In this issue:  SECOORA RCOOS Manager| NFRA Meeting/Hill Visit Update | SECOORA Annual Meeting | Budget News | Oil Spill News | Job Announcement | Conference and Workshop Updates | Coming Events

A New RCOOS Manager for SECOORA

SECOORA welcomes Vembu Subramanian, who will take on the role of SECOORA's RCOOS manager at the end of April.  Vembu is well known to the SECOORA family, comes from University of South Florida, and brings extensive expertise in data management, observing systems, and remote sensing.  This position represents a partnership between SECOORA and the NOAA NERRS Centralized Data Management Office (CDMO). Vembu's primary responsibilities will be with SECOORA to coordinate and facilitate Principle Investigators and other stakeholders to implement a cohesive regional observing system. For the CDMO, Vembu will manage the NERRS real-time delivery of IOOS-compliant water quality and meteorological data.  

President FY12 Budget Supports IOOS®
February 15, 2011 

On February 14th, President Obama released his budget for Fiscal Year 2012. The request for NOAA is $5.5 billion, which represents an increase of 16% over FY10 levels (there is no FY11 budget yet). Much of this supports NOAA's environmental satellite system.

The Budget includes a $16.5M increase for Regional IOOS® Observations. This budget request recognizes the value the regional systems bring to the nation. The total IOOS budget request is $37.5m: $6.5m for the National IOOS® Office; $14.5m for competitive regional grants and $16.5M for IOOS observing infrastructure, science, technology and innovation that includes: 

$3.0M for Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems "to be used to support the

Ocean Research Priorities Plan's near-term priority to develop ocean sensors."

$5.0M for IOOS® Surface Current Mapping - High Frequency Radar;

"The requested resources will support Regional IOOS® HF Radar stations with an emphasis on those stations currently operating and delivering data to the national network in regions of offshore oil production and in the vicinity of major ports and harbors." From the Congressional Justification Narrative

$8.5M Research and Development funding for marine sensor technology innovations.

"U.S. IOOS® will develop and apply a variety of biological, chemical, and physical marine sensing technologies to allow rapid, accurate, and cost effective detection, identification, characterization, and quantification of disease-causing microbes, toxins, and contaminants in marine waters, and seafood which may indicate health risks to humans. The goal will be to incorporate the successful marine sensor technologies into Regional IOOS and other monitoring and prediction programs to meet region-specific stakeholder needs as mandated by the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (ICOOS) Act (2009) and directed by the National Ocean Policy." From Congressional Justification Narrative

House Debates Continuing Resolution for FY 11

On Friday, the House released their language for the FY11 Continuing Resolution (CR).   It includes a cut of about $430 m from the NOAA ORF (Operations, Research and Facilities), which is where the IOOS budget is.  This is about a 14% cut from FY10 levels.  The House is debating H.R. 1 today, would proposes a 22% cut to all of NOAA.  Once the House takes action, the next step is for the CR to go the Senate and then to Committee.  We still have our work cut out for us to make sure that IOOS is in good position in the FY11 CR, and that the FY12 President's numbers hold.    

Expert Opinion Final Report to The Gulf Coast Claims Facility

On January 31, 2011, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility released An expert opinion of when the Gulf of Mexico will return to pre-spill harvest status following the BP Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill by Dr. Wes Tunnell, a marine biologist at the Harte Institute at Texas A&M University. 

Research Planning has a position open for a biologist/ecologist for the Columbia, SC office. The candidate should have an M.S. degree in biology or related field and have strong field experience. This position will involve coastal resource mapping, oil and chemical spill response, and assistance with various natural resource projects (literature syntheses, natural resource damage assessments, etc.). Excellent scientific writing and communication skills are essential, as well as experience in using Geographic Information Systems. Candidate must be willing to travel nationally and internationally. Typical travel is up to two weeks several times a year, and may be at short notice. Destinations vary widely and include some exciting, rare opportunities. Please visit our website to learn more about the types of projects and clients: www.researchplanning.com.

Knowledge in the following areas would be beneficial, but not absolutely necessary: salt marsh ecology, life histories of coastal and marine fauna, and habitat functions and services. Many potential projects, particularly coastal resource mapping, require the candidate to have strong skills in compilation and organization of large numbers of digital data sets, meeting facilitation, an understanding of coastal ecology (e.g., recognition of common marine and estuarine birds, fish, inverts, reptiles, mammals, benthic marine and intertidal habitats), and the ability to feel comfortable corresponding with a wide range of state, federal, and academic partners at various levels. Candidates should be able to work independently and make decisions. Oil and chemical spill response involves travel, long hours, a desire to work in the field under a variety of conditions (including riding in trucks, boats, helicopters, airplanes, etc.) and the ability to use basic field and office equipment (e.g., GPS, camera, laptop computers, basic software, etc.). The candidate should have an interest in learning new skills on-the-job in a fast-paced, emergency response environment. The candidate should have a strong desire to market existing and new clients, write proposals, present at scientific meetings, and publish papers.  

Please send your resume and representative publications to: 

Jacqueline Michel, Ph.D
jmichel@researchplanning.com
Research Planning, Inc.
P. O. Box 328
Columbia, SC 29202

SC Living Marine Resources and Habitats Workshop Meeting Materials

February 13-18, 2011 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico

February 28-March 3, 2011 Coastal Program Managers' Meeting, Washington, D.C.

March 21-24, 2011 GeoTools Conference, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

March 22, 2011  Florida Oceans Day, Tallahassee, FL

May 3-5, 2011 Applying Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning as a Tool to Site Offshore Renewable Energy & other Future Uses Workshop, Narragansett, Rhode Island 

May 16-18, 2011 SECOORA Annual Meeting and DMCC Meeting