Welcome!
IOOS Association is a non-profit organization that supports ocean, coastal and Great Lakes observing through the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Our quarterly newsletter is intended to keep you informed about the activities of the Association, the regional coastal observing systems and the national program. Please email [email protected] if you have any information you would like highlighted in IOOS Association newsletter. For more information on IOOS please our website or the IOOS Program Office website.
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IOOS Association Fall Annual Meeting
Pictured above are the meeting participants, minus the CariCOOS representatives. Image Credit: IOOS Association
September 2015, IOOS Association held its 8th Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg, FL at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The meeting, co-hosted with the local IOOS Regional Associations SECOORA and GCOOS, focused on filling critical observing gaps. In addition, participants learned about IOOS activities in the Gulf related to forecasting harmful algae blooms, buoys and gliders. Read More >
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IOOS Advisory Committee Meeting
Pictured above is Roy Watlington, IOOS Association Board Member, presenting at the meeting. Image Credit: IOOS Association
The IOOS Federal Advisory Committee met on November 3-4, 2015 at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas. The Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS) hosted the meeting. Miguel Canals of UPR provided an overview of the difference IOOS has made to weather forecasting, emergency management, managing the ports and beach safety. Roy Watlington, IOOS Association Board Member, highlighted the history of establishing CariCOOS, noting that before IOOS there were few observations in the region. The Committee heard from several local officials about their use of CariCOOS information, including Mona Barnes, Director of Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) who noted that CariCOOS was "absolutely vital" for disaster preparedness.
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First Regional Association Officially
Certified by NOAA
Dr. Miguel Canals Silander of CariCOOS, Chris Ostrander of PacIOOS, and Zdenka Willis of US IOOS PO sign an MOA to make PacIOOS the first federally certified RA.
At the IOOS Advisory Committee, Chris Ostrander from the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), and Zdenka Willis, Director of the IOOS Program Office in NOAA signed a Memorandum of Agreement formally recognizing PacIOOS as a federally certified regional information coordinating entity (also known as a RA). As a certified RA, PacIOOS has demonstrated it has met both the governance and data management procedures that will now allow qualified employees to be treated as a federal official in terms of liability coverage. The Great Lakes system has also submitted an application and all other regions are preparing similar applications.
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Reauthorization of the ICOOS Act of 2019
July Senate Ocean Caucus Panelists, (L-R): Samantha Helton and Brandon Elsner, Office of Senator Wicker, Captain Louttit, Dr. Macrander, Molly McCammon, and VADM Brown. Image Credit: US IOOS
Reauthorization of the ICOOS Act of 2009 is moving forward in both the House and the Senate. The Senate bill, S 1886 - Coordinated Ocean Monitoring and Research Act - marked up in early December. The House version, HR 2744 - Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing Act Amendments - has 26 cosponsors. To highlight the importance of IOOS, the Association sponsored several Congressional briefings. In July, the Senate Oceans Caucus and the IOOS Association sponsored "Making a Difference: Why Ocean Observing Matters." More recently, in November, the Association co-sponsored briefings on the impacts of toxic algal blooms along the west coast and in the Great Lakes. For more information on ICOOS reauthorization, click here.
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New IOOS Wrapper
The IOOS wrapper visually communicates the story of IOOS, focusing on how observations are making a difference for safe and efficiency marine commerce, water quality, ecosystems, and fisheries and coastal hazards. If you would like hard copies of the IOOS wrapper, please email Abbey Wakely at [email protected]. Access it here >
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2016 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowships Announced
Sea Grant fellows at the capitol. Image Credit: Sea Grant
This month, 41 Executive and 12 Legislative Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellows were announced. They will begin their fellowship on February 1, 2016. Read more >
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Call For Nominations: National Academies Study on Sustaining Ocean Observations
The Ocean Studies Board and the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate are pleased to announce a new National Academies study on "Sustaining Ocean Observations to Understand Future Changes in Earth's Climate." They are seeking nominees with a range of expertise in the following areas: ocean climate research and modeling, observational oceanography, development and curation of climate-quality time series, data management, and marine technology and engineering. Nominations are due December 22, 2015. Read more >
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West Coast RAs Co-Hosting the Second Warm Water Anomaly Workshop
Over the last two years, the waters along the west coast have been unusually warm. This warm water anomaly in the Northeast Pacific, termed "The Blob," has resulted in changes in plankton productivity, fish migration patterns and increased the size and extent of harmful algal blooms all along the coast. IOOS West Coast Regional Associations are meeting for a second workshop in January 20-21, 2016 at the University of Washington hosted by NANOOS to discuss the anomalies, ecosystem responses, and underlying mechanisms. The "Pacific Anomalies Science and Technology Workshop" will aim to improve understanding of how these significant oceanographic variations arose and their impact on the water, weather, and economic well-being. Read more > |
CariCOOS Drifter Program
High school students from Saba in the process of deploying a drifter. Image Credit: CariCOOS
Jointly funded by IOOS and the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council, the CariCOOS drifters are aiding in the assessment of marine protected areas as effective fisheries restoration tools. To date, more than twenty drifters have been deployed around the CariCOOS region, and even further with the last two just recently deployed in the Dutch waters of Saba. Read more > |
Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System celebrated 10th Anniversary
A new report from the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) details the first 10 years of the nonprofit organization's work to improve access to ocean observing data that helps to protect and preserve the Gulf and its residents. Read more > |
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IOOS Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the nation's coastal, ocean and Great Lakes observing systems throught the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Read More >
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SECOORA Board Meeting, December 3-4, 2016
NERACOOS Board Meeting, December 10, 2016
IOOS Association Board Call, December 15, 3pm EST
IOOS Spring Meeting, March 1-3, 2015, Washington, DC
East Coast NERRS/IOOS Collaboration Workshop, January 21-22, 2016
CeNCOOS Winter Meeting, February 11-12, 2016
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U.S. IOOS includes a network of eleven Regional Associations that operate coastal observing systems. The complexities of the coastal environment and the inherent variability in regional ecology call for partnerships that not only cut across federal agencies but also reach out to regional managers, academia, industry, non-governmental organizations and the general public. Please see the RA serving your region for more information.
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NOAA is the lead agency for IOOS. The IOOS Program Office is locate in the National Ocean Service and coordinates federal and regional activities.
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Interagency Ocean Observing Committee
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The Interagency Ocean Observing Committee coordinates the activities of the 12 Federal Agencies and 19 bureaus. Read more >
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