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Spring 2020
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Volume 9| Issue 2
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In this issue
-News Highlight-
-Feature Stories-
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NOAA Maps Storm Surge Hazard Areas for the Island of Hispaniola
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Maximum storm surge inundation with wave setup risk map for the northeast portion of the Domincan Republic for Category 3 hurricanes
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Located in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea and comprised of the two independent countries of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the island of Hispaniola is no stranger to hurricanes, having been impacted by more than 30 since 1851.
To help the countries become better prepared to deal with the often significant storm surge threats posed by these systems, NOAA and its partners recently wrapped up a multi-year project to develop a storm surge and wave modeling system for Hispaniola. NOAA's Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model was coupled with a wave model to include wave setup, which enabled a more complete and accurate analysis of potential storm surge flooding risk for the island.
The primary goal of the project was to produce storm surge inundation products for planning, preparedness and forecasting. Once data development efforts were complete, on-site training was conducted at Oficina Nacional de Meteorología (ONAMET) headquarters in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Over the course of several days, government officials were trained on how to best use the products and were offered ideas on planning and preparedness activities that they may want to consider in the future.
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Oficina Nacional de Meteorologia (ONAMET) building in Santo Domingo Este, Republica Dominicana, where trainings were held.
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The project occurred under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization's Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project for the Caribbean and was a partnership between NOAA, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Florida International University (FIU).
Over the coming years, NOAA hopes to continue these efforts by building similar capacity in other countries located throughout the Caribbean region.
For more information, please contact Dr. Cody Fritz, Storm Surge Specialist with NOAA's National Hurricane Center at
[email protected]
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Feature Stories
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Florida Emergency Support Function
Resource Advisor Training Course
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On February 26-27, 2020, the NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) co-hosted a 2-day Emergency Support Function (ESF) Resource Advisor Training course for the state of Florida, at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Along with the DPP, the training course was developed and co-hosted with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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Participants attending the ESF Resource Advisor Training course at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve in Apalachicola, Florida. Image credit: NOAA.
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The purpose of the ESF Resource Advisor Training is to ensure the state of Florida has a number of coastal resource managers trained on the tools needed to successfully fill the Resource Advisor role either in an Incident Command Post (ICP) or in the field after an ESF-3 or ESF-10 activation. The training covered a wide range of topics including the National Response Framework and the ICS structure, use of an Incident Action Plan, the roles and responsibilities of a Resource Advisor, the tools Resource Advisors use in the field, overview of best management practices for unique cases in the field, appropriate and inappropriate coastal salvage techniques, and a discussion on environmental trade-offs. The course also included a small scale tabletop exercise that allowed trainees to walk through real world case studies from Hurricanes Irma and Michael, and get hands on experience with Resource Advisor tools including NOAA's Environmental Response Management Application, NOAA's Environmental Sensitivity Index maps, Survey 123, and Collector App in ArcGIS, to aid in decision making in the field and report recommendations to the ICP in an active response.
The ESF Resource Advisor course was taught by the Disaster Preparedness Program's Southeast Regional Preparedness Coordinator, Charles Grisafi; the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's Regional Response Coordinator, Lisa Symons; the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's Enforcement Coordinator, Stephen Werndli; and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Scientific Support Coordinator, Timyn Rice. This first course included 17 participants from NOAA, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Similar Resource Advisor programs were used in PR and USVI during their ESF-10 responses to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. NOAA DPP is looking to expand the ESF Resource Advisor Training course to other states and territories in the Southeast and Caribbean.
For more information on the ESF Resource Advisor Training, please contact Charles Grisafi at
[email protected].
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CARIBE WAVE 20 Exercise
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The annual tsunami exercise for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, CARIBE WAVE, has been improving and validating tsunami readiness since 2011. The 2020 exercise took place on March 19, 2020 under very different circumstances than previous years. After months of regional and national preparation and planning, given the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNESCO IOC Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE EWS) agreed to only test the communication lines at a regional level. It was left up to the Member States and Territories to decide if any additional activity would be carried out and whether to use the simulated messages for one of two tsunami scenarios: Jamaica and Portugal.
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Staff of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network participating in the CARIBE WAVE 20 exercise. From Left to Right, Yanira Santiago, Margarita Solares Colon, Benjamin Colón and Gisela Baez.
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Despite the sudden change in scope of the exercise, CARIBE WAVE 20 was held successfully. The Regional Tsunami Service Provider, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, issued a "Dummy" message at 14h00 UTC to all officially designated Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFP) and National Tsunami Warning Centers (NTWC). Many methods of communication were used to disseminate the message: the World Meteorological Organization Warning Information System (Global Telecommunication Systems), the Aeronautical Information Replacement System (AISR), NOAA Weather Wire, AWIPS, Fax, Email and Social Media. According to feedback as well as social media and web posts, the dummy message was successfully received, validating the communication platforms.
Given the earthquake activity in Puerto Rico as well as the M 7.8 earthquake off Jamaica and Cuba in January 2020, the expectation was that CARIBE WAVE 20 would surpass the 800,000 participants from 2019. The Tsunamizone.org web page, which provides resources for tsunami preparedness, is used also as the official registration site for the CARIBE WAVE exercises. Weeks leading up to the exercise, over 100,000 had already registered on the Tsunami Zone website (tsunamizone.org). Nevertheless, due to the COVID-19 emergency, the number of actual participants was probably much less than the registered number.
The NOAA Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program (CTWP), the exercise coordinator on behalf of CARIBE EWS, used virtual meeting tools to monitor CARIBE WAVE 20, including the availability of sea level data. If a tsunami had indeed occurred on this day 33 of the 45 regional sea level stations that would have been expected to record the tsunami were operational. CTWP will be gathering and processing feedback from the participating Countries and territories, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, through an online questionnaire.
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International Mentoring for National Parks Law Enforcement
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Participants in law enforcement meetings and practical sessions (Photo: DDM) |
Road Town, British Virgin Islands, March 18, 2020 - Hosted by The National Parks Trust, representatives from protected area organizations and law enforcement agencies from six countries came together to address program planning and officer training in support of marine protected area law enforcement in the British Virgin Islands. Mr. Shane Young of Belize Audubon Society and Mr. Hampton Gamboa of Belize Fisheries Department joined the meetings at the invitation of the organizers.
Other organizations that participated in the meetings are The National Parks Trust, The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, the Marine Police Unit and Customs Authority together with invited specialist counterparts from Department of Environment and Coastal Resources of The Turks & Caicos Islands, The Bahamas National Trust, the Royal Grenada Police Force, and The Netherlands Caribbean Police Force.
"With our local partners and with our colleagues from other Caribbean countries we're looking at future planning for our marine national parks enforcement program," explained Dr. Cassander Titley O'Neal, Director of The National Parks Trust.
"The challenge is to protect natural resources in the face of new and emerging threats which both we and our neighbours in the region face. We're strengthening our enforcement program by partnering with territorial enforcement agencies to implement park laws and regulations, we're evaluating new technologies and we're building capacity through staff training in law enforcement," she said.
The Belizean team assisted the British Virgin Islands as mentors in marine protected area enforcement, sharing their experience in developing their own programs.
"We take seriously our role in safeguarding Belize's natural resources for the future. There are ever-increasing threats to the marine environment from visitor pressure, boat groundings, pollution and poaching. Yet if we are to maintain the coral reef communities and the diverse marine resources that depend upon them, effective protection from illegal activities is essential," commented Mr. Young from Belize Audubon Society.
The representative of the Belize Fisheries Department added "Through law enforcement planning and specialist training for officers, we and our counterparts in the region are increasing the pressure on those who purposely seek to violate natural resource laws, while at the same time educating those who may be unaware of rules and regulations. We are sending a clear and positive message in support of effective natural resource protection."
The activity is an initiative of the MPAConnect Network which is comprised of 32 marine protected areas in 11 Caribbean countries and territories, working in partnership with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Conservation Program to share best practices and experience among coral reef managers in the Caribbean region.
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International Research and Applications Project researchers address public health, heat, and hurricanes in Puerto Rico
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NOAA IRAP researchers and partners examine linkages between heat, health and hurricanes
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A University of Arizona-led International Research and Applications Project (IRAP) recently convened the workshop "Building Knowledge about Intersections of Public Health Issues, Heat, and Hurricanes" in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This workshop built off previous project activities which identified that the public did not perceive heat to be a public health risk (while public health officials do) and that hurricanes exacerbate heat impacts through secondary impacts like power outages and perhaps primary mechanisms such as the advection of heat. The workshop thus combined the two, and aimed to identify activities to enhance awareness of heat, ways to talk about cascading effects of climate and weather on heat risk, and additional research and outreach gaps.
Part of the workshop focused on how to enhance the heat risk product offered by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Puerto Rico. Some suggestions included incorporating fresh graphics and information on how heat generates public health impacts. Participants also discussed how to better hone the warning categories through more empirical research and a need for NWS to articulate to its stakeholders how it can collaborate with them. The workshop ended by discussing what's next, which led the group to envision the first, and thereafter annual, Puerto Rico Heat Awareness Day. Several workshop participants, including NWS Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico broadcast media members, and public health officials volunteered to help organize the heat awareness day. The workshop was attended by 25 individuals, including members of the IRAP team from the University of Colorado, the NWS Miami Forecast Office, and the NOAA National Hurricane Center.
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Introduction to the International Hydrographic Organization and the Meso-American-Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission
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The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organization that works to ensure all the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted. Established in 1921, it coordinates the activities of national hydrographic offices and promotes global navigation safety through uniformity in nautical charts and related products. NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS) works with its hydrographic colleagues around the world through the IHO and its 14 Regional Hydrographic Commissions (RHCs) which coordinate hydrographic activity and cooperation at the regional level. The Meso American-Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission (MACHC) includes 30 countries (15 Members, 13 Associate Members, and 2 Observers), and is currently chaired by Ms. Kathryn Ries (US/NOAA/OCS) and vice-chaired by Rear-Admiral Edgar Luiz Siqueira Barbosa (Brazil).
Two working groups and a committee advance MACHC objectives to 1) ensure seamless regional electronic navigational chart coverage; 2) increase capacity to provide the best quality navigation products and services and 3) make this invaluable, authoritative charting data available for many other non-navigation purposes. Other major initiatives include regional contributions to Seabed 2030, which seeks to map the world's entire ocean flooras part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The MACHC members rotate hosting the annual meeting and this year the US will host it in New Orleans, LA (November 30-December 4, 2020).
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Group Photo of the 20th Meeting of the MACHC, 2-6 December 2019 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
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For more information about IHO or MACHC, contact Kathryn Ries (NOAA OCS) at [email protected].
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Service restoration project with partners helps water flow and wildlife in Puerto Rican reserve
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The Service's CESFO Coastal Program worked on the project in collaboration with a local NGO, Protectores de Cuencas, Inc. (PDC); the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER).
The reserve includes mangrove islands, seagrass beds, upland dry forests, lagoons and Mar Negro, a mangrove-wetland forest complex with unique ecological values and natural scenery. The PRDNER manages the area, which is one of 29 areas in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) that is protected for research, water quality monitoring, education, and coastal stewardship. The NERRS is a network of coastal areas designated to protect and study estuarine systems. In addition, the reserve protects 2,883 acres along Puerto Rico's southern coast, providing an ecologically diverse ecosystem for a series of important trust species such as hawksbill sea turtles, peregrine falcons, yellow-shouldered blackbirds, and Antillean manatees.
"The site is already being used as an education station and already has been integrated in our K-12 school field trips visits for water quality education program," said Ernesto Olivares, Outreach Coordinator at the reserve.
The project aimed to re-establish hydrological connectivity at the reserve by removing illegal waste and creating a canal to allow intertidal flow. Once the waste was removed by PDC, the soil was regraded to reach the desired topography allowing the hydrological connectivity with Jobos Bay.
"Successful long-term outcomes are achieved when engineering with nature. This wetland restoration is a great example of this achievement for the benefit of important local and migratory bird species, wildlife and local community involvement and education," said Roberto Viqueira, Executive Director of PDC.
Eight small habitat mounds were left unexcavated to help increase the biological diversity of the restored site. These mounds can provide escape areas and nesting opportunities to wildlife, plant diversity, as well as visual breaks within the wetland complex. Also, reforestation efforts with native vegetation and delimitation of critical areas were conducted in the project site. A total of 250 native trees/shrubs, including sea grape, white manjack, button mangrove and emajagüilla, were planted to boost ecological recovery and provide new habitat and forage areas for migratory birds.
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Aerial view before & after project implementation at JBNERR. Photo © Milton Muñoz.
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"This restoration project represents a significant achievement for the coastal ecosystem by improving the functionality of the area as a nesting and feeding ground for resident and migratory birds, said Milton Muñoz, Stewardship Coordinator for the reserve. Those birds include the black-necked stilt, the Antillean nighthawk and the killdeer.
The project enhanced approximately 1.24 acres of mangrove-wetland forest and salt flats habitat providing better habitat for a variety of fish, crustaceans, insects, resident and migratory birds as well as other wildlife species. In addition, it will increase research, outreach and educational opportunities in the area.
For more information contact Alexandra Galindo at
[email protected]. For more information on our work and the people who can make it happen, visit fws.gov
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Announcements
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Workshops:
NOAA's Office for Coastal Management within the National Ocean Service will host a virtual workshop on the
Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper on May 21 at 11am. As you'll read on the Digital Coast
website, the tool supports communities that are assessing their coastal hazard risks and vulnerabilities. It creates a collection of user-defined maps that show the people, places, and natural resources exposed to coastal flooding. The maps can be saved, downloaded, or shared to communicate flood exposure and potential impacts. In addition, the tool provides guidance for using these maps to engage community members and stakeholders. The current geography includes the East Coast, West Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and islands in the Pacific and Caribbean.
Please contact Makeda Okolo at
[email protected]
for more info or to suggest potentially interested partners.
Funding and Grant Opportunities:
1. Fall Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) 2020 Program at Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)
The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Award number OCE-1757475), for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program to support internships for undergraduate student research at BIOS during fall 2020 (students will arrive August 30 and depart November 21).
An REU internship at BIOS is an ideal way to gain the experience necessary to embark on graduate studies or careers in oceanography and the marine and atmospheric sciences. REU interns will carry out an independent research project under the supervision of BIOS scientists and undertake training in scientific communication, research methods and ethics, and career development. You will give presentations about your research to your peers and colleagues at BIOS. Our program offers the opportunity to take part in various field excursions to learn about Bermuda's natural history, flora and fauna and all students will have the opportunity to participate in an oceanographic research cruise aboard our research vessel R/V Atlantic Explorer.
This life-changing program provides recipients with the opportunity to design and conduct intensive, hands-on research projects, under expert faculty supervision and mentorship, within several research areas including:
- Biology, chemistry, and physics of the open ocean
- Biology, physiology, and biochemistry of reef building corals and reef ecosystems
- Molecular biology of marine organisms
- Environmental chemistry of Bermuda's atmosphere and inshore waters
- Effects and consequences of global environmental change
Students who have completed at least one year of undergraduate study and have not graduated at the time of the program are eligible. Underrepresented groups and students attending colleges or universities with limited STEM research opportunities are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Applicants are ineligible if they have participated in a prior NSF-funded REU in Ocean Sciences. Successful candidates are advised to arrange for independent study credit through their home institutions.
Funding includes return air travel to Bermuda, campus accommodation and meals. Each successful REU applicant will also receive a competitive stipend. Medical and travel insurance are the responsibility of the student.
Completed online applications and supporting documents must be submitted by May 31.
2. Nominations now open for the 2020 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards
The
Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources are
seeking nominations for 2020! The Award recognizes the outstanding and exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, businesses, students, and youth to reduce effects and advance adaptation of America's vital natural resources in a changing world.
Nominations will be accepted for the following categories:
- Federal government
- State or local government
- Tribal government
- Other organizations (such as industry, academic, non-governmental, etc.)
- Broad partnerships (co-led efforts)
- Individual achievement
- Student leadership (for groups or individuals enrolled in college or university)
- Youth leadership (for groups or individuals up to 18 years old)
Nominations will be accepted until Friday, May 15th. Individuals, groups,
organizations, and government agencies are eligible to apply. Up to eight
Awards will be announced in September during the AFWA Annual Meeting in Sacramento, CA.
3. U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program annually provides grants of up to $1 million to coastal and Great Lakes states, as well as U.S. territories to protect, restore and enhance coastal wetland ecosystems and associated uplands. The grants are funded through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which is supported by excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.
Applications for the 2021 National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grants Program are now being accepted and are due June 26, 2020.
4. *DEADLINE EXTENDED* - U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning, Coastal Program
The Coastal Program is a voluntary, community-based program that provides technical and financial assistance through cooperative agreements to coastal communities, conservation partners, and landowners to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat on public and private lands. Coastal Program staff coordinates with project partners, stakeholders and other Service programs to identify geographic focus areas and develop habitat conservation priorities within these focus areas. Geographic focus areas are where the Coastal Program directs resources to conserve habitat for Federal trust species. Regional staff develop five-year strategic work plans based on the conservation priorities and the geographic focus areas that guides the work of the program. Projects are developed in collaboration with partners, and with substantial involvement from Service field staff. Projects must advance the missions of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), and the Coastal Program, and be based on sound scientific biological principles. Projects must also support the financial assistance priorities of Department of the Interior, specifically Priorities 1, 3, 8.
Deadline for submission has been extended to September 30, 2020
For more information on this opportunity and to apply, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=F19AS00027.
Webinars:
Topic: NOAA and the UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development
Speaker: Christa
von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Manager, US NWS Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program and Chair WG 4 UNESCO IOC CARIBE EWS
Date/Time: Thursday, April 2, 2020
Topic: National Coastal Resilience Program Grantees from 2018 and 2019
Speaker: 6 coral restoration projects that are receiving funding; projects represented from Guam, Hawaii, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
Date/Time: Monday, March 23, 2020
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NOAA in the Caribbean Newsletter
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If you wish to submit any questions, comments, story ideas, artwork or photographs, please e-mail us at [email protected].
NOAA in the Caribbean Newsletter is produced by the NOAA in the Caribbean Steering Committee, including support from NOAA's Office of International Affairs,
Southeast And Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team, Office for Coastal Management, National Marine Fisheries Service SE Regional Office, Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
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