a reserve management need. Applicants may draw on both the social sciences and physical/natural sciences to meet the goals of this RFP. The Science Collaborative is interested in funding a variety of catalyst projects with awards ranging between $75,000 and $250,000 for these one-year projects. Budgets of $250,000 are expected to be most appropriate for multi-reserve projects.
2018 Collaborative Science Catalyst Request for Proposals - The application is a two-step process:
  • Mandatory letters of intent are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 8, 2017.
  • Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 21, 2018.
Both letters and proposals should be uploaded through the application system using the "Apply Now" button on this page: http://graham.umich.edu/water/nerrs/funding/catalyst
Federal Funding Opportunity for Coastal Hypoxia Research Program (CHRP)
NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is soliciting proposals for the Coastal Hypoxia Research Program (CHRP). Funding is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2018 Federal appropriations. It is anticipated that projects funded under this announcement will have a Sept. 1, 2018 start date. Applicants should submit proposals not to exceed $275,000 per year for projects generally 2-4 years in duration, with a total multi-year budget not to exceed $1.1 million. If funds become available for this program, up to approximately $900,000 may be available in Fiscal Year 2018 for the first year of about 3-5 projects with expected start dates of Sept. 1, 2018. Funding for this program is contingent upon availability of funds, which may not have been appropriated at the time of this announcement.  
Federal Funding Opportunity for 2018 Regional Ecosystem Prediction Program: Understanding Coral Ecosystem Connectivity in the western Gulf of Mexico
NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), in partnership with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, and the National Marine Fisheries Service's Southeast Regional Office, is soliciting proposals under the Regional Ecosystem Prediction Program for a project up to 5 years in duration to conduct research to improve the understanding of population connectivity of key coral ecosystem species in the western Gulf of Mexico between the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the reefs and banks to the east of the current Sanctuary boundaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico, but can also include coral ecosystems upstream and downstream as relevant. This information will be used to support decisions concerning current and future marine protected area (MPA) management and MPA networks for shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico and provide insight into regional connectivity. Funding is contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2018 Federal appropriations. If funds become available for this program, one project is expected to be supported for up to 5 years, with an approximate annual budget up to $750,000.
Employment Opportunities
Senior Advisor for the Coastal Inundation and Resilience Science and Services
NOAA is seeking a Senior Advisor for the Coastal Inundation and Resilience Science and Services. The Senior Advisor is the principal scientific subject matter expert on coastal inundation science, development and policy to the NOS and the NOAA climate efforts, and has the overall responsibility for ensuring all NOAA coastal inundation related efforts are based on sound science principles, as well as connect with solid resource management and planning techniques. The Senior Advisor provides navigation, observation, positioning, resource management, decision support, technical assistance, and training to help communities identify risks and vulnerabilities to apply sustainable solutions that increase resilience to the impacts of climate change, extreme weather, coastal inundation, oil and chemical spills, and other hazards and environmental stressors.
Gulf Research Program
 
Fellowship Applications Being Accepted
The GRP of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is accepting applications for 2018 fellowships.
  • Early-Career Research Fellows receive two years of unrestricted funding to pursue the innovative research and unique collaborations that move coastal science forward.
  • Science Policy Fellows gain first-hand experience at the interface of science and policy as they spend one year alongside decision-makers at agencies across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida.
  • More details
GRP Associate Program Officer - Energy and Environment 
The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Director, Marine Conservation Policy and Leadership, New England Aquarium
The Director, Marine Conservation Policy and Leadership will play a key leadership role overseeing two emerging domains in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at New England Aquarium (Anderson Cabot Center) Ocean Based Conservation Policy and External Affairs and the nascent Marine Conservation Leadership Program (MCLP) which develops, empowers and supports conservation leaders from around the world. These domains integrate and strengthen existing Anderson Cabot Center and New England Aquarium (Aquarium) Education Department programs to transform science into action.
Senior Analyst of Fisheries and Aquaculture Solutions, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Solutions Program represents an exciting rebranding of the former Sustainable Seafood Program at Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium (NEAq). A core program of the Anderson Cabot Center which comprises all research and conservation work at NEAq the Fisheries and Aquaculture Solutions Program aims to improve ocean health by partnering with companies that buy and sell seafood to improve the sustainability of their seafood portfolio, and reduce detrimental impacts on the ocean. We seek an experienced, energetic, and creative individual to become a part of our team.
The New England Aquarium also has openings in Marketing, Donor Relations, Individual Giving and Leadership giving.
IOOS Summer Intern Support
The IOOS program office, in partnership with the NOAA Office of Education, is accepting proposals from IOOS Regional Associations to host summer interns in May-July 2018. Paid summer internships are provided by the Hollings and Educational Partnership Program with Minority-Serving Institutions (EPP) Scholarship programs.
  • The Vembu Subramanian Scholarship Fund is available to the RAs hosting NOAA Hollings and EPP summer interns. Vembu Subramanian Scholarship funds can be used during the summer internship to enhance the educational and training experience for the student intern. Examples of potential scholarship projects include SCUBA Science Diver certification, internship related conference attendance, or advanced trainings at remote laboratories or with instrument manufacturers.
  • IOOS Regional Associations hosting Hollings and EPP summer interns require a NOAA affiliated co-mentor. If you are interested in serving as a co-mentor to a highly qualified undergraduate student, or for more information on IOOS internship and scholarship opportunities, please contact Dave Easter at dave.easter@noaa.gov.
Post-doc opportunity at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Position opening in the Ecology Departament of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile for a postdoctoral-level marine biologist/biological oceanographer to work on the optimization of imaging flow cytometry for detection of harmful algae.

Chile suffers frequent harmful algal bloom problems with serious negative effects on local economies, but faces major challenges in effective monitoring and ecological study of phytoplankton communities: The Chilean coast extends from the Southern Ocean to tropical latitudes. This includes southern fjords and inland seas, and long extensions of open ocean coast where westerlies dominate towards the south and coastal upwelling dominates seasonally to the north. The current project seeks to explore how effective monitoring of phytoplankton community dynamics over a wide spatial scale can be implemented using robotic sampling and environmental data collection on ships-of-opportunity, coupled with imaging flow cytometry to increase sample processing rates.

The project is funded by the program FONDEF IT FAN of the Chilean Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONICYT) for 24 months and involves an interdisciplinary team of physical and biological oceanographers, phytoplankton ecologists and marine engineers, as well as collaboration with stakeholders.

Duties:
  • Optimize methods for collecting and preserving phytoplankton samples for imaging flow cytometry analysis.
  • Optimize protocols for sample processing and data analysis, determining what the limits of discrimination and detection are for target species.
  • Compare the ability of imaging flow cytometry to traditional phytoplankton methodologies for detecting and distinguishing known harmful algal species.
  • Publish results in highly ranked journals and help share results with stakeholders.
  • Scientific and career opportunities:
  • Be at the forefront of implementation of new technology and innovative information transfer from fundamental oceanographic science to stakeholders and decision makers.
  • Generate and analyze a large database to discover relationships between phytoplankton community composition and oceanographic variables.
  • Discovery of eco-oceanographic patterns underlying harmful algal blooms.
  • Qualifications:
  • Formation in biological oceanography with research experience relevant to plankton ecosystems. Limnologists with relevant experience are also encouraged to apply.
  • Knowledge of phytoplankton is desirable but not essential, as training will be provided.
  • More than any specific skill set, we look for candidates who are self-driven, detail-oriented, display leadership in problem-solving and interpretation of results, and are ready to critically diagnose instrument performance and data analysis methods.
  • Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams is crucial.

Requirements:

  • Ph.D. received no earlier than January 2012.
  • Be ready to start between no later than the end of March 2018 (negotiable).
  • Publication level should be commensurate with time since completing PhD, and include at least one first-author publication in an internationally indexed (ISI/WOS) journal.
  • Available for international travel (e.g., to the USA and/or Europe) for two weeks or more for intensive training in both traditional phytoplankton taxonomy and the use of imaging flow cytometry.
  • Chilean nationality is not required, although non-Chileans will be required to obtain Chilean residency.

Institutions involved:

The project is hosted in Santiago by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUCCh), consistently ranked as one of top research universities in Latin America, in the Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (http://biologia.uc.cl/es/) and in the Escuela de Ingeniería (https://www.ing.uc.cl/) of PUCCh. Work will occur in Santiago as well as in the Estación Costera de Investigación Marina in Las Cruces and/or other marine research facilities of collaborating institutions. Other institutions include the Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía de Chile (http://en.imo-chile.cl/) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA (MARBIONC http://www.marbionc.org/home.html).
  • Contacts for further information or for sending applications (CVs and at least two contacts for professional references): Dr. Peter von Dassow, pvondassow@bio.puc.cl
  • We will be evaluating applications as they come in until Jan. 6, 2018.
 
More about the researchers and institutions involved can be found on the following websites:

Events & Meetings
2018
January 
American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting
, January 7-11, 2018, Austin, TX

The Group on Environmental Forces (GEF) from the Society for Underwater Technology in the U.S. (SUT-US) introduces the Mexican Research Consortium for the Gulf of Mexico Project (CIGoM), established to define the Mexican baseline for the present-state of the greater ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico, which will serve as a reference for future natural and anthropogenic threats. CIGoM is the largest research project funded by the Mexican Science Foundation (CONACYT) and by Mexico's Department of Energy (SENER).
Workshop research themes:
  • Oceanographic observational platforms, ROV's & gliders
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Numerical modeling of the physics and biogeochemistry
  • Natural degradation of hydrocarbons
  • Analysis of spill scenarios
TEES Houston Office
  • When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 11, 2018
  • Where: 15835 Park Ten Place NACE A/B Room Houston, TX
  • January 11, 2018
  • Cost: $150 members; $200 non-members
  • Registration
February 
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Sciences, February 5-9, 2018, New Orleans, LA. Don't forget, the conference is still accepting abstracts that promote fundamental Gulf ecosystem science or link scientific results to ecosystem resilience, oil spill response, or restoration and management. The deadline to submit an abstract is September 11, 2017.

2018 AGU/ASLO/TOS Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 11-16, 2018,  Portland, Oregon.
Biennially, American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) and The Oceanography Society (TOS) co-sponsor a meeting allowing members galvanize and share their scientific and technological breakthroughs and discoveries and discuss the current state of ocean science research. The 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting. OSM18 Event Page  
 
May
The joint OCEANS and Techno-Ocean meetings at the Kobe Convention Center, Kobe, Japan 
 
Share Your News with GCOOS
Do you have a meeting, job or funding announcement? Please let us know so we can help spread the word. Email info, including all pertinent details and website links, to Laura Caldwell, GCOOS Staff Assistant, lcaldwell@gcoos.org.

Are you starting or finishing a research project, reporting new findings, have a new publication or other big news to share with the GCOOS community? Please email our Public Relations and Content Coordinator, Nadine Slimak at Vetted Communications, nadine@vettedcommunications.com.
 

Your input, guidance, support and membership are important to the development of data, products and services that you need. Contact the  GCOOS Business Office to become a GCOOS member and for more information. We welcome your feedback and ideas for relevant news items. Please email your feedback and ideas to Laura Caldwell.