In this issue:  SECOORA Annual Meeting | Staff Retreat | Marine Debris News | IOOS Updates | Florida Oceans Day | Book Announcement |Job Announcements | Coming Events

The Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative Consortium

SECOORA is one of 12 entities who are currently serving on the newly developed Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative (SEA-MDI). SEA-MDI will use innovative technologies and unique expertise to add culturally relevant outreach tools and information to the current NOAA Marine Debris Program.  The three-state (North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia) consortium will strategize regional marine debris efforts while facilitating the prioritization of Federal efforts by putting the region into a national context.  Exciting products are already coming out of this group!  Check out the recently launched Mobile Application, Marine Debris Tracker.   

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established and is soliciting applications for membership on the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee (the Committee), a Federal advisory committee. The Committee's primary function is to provide advice to the Under Secretary and to the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, which is responsible for planning for the integrated design, operation, maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of the System. NOAA will accept applications for membership on the Committee through May 16, 2011.

The ICOOS Act of 2009 states: "Members shall be qualified by education, training, and experience to evaluate scientific and technical information related to the design, operation, maintenance, or use of the [Integrated Ocean Observing] System, or use of data products provided though the System." NOAA encourages individuals with expertise in oceanographic data, products, and services; coastal management; fisheries management; coastal and marine spatial planning; geodesy; water levels; and other science-related fields to submit applications for Committee membership. For the complete announcement including information on submitting an

application, see: http://federalregister.gov/a/2011-6063.

Please contact Jessica Geubtner with any questions:

Jessica Geubtner

NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program

1100 Wayne Avenue Suite 1225, Room 1237

Silver Spring, MD 20910

http://ioos.noaa.gov/

Phone:  301.427.2453

Fax:    301.427.2073

Florida Oceans Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 22, 2011 in Tallahassee, FL.  It will include workshops and panel discussions about "The Contribution of Florida's Coasts and Oceans to our State and National Economies" followed by a legislative reception at Mote Marine Laboratory.  View the full agenda.

Palgrave Macmillan has recently published a popular book by Bruce Parker, former Chief Scientist of the National Ocean Service in NOAA, entitled: "The Power of the Sea - Tsunamis, Storm Surges, Rogue Waves, and Our Quest to Predict Disasters". It tells the story of our long struggle to understand the physics of the sea so we can use that knowledge to predict when the sea will unleash its power against us (so we can get out of its way and survive).  It interweaves compelling stories of unpredicted marine disasters with fascinating stories of scientific discoveries, beginning with ancient mankind's strange ideas about the sea and working up to our latest technological advances in predicting the sea's moments of destruction.  Besides the three phenomena highlighted in the book's subtitle, the book also includes the history of how we learned to predict the tides, El Nino, and certain aspects of climate change. 

Communications and Outreach Coordinator

Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), UNC Chapel Hill, http://marine.unc.edu/IMS/

The Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS)at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking a Communications and Outreach Coordinator. The primary purpose of this position is to create and facilitate the public presence of IMS by maintaining the web site, writing regular press releases, and making media contacts. This position is also responsible for creating and distributing a lab newsletter as well as developing and implementing education outreach programs for the lab, including but not limited to public/school/group field trips, developing K - 12 curriculum based on research areas, assisting with school/community projects, and representing the lab at festivals and events and in educational professional groups. This position will also be responsible to supervise part-time employees, students, interns, and volunteers. THIS POSITION IS LOCATED IN MOREHEAD CITY.  For more information and to apply for this position, please visit our website: www.jobs.unc.edu.  Please reference Position #060175 and Department 5220 when applying. 

Harmful Algal Bloom Observing System (HABSOS) Application Developer

The Florida Institute of Oceanography, through a grant with EPA, is hiring an Applications developer to work on improving the data entry tool and web-based map server for NOAA/EPA's Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System

(http://habsos.noaa.gov/). 

While it is an FIO position, the person is expected to be physically based at Stennis Space Center at the NOAA National Coastal Data Development Center. The position (#00017880) is currently posted on the USF website.  Applicants must apply on-line through this site.

Coming Events 

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

March 22, 2011  Florida Oceans Day, Tallahassee, FL

April 13-14, 2011 Ocean Pollution: From Technology to Management and Policy, Sarasota, FL

April 27-28, 2011 IOOS RA DMAC Workshop,  Silver Spring, MD

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, Jacksonville, FL

June 8-9, 2011 Northeast Coastal and Ocean Data Partnership Annual Meeting and Metadata Workshop, Rye, NH

July 17-21, 2011 Coastal Zone 2011, Chicago, IL