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Greetings!
Spring is here and with it comes new beginnings. At GCOOS this month, that means a slight change to our name — we are now the Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System, though our acronym, GCOOS, remains the same.
While our name may have a slight change, that does not mean our mission has changed; we remain dedicated to providing on-demand information about the Gulf’s coastal and open ocean waters that is accurate, reliable and benefits people, ecosystems and the economy. We will continue to build our network of business leaders, marine scientists, resource managers, governmental and non-governmental organizations and other stakeholder groups as we work together to:
- Protect public health and safety;
- Support healthy ecosystems and water quality;
- Mitigate the effects of storms and man-made disasters;
- Ensure safe and efficient marine operations;
- Monitor the Gulf for long-term changes and environmental trends.
Building networks also means developing stronger relationships within the ocean observing community, of course. I recently returned from Puerto Rico, where I had the opportunity to visit CARICOOS to meet with its leadership, staff and partners at their facilities at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez and their field station in La Parguera.
The meeting helped to further the joint GCOOS, SECOORA, CARICOOS Intra-American Seas Pan-Regional Ocean Observing Initiative, which is setting the stage for increased collaborations to help further understanding of connections among the North Equatorial Current, the Caribbean Current/Gulf Stream and the Loop Current, and fill data gaps for forecasting and responding to environmental events and changes.
As we continue to observe long-term environmental changes in our region, the importance of these socio-ecological connections will only grow.
Until next month,
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This month, GCOOS bid a fond farewell to Program Coordinator Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson who is leaving her role at GCOOS and as GCAN coordinator to take on new challenges at NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). Jen, who has been with GCOOS since 2017, played a key role in coordinating many activities over the years and especially leading the start of the Gulf’s Coastal Acidification Network. We will miss Jen and wish her the best in her new role!
| | Nominations Now Open for GCOOS Board Elections | | |
We're accepting nominations for the GCOOS Board of Directors, who help chart the course for the organization as we support ocean observing opportunities across the five Gulf states, as well as international ocean observing efforts in the region. (View current board list here.)
In 2025, GCOOS Voting Members will elect two representatives each from the Private and Government Sectors and one representative each from the Academic and Outreach & Education Sectors.
- Nominations close March 28. Find details here.
| | Mark Your Calendar: GCOOS Spring Members’ Meeting | | |
Registration is now open for the GCOOS Spring Members’ Meeting. The virtual meeting is scheduled for 3-6 p.m. ET / 2-5 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 28. The meeting agenda is in development. Watch this space and follow us on social media for updates!
- Registration: Click here or scan the QR code.
| | Developing of the Gulf's Ocean Observing System | |
GCOOS is thrilled to congratulate Capt. Ray Toll, winner of the IOOS Association’s 2025 CARAID Award, which recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to observing and understanding our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes through vision, leadership and friendship.
But Capt. Toll isn't just an advocate for ocean observing in general terms; he was on the original GCOOS Board of Directors and helped to develop GCOOS itself.
Toll, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, was a pioneer in the Navy’s Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) — the U.S. Department of Defense's high-resolution global weather prediction system. He was also among the 60 original signatories on the “Resolution to Establish a Gulf of Mexico Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System” (signed between 2003 and 2005), which was the GCOOS guiding document before the implementation of the original memorandum of agreement.
He made significant contributions to the development of GCOOS and helped to shape the organization’s engagement with the private sector, develop the Glider Task Team that eventually led to the creation of the Underwater Glider User Group — he even helped to develop the first GCOOS Buildout Plan!
We thank Capt. Toll and the 59 other signatories on the GCOOS establishing resolution (excerpted in the image below) and for their dedication and work to developing and implementing the GCOOS regional association in those early days! (View the resolution excerpt as a PDF here.)
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About the History Spotlight
This year, GCOOS is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting historic data and activities from the Gulf’s ocean observing community in our enewsletter, on our website and through social media. Have a slice of Gulf data history that you’d like to share? Please email Nadine Slimak at Nadine@VettedCommunications.com with details — there might even be prizes!
| | A Look at Oyster and Mussel Policies | | |
Third Coast Lines, a publication of the Marine Law & Policy program at the Harte Research Institute, shares information about the laws and policies shaping major issues in the Gulf.
In its latest edition, Kristina Alexander, the Harte Research Institute Endowed Chair for Marine Policy and Law, looks at policies around oysters and mussels.
| | National Weather Service Updates Heat Messaging | | |
The National Weather Service (NWS) has renamed its Heat Watch and Heat Warning products to improve messaging. Beginning on March 4:
- Excessive Heat Watches are renamed to Extreme Heat Watches.
- Excessive Heat Warnings are renamed to Extreme Heat Warnings.
This effort is part of the Hazard Simplification Project, which integrates years of public and partner engagements and social science research to improve and evolve the national weather alerting system. Renaming these Watch and Warning products also enables clear and timely decision support.
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Healthy Ecosystems & Living Resources
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 | | GCOOS GIS Manager Jerad King gave a presentation at the recent Esri Federal GIS Conference during the opening plenary of the Oceans, Weather and Climate Summit. “Mapping Marine Giants” focused on the story of the CETACEAN Data Portal created in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, among the worst environmental disasters in history. CETACEAN, funded and guided by the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) and NOAA, was created as a portal for cetacean data that would support research, conservation and policy restoration for open-ocean cetacean species in the Gulf. The platform developed by the GCOOS GIS team uses an ArcGIS Hub populated with hundreds of meticulously processed datasets that consolidates threat and environmental data with decades of geospatial data on key cetacean populations, allowing scientists, conservationists and policymakers resource managers to access and visualize critical species distribution and migration information.
| | Standards and Strategies to Improve Biodiversity (meta)data Flow | | |
MOD Alliance, a collaboration of HORIZON Europe sister projects DiverSea, MARCO-BOLO, and OBAMA-NEXT, recently launched a webinar series focused on observing and mapping coastal and marine biodiversity and ecosystems to better connect European biodiversity observation initiatives with global efforts like the U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (MBON) and the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON). The webinar “Improving Biodiversity (meta)data flow: Standards and Strategies” presented by Dan Lear and Dr. Pier Luigi Buttigieg explored the critical need for open, transparent and trusted data in marine biodiversity monitoring. Four key topics of the webinar were:
- The role of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data pipelines;
- How technical standards and protocols enhance biodiversity data flow;
- Challenges in implementing global data-sharing frameworks; and
- The broader landscape of marine data interoperability.
Their insights into the technologies, challenges and collaborative efforts driving the creation of a globally interoperable ocean data system align closely with MBON activities aimed at standardizing and making accessible biodiversity data to support policy development and ocean governance at national, regional and global levels.
| | Highly Migratory Fish Species Session | | |
David Wells, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and Marcus Drymon, Mississippi State University, are organizing a special session during the 2025 annual American Fisheries Society meeting in San Antonio, Texas, focused on highly migratory species of fishes. The session will focus on Movement and Connectivity of Highly Migratory Fish Species. Understanding movement patterns, migrations and connectivity of highly migratory species (HMS) is challenging given many species cross multiple jurisdictional boundaries, ecosystems and habitats. This session will focus on studies using diverse methodologies to better understand movement and migration patterns, habitat use and population connectivity of highly migratory fish species.
- Meeting: Aug. 10-14
- Abstract submission: Open through April 15
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Meeting Details
| | Gulf Restoration Expeditions | | |
What does it take to restore mesophotic reefs and benthic habitats off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana? In 2024, NOAA, the U.S. navy and other partners undertook more than 14 expeditions to help restore deep-sea habitats injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The expedition included partners from NOAA, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Navy, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Audubon Aquarium and other organizations.
| | AI and Weather Forecasting | | |
NOAA’s Physical Sciences Laboratory and Global Systems Laboratory and the artificial intelligence startup Brightband have entered into a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) that will optimize a vast NOAA-managed archive of observational weather data for training artificial intelligence (AI)-based weather forecasting applications. Under the CRADA, “Making NOAA Observation Data Artificial Intelligence-Ready,” NOAA will collaborate with Brightband to transform the NOAA-NASA Joint Archive of observational data from satellites, weather balloons and surface stations into an open-source data repository that will support a suite of geospatial foundation AI models. The joint archive is a collaboration between NOAA and NASA that has developed a homogenized repository of Earth system observations from 1970 to the present.
| | State of the Science: HAB Fact Sheet Updated | | |
To help the public understand the state of the science related to key research areas, the NOAA Science Council develops State of the Science Fact Sheets.
The fact sheet on Harmful Algal Blooms was updated in February. Other 2025 updates include fact sheets on fire weather, deep-sea mining, how human-caused climate change affects extreme weather events, stock assessments and weather forecasting.
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Click here for all the State of the Science Fact Sheets
| | Case Study: Emergency HAB Response | | |
The National Harmful Algal Bloom Observation Network (NHABON) held its most recent webinar focused on the West Coast Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning event that took place in 2024 — one of the longest ever recorded. The webinar examined the impact of the bloom on communities and wildlife and focused on how observations aided in response efforts. Panelists were:
- Matt Hunter, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Jerry Borchert, Washington Department of Health
- Zach Forster, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
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Watch now
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Gulf of America Alliance (GOAA)
GOMA Announces Name Change
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance has officially changed its name to the Gulf of America Alliance to reflect the renaming of the Gulf. The Alliance’s mission remains unchanged, continuing in its commitment to advancing the environmental and economic health of the Gulf region. The organization will maintain its goals and priorities, working with partners to support community resilience, coastal habitats and wildlife. “As we embrace this transition, our focus remains on protecting and enhancing the Gulf’s vital ecosystems and economies,” said Laura Bowie Executive Director. “This name change ensures consistency while reinforcing our commitment to the region.”
Learn more about GOAA as Bowie and Program Manager Dave Reed lead the organization’s next Wednesday Webinar “5th Annual State of the Gulf of America Alliance.” Bowie will share an overview of GOAA, what it does and what’s ahead in 2025, and Reed will provide key updates on team projects and goals for the coming year.
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GOAA is bringing together partners from state and federal agencies, academia, nonprofits and industry from across the region to plan projects that improve the Gulf Coast and implement the Alliance’s Governors’ Action Plan IV for Healthy and Resilient Coasts during the All Hands Meeting scheduled for May 5-8 in Mississippi.
Registration is open and hotel blocks are filling fast. Online registration is $175. Group room rates are available through April 3.
Highlights at a Glance
- Pre-meeting workshops and professional development on Monday
- “Get to Know the Alliance” breakfast and opening plenary on Tuesday morning
- The ever-popular Tools Café on Tuesday evening
- Team and Cross-Team meetings Tuesday-Thursday
- A Biloxi Shuckers baseball game on Thursday night
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Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH)
Save the Date: CIROH Science Meeting 2026
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The next CIROH Science Meeting will take place from Aug. 31-Sept. 3 at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Details will be released at a later date.
In the meantime, explore the CIROH Science Meeting 2024 Technical Report. The comprehensive report includes an overview of the meeting's introduction, participants, sessions, keynote events, networking opportunities, breakout groups, roundtable discussions, working group breakouts and evaluation summary.
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Hello.gov - Sr. Cloud and Data Engineer
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National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; Gulf Research Program: Executive Director
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National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; Gulf Research Program: Program Officer - Environmental Protection and Stewardship Board
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University of Miami: Assistant Professor in Physical Oceanography
- Mote Marine Laboratory
Postdoctoral Positions:
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Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: Postdoctoral Fellowship
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National Research Council: Research Associateship Programs Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards
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Mississippi State University: Postdoctoral Associate
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Downeast Institute: Research Scientist
Fellowships:
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National Academies of Science, Engineering and Mathematics: Early Career Fellowships
- Department of Defense: Visualization of Coastal Data, Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Fellow
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Gulf Research Program: Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Gulf Research Program: Empowering K-8 Through Place Based Education
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Gulf of Mexico Alliance: Increasing Participation in Clean and Resiient Marine Programs
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Seagrant: Addressing Priority Research, Extenision and Education Needs
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Early Career Research Fellowship
| | 18-20: UG2 Underwater Glider User Group, St. Petersburg, Florida, Details coming soon | | GCOOS is the Gulf of America regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and the only certified system dedicated solely to the Gulf. Our mission is to provide on-demand information about the Gulf’s coastal and open ocean waters that is accurate, reliable and benefits people, ecosystems and the economy. https://ror.org/024q01f72 | | Dr. Jorge Brenner, Executive Director • Marcus Ogle, Associate Director • Dr. Uchenna Nwankwo, Oceanographer • Dr. Chris Simoniello, Outreach & Education Manager • Dr. Renata Poulton Kamakura, Science Policy Fellow • Felimon Gayanilo, Systems Architect, Co-Data Manager • Bob Currier, Product Developer, Co-Data Manager • Tuomo Saari, Scientific Computing Specialist • Xiao Qi, Scientific Computing Specialist • Megan Howson, Marine Mammal Biologist and Data Scientist • Jerad King, GIS Developer • Grant Craig, Project Manager and HABscope Volunteer Coordinator • Nadine Slimak, Public Relations & Content Marketing, Vetted Communications, LLC • Laura Caldwell, Program Assistant | | | | |
