The Latest from SECOORA
January 9, 2012
Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
SECOORA Annual Meeting Coming Soon | Farewell and Welcome! | Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference| Dr. Weisberg Testimony Before Congress | Education PIs Present at Tidal Creek Summit | NOAA in the Carolinas ConferenceFederal Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship | Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative Funding Opportunity | St. Johns River Report Released | NMEA Call for Proposals | Ocean.Data.Gov Released | Job Announcements | Coming Events

SECOORA News

Save the Dates:  SECOORA 2012 Annual Meeting to be held in Miami

SECOORA's Annual Meetings will be held May 7-9, 2012 at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS).  Details regarding hotel accommodations and agendas will be coming soon!  The planning is well underway and includes panel discussions, a SECOORA Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System(RCOOS) principal investigator (PI) meeting, potential field trips, and an evening social.

 
Please see the dates below for specific meeting times and mark your calendars accordingly! 
 
Monday, May 7th from 3-5pm:  Closed SECOORA Board meeting.  The Board of Directors should plan to arrive Monday, May 7th by 3pm.
 
Tuesday, May 8th from 8am-5pm:  Members and Stakeholders Meetings.  The meetings will be followed by an evening social at RSMAS.


Wednesday, May 9th from 8am-12pm:  Coordinated SECOORA RCOOS PI meeting.  

 

Farewell and Welcome!

SECOORA would like to send best wishes to Tom Kuba with Lockheed Martin, who will resign his position on the SECOORA Board and as the Lockheed Martin representative to SECOORA when he retires in February.  Tom has served as a Board member and as a member of numerous SECOORA committees, and has made many valuable contributions through the years.  Thank you for your service Tom!

 

Welcome to Jason Nichols, who will be the new Lockheed Martin representative. 

 

SECOORA Supports Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference

The 2012 Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference to be held March 8th-9th, 2012 at the Charlotte Convention Center is a first-of-its-kind event that highlights Southeastern assets for wind energy deployment within the region. The conference is a collaborative effort involving more than 40 regional stakeholders from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Topics will include the region's supply chain, resource, and market strengths to educate decision makers about costs, benefits, and policy options for wind energy. Offshore and coastal onshore wind energy will be discussed at this conference with a concentration on offshore wind energy.  Consider becoming a sponsor of this important event in our region.  SECOORA is supporting this conference through committee membership and by becoming a sponsor. 

SECOORA PI Spotlights

Dr. Robert H. Weisberg Testifies Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives

The Transportation Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), held a legislative hearing December 7, 2011 to review H.R. 3096, the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2011 (RESTORE Act).  Dr. Robert Weisberg, SECOORA Board Member and PI from University of South Florida, was an invited panelist.  View his written and oral testimony.  Dr. Weisberg also had a Letter to the Editor published in the Tampa Bay Times Saturday, December 31, 2011 titled "Restore Act has flaws that need correcting".

 

SECOORA Education PIs Present at Tidal Creek Summit 

Lundie Spence, Lisa Adams, Angela Bliss and Elizabeth Vernon Bell, SECOORA Education and Outreach PIs, presented a poster on the Basic Observation Buoy project at the Southeast Tidal Creeks Summit  held at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, S.C., Dec. 5-6, 2011.  There were 100+ attendees from North Carolina through Florida.  The presentation will be posted to the SECOORA Web site soon! 

Other News of Interest

NOAA in the Carolinas Conference

NOAA in the Carolinas will host a conference for NOAA offices, NOAA affiliates and interested stakeholders from March 15-16, 2012 at Fort Johnson, Charleston, SC. There will be a dual meeting theme: Water Resources and Resiliency. These two topics can be broadly applied across both North Carolina and South Carolina, and as such both themes will have inland and coastal implications. Keep checking in at the NOAA in the Carolinas Web site for more information.  Registration for the meeting will begin during the week of January 16.   

 

NC Sea Grant Federal Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
North Carolina Sea Grant is accepting applications for the 2013 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant Office.  This one-year program places graduate students in Washington, D.C., to work on policies and processes of the Legislative and Executive Branches of the federal government affecting ocean, coastal and Great Lakes issues.  View the announcement.

 

Funding Opportunity - SEA-MDI 2011-2012

The Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative (SEA-MDI), in partnership with NOAA's Marine Debris Program, announced a 2011 Funding Opportunity for projects addressing marine debris issues in GA, SC, and NC. Deadline for proposals is 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 20, 2012.  Awards will be funded for one year and may range from $5,000 to $10,000 with a total of $30,000 available in funding for this solicitation. This competitive funding opportunity is open to investigators in GA, SC, and NC. All work must be completed in these states (or in coastal waters of these states). Scale of projects may range from local to regional within those states. Details and the attached RFP are available at the SEA-MDI website

 

St. Johns River Report Released

The National Academies released a report titled Review of the St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study: Final Report.  This final report of the NRC Committee focuses on the seven ecological impact analyses conducted, it presents final thoughts about the hydrologic and hydrodynamic studies, and it provides some overall perspectives on the Impact Study.

 

2012 NMEA Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals for the 2012 National Marine Educators Conference, North to Alaska's Seas: a confluence of science and culture, is now open until February 17, 2012. The conference, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, during June 24-28, 2012, will bring together formal and informal educators, scientists, students, and resource managers to share ideas about the world of water. Since 1976, NMEA conferences have built a reputation of cutting-edge ideas, presentations, information and experiences. Conference sponsors this year are the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME) and the Alaska Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE Alaska). Conference themes include Science and Art, Science and Culture (to include the integration of traditional knowledge and western science), Science and Technology, and Large Marine Ecosystem Science and Education.  Go to NMEA Conference 2012  for conference information and download the Call for Proposals here.

 

Ocean.Data.Gov Released 

Ocean.Data.gov joins the growing number of communities on Data.gov that focus on issues of national importance to American citizens and businesses.  Ocean.Data.gov is the National Ocean Council's portal for data, information, and tools to support people engaged in planning for the future of the ocean, coasts, and the Great Lakes.  

Job Announcements

Waquoit Bay Reserve Coastal Training Assistant

The Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) is currently accepting applications for a part-time Coastal Training Program (CTP) and Collaboration Assistant.  Primary duties will involve planning, facilitating and supporting collaboration processes and activities between scientists and end users for a large climate change research study being spearheaded by WBNERR.  The Collaboration Assistant will aid the CTP Coordinator/Project Collaboration Lead in coordinating collaboration related aspects of the project and will function as a member of the diverse project team.  Together the Collaborative Lead and Assistant will ensure that smooth communication is maintained among project team members over the life of the project and that the collaborative element of the work is strong, sustained and well structured. This position is located at the Waquoit Bay Reserve headquarters in Falmouth, Massachusetts.  View the details

 

Assistant or Associate Professor University of Florida

A person with academic training in marine biology, ecology, fisheries, and spatial or landscape ecology is being sought for a full-time contract position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA), Biogeography Branch.  View the details

Coming Events 

January 22-26 2012 American Meteorological Society 92nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA 

 

February 20-24, 2012 2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT 

 

February 28-March 1, 2012 IOOS/NFRA Spring Meetings, Washington, DC

 

March 5-8, 2012 9th ONR/MTS Buoy Workshop, Victoria, British Columbia

 

March 8-9, 2012  Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference, Charlotte, NC

 

April 23-27, 2012 SPIE Ocean Sensing and Monitoring IV, Baltimore, MD

 

April 30-May 4, 2012 2012 National Water Quality Monitoring Conference, Portland, OR

 

May 7-9, 2012 SECOORA Annual Meeting, Miami, FL

 

May 15-17, 2012 From Stem to Stern II, Clearwater Beach, FL

 

June 24-28, 2012 National Marine Educators Conference, Anchorage, AK

 

July 8-13, 2012 EARTH Workshop, Wilmington, NC

 

October 14-19, 2012 OCEANS 2012 MTS/IEEE, Hampton Roads, Virginia

 

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Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
Are you interested in ocean observations, ecosystem management, marine operations, or coastal hazards? Then you should know about SECOORA, the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. SECOORA is the regional solution to integrating coastal and ocean observing in the Southeast United States. Commitment to ocean observing technologies in our region is critical. Your input, guidance, support, and membership will insure that SECOORA continues to develop the products and services that you need. Join SECOORA and be a part of the Southeast's future. Contact Executive Director Debra Hernandez ([email protected]) for more information.
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