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Greetings!
We just wrapped up our Spring Members’ Meeting and 20th Anniversary Celebration. It was great seeing everyone in person at Texas A&M University — the meeting included about 90 attendees. I’d especially like to thank Dr. Shari Yvon-Lewis, Head of the Department of Oceanography, for hosting us and for being a long-time GCOOS champion, GCOOS founder Dr. Worth Nowlin for sharing the history of our regional association’s founding and development and retired Board member Jan van Smirren for his many years of service as GCOOS Treasurer. The meeting also included IOOS program office and IOOS Association updates, along with several panel discussions on everything from the National Academies UGOS project to ecosystem projects and industry partner initiatives.
Our evening Anniversary Celebration continued after the formal meeting and it was great to hear tributes from long-time data partners and even some of our newer staff members.
In the meantime, we are continuing to work with the IOOS Association, as well as the Gulf’s federal lawmakers in the House and Senate on appropriations and IOOS reauthorization. Gulf state Representatives Mike Ezell (Mississippi) and Randy Weber (Texas) continue to be our champions for reauthorization in the House, and Senators Roger Wicker (Mississippi) and Maria Cantwell (Washington) in the Senate. We’re certainly grateful that our Gulf state representatives value the importance of the data we collect and disseminate to a wide variety of stakeholders and recognize the importance of this U.S. system for the value it brings to our economy, public safety and even national security.
If we didn’t have the opportunity to connect during the GCOOS Spring Meeting, perhaps we can make time during the Gulf of America Alliance's upcoming Gulf Conference May 4-7 in Mobile. GCOOS is a proud sponsor of GulfCon and we invited you to stop by the GCOOS table to say hello during the event!
Until next month,
| | GCOOS Staff and Board Members at the 2026 GCOOS Spring Members' Meeting. | | GCOOS Spring Members’ Meeting and 20th Anniversary Celebration | | About 90 attendees participated in the GCOOS 2026 Spring Members' Meeting at Texas A&M University in College Station on April 14. | | |
While a series of unfortunate events may have delayed the 20th anniversary celebration of the GCOOS Regional Association, recent festivities at Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, Texas, were worth the wait! From founding Board Chair Dr. Worth Nowlin to newly elected Board members Dr. Mike Yang, Chevron, Dr. Chrissy Wiederwohl, TAMU, and Courtney Bouchard, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, about 90 participants spanning the organization’s past to present joined us for the celebration. Highlights of the meeting included program updates from Dr. Krisa Arzayus, acting IOOS Director; IOOS Association Executive Director Kristin Yarancik; Laura Picariello, Director Texas Sea Grant; and Dr. Jorge Brenner, GCOOS Executive Director.
Special thanks to all of our panelists: Dr. Sergio Jaramillo, Shell; Dr. Mike Yang, Chevron; Ben Williams, Fugro; Keith Kurrus, TetraTech; Dr. Rafael Ramos, Woods Hole Group; Ryan Hannum, CPC, Inc./NOAA FGBNMS; Megan Howson, GCOOS; Michael Feldman, Gulf Research Program, National Academies; Dr. Steve DiMarco, GERG, Texas A&M University and Dr. Tony Knap, GERG, Texas A&M University. Special thanks to our moderators GCOOS Deputy Director Marcus Ogle, GCOOS Board Vice Chair Suraida Nañez-James, GCOOS Board Member Dr. Rafael Ramos and GCOOS Executive Director Dr. Jorge Brenner.
Panel discussions focused on Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) project and Notice to Lessees (NTL) initiative with industry partners, the latter responsible for aggregating and serving decades of ocean current data that would have cost taxpayers an estimated $1 billion to collect. Other panel discussions included summaries of ecosystem work supporting Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Condition Reporting and CETACEAN.gcoos.org.
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During the meeting, Dr. Nowlin also recognized retired Board member and long-serving Treasurer Jan van Smirren for his many years of service to GCOOS.
GCOOS was also pleased to announce TAMU oceanography doctoral student Otoniel Palacios as the recipient of the 2026 Matt Howard Fellowship Award, named in honor of GCOOS founding member Dr. Matthew Howard. “I would like to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to be part of the Matt Howard Fellowship,” Palacios said afterward. “Receiving the award and sharing that moment with the group during the 20th Anniversary celebration was truly meaningful to me. The way you and the entire GCOOS team made me feel was genuinely special and very motivating for my career.”
Following a productive day learning about GCOOS’ history, current work and future plans, participants were invited to a reception where they shared informal tributes and fun memories.
| | GCAN Awards Travel Grants to Gulf Students | |
 | | GCAN has awarded five travel grants to outstanding students from the Gulf region to attend the 2026 NOAA Ocean Acidification Program Community Research Meeting May 4–6 at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland. The 2026 OAP Research Community Meeting unites investigators and partners to examine the trajectory of ocean change and serves as an opportunity for sharing insights, aligning research goals and refining strategies for ocean resilience. At the meeting, awardees will share their research, build connections and participate in the GCAN-sponsored workshop “Translating Ocean and Coastal Acidification Science for Different Audiences,” facilitated by Drs. Natalia López-Figueroa, GCAN Coordinator; Xinping Hu, Universuty of Texas at Austin and GCAN Chair; and Emily Hall, Mote Marine Laboratory. These emerging scholars will help shape the future of ocean acidification research in the Gulf of America and are already making a strong impact through their graduate work. Congratulations to the awardees!
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Click here to learn more about the GCAN Fellows
| Register Today for Virtual Screening & Discussion | |
You're invited to join GCAN and other coastal acidification networks, along with and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine), for a virtual screening of the short film "Changing Waters: Time for Action on Ocean Acidification."
The International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance) has partnered with LUMA Storytelling to create this short film featuring OA Alliance members’ stories and experiences tackling ocean acidification and climate-ocean change in North America, Latin America and the Pacific Island Region. Filmed in Washington State, Colombia, and Fiji, this character-led short film follows real individuals from the government, indigenous communities, the seafood industry and scientists who are responding to the accelerating impacts of ocean acidification and calling for action. The piece aims to inspire broader awareness of this work and accelerate action at a critical moment for climate policy and financing locally and around the world.
The webinar will start with introductory remarks by Rep. Pingree, sponsor of the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act. The screening will be followed by a discussion bringing focus to the impacts of coastal acidification in each region. Bring questions about the film and about how to connect with a coastal acidification network in your region to take action on coastal acidification.
| | GCOOS Data Site Migration | |
Just in time for Summer, GCOOS has completed the inclusion of our All Things Beaches app into the GCOOS ArcGIS Online.
All Things Beaches is a one-stop-shop for information beachgoers need to have a fun, safe day at a Gulf beach. Want to know how hot it is? If there are weather alerts, rip currents, harmful algal blooms or water quality issues on a beach you plan to visit? The interactive maps on All Things Beaches allow visitors to explore beaches across the Gulf, including those that are regularly monitored and tested for water quality in coastal Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and on Florida's west coast. The guide also includes local links to beach information, including hours, parking, restrooms, showers, accessibility and other amenities.
GCOOS developed All Things Beaches after two of its main advisory committees — the Products and Services Advisory Council and the Outreach and Education Council — identified the need during discussions with stakeholders in Gulf communities. Stakeholders said they wanted an internet-based tool that would bring all the information about conditions at individual beaches together in a single location. All Things Beaches does that by collecting beach data from numerous sources, including the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as a multitude of state and local agencies and compiling it into a single, easily searchable website.
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Human Health and Safety
| Call for Nominations to NHC | |
The National Harmful Algal Bloom Committee (NHC) — established to provide a collective voice for the academic, management and stakeholder communities interested in national HAB issues — is seeking nominations (including self-nominations) for individuals to serve on the NHC for three-year terms. The NHC also welcomes nominations for one post-doc or early career researcher (<3 years post Ph.D.) to serve as a non-voting member for one year, with the potential for re-election for a second term.
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Healthy Ecosystems and Living Resources
| | Public Input Needed: Flower Garden Banks Management Plan | |
The public phase of the management plan review process is under way for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). The sanctuary consists of 17 banks that stretch across about 160 miles of the continental shelf off the Texas and Louisiana coastlines. These banks lie 80-125 miles from shore and create a chain of protected habitats for ecologically and economically important species across the northwestern Gulf.
A virtual public meeting took place earlier this week and two additional in-person meetings are scheduled to take place in May:
- 2-4 p.m. CT May 19 at the FGBNMS offices, 4700 Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, Texas 77551, and
- 6-8 p.m. CT May 19 at the FGBNMS offices, 4700 Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, Texas 77551.
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You can learn more about the process here
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Click here to submit written comments.
The Sanctuary is also seeking applicants for its Volunteer Advisory Council. Applications are open from April 30-May 31. The council provides NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries with advice and recommendations on Sanctuary management. The Council includes 16 primary members who represent a variety of community interests, including fishing, diving, conservation, science, education, and energy. It also includes nine seats representing other federal and state government agencies.
The sanctuary will be accepting applications from the following sectors; each has a three-year term:
- Commercial Fishing (2)
- Conservation
- Education (2)
- Recreational Fishing
- Research
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You can learn more about the application process here starting April 23.
- Applications will be available at the same link beginning April 30.
| The Sanctuary is also hosting an open house for the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT on May 16 at the Sanctuary offices, 4700 Avenue U, Building 216, Galveston, Texas 77551. This free “Get Into Your Sanctuary Day” open house will include a day of ocean, science and corals featuring marine scientists, underwater technology, lionfish demonstrations, hands-on activities and more. | |
| | | Did you know that 1,070 tagged animals are monitored across 220 receiver stations? And that their movements have yielded more than 37 million detections — including approximately 13 million that were successfully matched to known animals across 31 species? This is the power of the iTAG network led by Dr. Sue Barbieri, University of Florida. With Inflation Reduction Act funding from GCOOS, Dr. Barbieri and University of Florida Ph.D. candidate Hannah Gottesman have been working to develop the Gulf’s local data node of the Ocean Tracking Network, a global research and data management platform headquartered at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia. The initial round of data sharing included 28 projects across 15 Gulf institutions from South Florida to Texas. The focus of the effort is to enable use of iTAG data to help inform stock assessments and manage ecosystems for resilience. Partnerships being developed span the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network, National Marine Fisheries Service, IOOS, NASA’s Internet of Animals initiative and many others.
| | Cooperative Study of Spawning Aggregations Seeks Postdoc | |
A group studying fish spawning aggregations in the Gulf through funding from the RESTORE Science Program is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to play a leading role in a five-year project, Cooperative Research and Management for Fish Spawning Aggregations in the Gulf of America . The project team of scientists, fishers and resource managers are working cooperatively to verify, characterize, monitor and model multi-species fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) in the Gulf aiming to produce actionable science to facilitate FSA management and conservation. Sustainable Marine Solutions, LLC (SMS) is leading the field component of the project which complements modeling led by Principal Investigator Dr. Rebecca Asch, at East Carolina University, with engagement led by The Nature Conservancy, and in partnership with managers at the Gulf Council and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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Click here for full details and application information
| | Using USVs for Hypoxia Tracking | |
From ECO Magazine: SeaTrac Systems and The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) have completed phase two of a remotely commanded offshore monitoring mission in the U.S. Gulf, demonstrating scalable, multi-vehicle hypoxia mapping with minimal manpower. The mission proved the USV’s ability to collect and transmit data with the accuracy of a crewed effort, thereby greatly reducing cost and increasing operational efficiencies.
| | New AI Approach Reveals Ocean Currents in Unprecedented Detail | | |
From ECO magazine: Scientists have developed a new method to measure ocean surface currents over large areas in greater detail than ever before. Called GOFLOW (Geostationary Ocean Flow), the approach applies deep learning to thermal images from weather satellites already in orbit, requiring no new hardware to achieve what the researchers describe as a major advancement in ocean observation.
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The Port Infrastructure Development Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration has announced a notice of funding opportunity for projects that improve the safety, efficiency or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections to ports.
| | Call for Abstracts: Oil Spill Conference | | |
The International Oil Spill Conference is seeking abstracts for the May 17-20, 2027, conference scheduled for Savannah, Georgia. The conference is designed to provide a forum for professionals from the international response community, private sector, government, and non-governmental organizations to tackle challenges with sound science, practical innovation, social engineering and imagination. The conference is a platform for stakeholders to work together toward mutual objectives through the exchange of ideas and lessons learned from actual spill responses and research around the world.
| | UGOS Webinar Series Returns | | |
The Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) initiative is designed to advance understanding and prediction of Loop Current dynamics to reduce risks to offshore energy exploration and production, improve hurricane intensity forecasting, support fisheries management and deal with other challenges such as sea-level rise. The UGOS webinar series, which is getting under way again this month, is focused on new and exciting research findings and state-of-the-art techniques to inform a broad audience consisting of stakeholders, scientists, government employees and early career researchers.
This UGOS focused webinar series is being led by early career researchers: Marco Larrañaga marco.larranaga@fsu.edu, Sakib Mahmud sakib@tamu.edu and Andrew Smith andrew.smith@uri.edu.
April speakers will be Marco Larrañaga, Florida State University, who will speak about “The Role of Cyclonic Eddies in the Detachment and Separation of Loop Current Eddies,” and Sakib Mahmud, Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), Texas A&M University, who will speak on “Virtual ADCP: Machine Learning for Estimating Subsurface Ocean Currents from Autonomous Glider Observations.”
| | Registration Deadline: UG2 Workshop | |
The registration deadline of May 1 is drawing near for the next UG2 Workshop. The Underwater Glider Users Group (UG2) is meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida, May 18-20.
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Click here for the agenda at-a-glance, registration link and options for hotel bookings now that the main hotel block has been filled.
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Gulf of America Alliance
GOAA Wants You to Get Social for GulfCon
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Are you attending GulfCon2026? If so, GOAA wants you to let the world know by sharing on social media! They’ve created a package of social media art and text for social posts that are available on GOAA’s Flickr account . Simply find the photo and potential language that you like, download and share. Please use the hash tag #GulfCon when sharing and don’t forget to follow the Alliance on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and reshare their posts as well.
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For the full meeting agenda, including descriptions of Monday workshops, the current session schedule, and information on plenaries, visit GulfCon 2026
- Don't forget: The deadline to register for the conference is May 1!
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Woods Hole Group (WHG)
Job Opportunity: Metocean Analyst
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WHG is seeking an entry-level Metocean Analyst to analyze oceanographic data and prepare daily ocean current reports in support of a range of metocean forecasting services. This position will report to the Metocean Forecast Services Program Manager.
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Click here for full details & application information.
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Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH)
CIROH Launches New Hub to Centralize Data and More
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The newly launched CIROH Hub is the central platform for accessing all CIROH tools, data, documentation and community resources in one place. As CIROH’s digital footprint expanded, its resources became distributed across multiple platforms, including the CIROH Portal and DocuHub, creating challenges for users seeking to navigate and access content. The CIROH Hub consolidates these systems into a single, unified destination, enhancing accessibility, usability and collaboration across the hydrology community.
“CIROH Hub represents a major step forward in how we connect research to operations,” said Arpita Patel, CIROH assistant director of IT and DevOps. “By consolidating our resources into one platform, we’re making it easier for researchers, practitioners and partners to access the tools and information they need to advance water prediction and decision making.”
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University of Southern Mississippi – Visiting Instructor or Assistant Teaching Professor
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Hello.gov: Sr. Cloud and Data Engineer
- Mote Marine Laboratory
Postdoctoral Positions:
- Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
- Marine Research Scientist / Postdoctoral Scientist
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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:
- ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral 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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Gulf of America Alliance: Biodiversity Net Positive Impact
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2026 US HAB CTI: Funding Opportunity
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholar
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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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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Early Career Research Fellowship
| | 4-7: Gulf Conference 2026, Mobile, Alabama, Registation is now open | 5-7: Radiowave Operators Working Group Workshop, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon. Hybrid event. Submit workshop ideas here. | | 7-11: AGU 2026, San Francisco, California | | Dr. Jorge Brenner, Executive Director • Marcus Ogle, Associate Director • Dr. Uchenna Nwankwo, Oceanographer • Dr. Chris Simoniello, Outreach & Education Manager • Dr. Natalia López Figueroa, GCAN Coordinator and GCOOS 2025-26 Gulf Science Policy Fellow with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine • Felimon Gayanilo, Systems Architect, Co-Data Manager • Bob Currier, Product Developer, Co-Data Manager • Pallavi Tummeti, GIS Administrator and Developer • Tuomo Saari, Scientific Computing Specialist • Xiao Qi, Scientific Computing Specialist • Megan Howson, Marine Mammal Biologist and Data Scientist • Sandeep Jilla, Software Developer • Grant Craig, Project Manager and HABscope Volunteer Coordinator • Nadine Slimak, Public Relations & Content Marketing, Vetted Communications, LLC • Laura Caldwell, Program Assistant | | | | |
