I’ve spent some time recently in Washington D.C. meeting with Gulf of Mexico legislators and their staff members and talking about ocean observing systems, the needs in the Gulf of Mexico and our involvement in the National Academy of Science Loop Current study.
I’m pleased to report that we met with an interested and engaged audience and, as always, the need for more ocean observing resonates with both sides of the aisle. A huge thank you to GCOOS Board member Jan van Smirren for also making Hill visits to the Texas delegation.
We’re very much looking forward to seeing many of you in New Orleans for our Annual Meeting next week on April 4. We’ve got plenty of good stuff on tap —
read the agenda now.
Finally, we’re wishing fair winds and following seas to GCOOS-ian Terry McPherson on his third retirement. Let’s see if this one sticks!
See you next week!
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Walter Munk, a founder of modern oceanography: 1917-2019
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Walter Munk — who revolutionized our understanding of the ocean and of Earth’s rotation and provided the Allies with an edge in WWII, died in February. He synthesized observations, theory and empirical rules to solve problems both fundamental and practical — about waves, tides, mixing, circulation and more.
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Building & Measuring Resilience
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To gain a better understanding of the knowledge gaps, research directions and approaches that could be useful in supporting the development of resilient coastal communities, the Gulf Research Program sponsored a study by the National Academies’ Resilient America Roundtable within the Policy and Global Affairs Division
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Healthy Ecosystems & Living Resources
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Dead Zones: What Really Matters to Fish?
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Dubravko Justic, Texaco Distinguished Professor in the LSU’s Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, or DOCS, and Lixia Wang, Research Associate IV in DOCS, recently co-authored a study suggesting that measuring the volume rather than the area of the Gulf of Mexico’s “Dead Zone,” is more appropriate for monitoring its effects on marine organisms.
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The picture above compared the midsummer (July 21 – 26) hypoxic area (left) and hypoxic volume (right) in the northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone simulated by the Justic and Wang (2014) model for present day condition (2002, upper), for a 25% N reduction scenario (middle) and under a 50% N reduction scenario (lower). Color bars on the left denote bottom dissolved oxygen concentrations (mg/l); color bars on the right denote the thickness of the hypoxic layer (m). The solid black line in the upper left plot denotes the areal extent of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen < 2 mg/l) in bottom waters observed during the July 21 – 26, 2002, hypoxia monitoring cruise. Photo Credit: Dubravko Justic
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Coast and Estuaries: The Future
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This new book provides valuable information on how to protect and maintain natural ecological structures while also allowing estuaries to deliver services that produce societal goods and benefits. Chapters detail case studies, synthesize problems and offer solutions within the framework of the socio-economic-environmental mosaic. Authors are worldwide scientific leaders, including those from the Gulf Coast.
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Texas Sea Grant will undergo a program review on April 9-11, 2019, by a team convened by the
National Sea Grant Program.
The review will be conducted at Texas A&M University and will consider all aspects of Texas Sea Grant’s programs
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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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The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is calling for demonstrations for the 2019 All Hands’ Tools Café. The Tools Café is intended to be an interactive experience where participants learn how the tool works and have an opportunity to ask questions or walk through a demonstration of tool functionality.
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Ocean Observations of Old
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According to Bruce Bower and
ScienceNews.org
, while searching for shipwreck remains near Oman in the Arabian Sea in 2014, divers discovered an unusual metal disk that has since proven to be the world’s oldest known mariner’s astrolabe and part of explorer Vasco da Gama’s second voyage. (Photo by D. Mearns, ScienceNews.org)
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How is Gulf TREE Working for You? Take the Survey, Please!
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t’s been a year since the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative (SSC), the Gulf of Mexico Climate Resilience Community of Practice (CoP), and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Resilience Team (GOMA) partnered on an interactive decision-support tree to help users find the right climate tool and developed Gulf TREE.
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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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- Marine GEO-University of Washington Postdoctoral Fellowship for Salish Sea Research
- University of South Florida
- University of Washington, Applied Physics Laboratory
- New England Aquarium, The Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life
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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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- University of Florida Sea Grant
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance 2019 Gulf Star Program
- Texas General Land Office
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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3-7: 2019 CERF 25th Biennial Conference,
Mobile Convention Center, Mobile, AL. C
onnecting science and society in the collective goals of preserving coastal and estuarine habitats, resources and heritage
. Registration to open in February 2019. Abstract submission deadline May 1.
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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 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 •
Dr. Chris Simoniello
, Outreach & Education Coordinator •
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Dr. Shinichi Kobara
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Bob Currier,
Research Specialist, Product Developer •
Marion Stoessel
, Senior Research Associate •
Dr. Steven Baum, Associate Research Scientist
•
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, Research Associate •
Grant Craig
, Program Coordinator •
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, Staff Assistant •
Dr. Chuan-Yuan Hsu
, Post Doctoral Research Associate •
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, Graduate Research Assistant •
Robbie Iles, Graduate Research Assistant
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In Memoriam: Matt Howard, 1952-2018
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