EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR MONITOR 1 NOAA’S Ofﬁ Ce of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: a Vehicle for Improving NOAA Services a Guide to NOAA’S Data and Richard W

Vol. 17, No. 2 · November 2008 E NovemberARTH 2008 SYSTEMEARTH SYSTEM MONITOR MONITOR 1 NOAA’s Offi ce of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: A Vehicle for Improving NOAA Services A guide to NOAA’s data and Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D., CMarSci, Assistant hicles to explore the ocean and conduct research, information Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric including ships, buoys, high-tech remotely oper- services Research ated vehicles (ROVs), fl oats, gliders, and autono- mous underwater vehicles (AUVs). INSIDE In the decades and century to come, In August, NOAA launched the world’s only mankind will experience—and thus benefi t and vessel dedicated to ocean exploration and re- 2 potentially suffer from—extraordinary changes search, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. This Letter from the ship will allow scientists and students real-time NODC Director in our world’s climate, atmosphere, and oceans. These changes will impact our lives. NOAA’s access to ocean exploration through the Internet. This technology will allow a “scientists on call” 4 research to understand the interactions between Ocean Acidifi cation the ocean, atmosphere, and land is critical for approach to ocean exploration and will bring the reducing uncertainty in ocean into the classroom, allowing 5 climate forecasts, predicting students to participate in undersea The NOAA severe weather, and sustain- exploration. Okeanos Explorer is CoastWatch ably managing ecosystems. equipped with a variety of sensors Program Research conducted and systems, including modern through the Offi ce of Oceanic hull-mounted multibeam sonar for 6 seafl oor mapping. These maps will NOOSS Optimization and Atmospheric Research (OAR) will continue reduc- identify features for further investigation using tether-attached ROVs 7 ing the human costs—in both Unmanned Aircraft lives and dollars—of hazard- that can venture up to 6,000 meters Systems for ous weather and other ex- below the surface. Hurricane Research treme events. OAR conducts NOAA uses buoys and satellites research at seven laborato- simultaneously to obtain a more 8 ries around the country and complete picture of the ocean and News Briefs with our partners (mostly gain faster access to data. OAR in academia, at Coopera- ▲ Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D. researchers designed, built, and 10 deployed Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting Live from Seafl oor to tive/Joint Institutes and individual universities) ® Scientists Ashore through our sponsored research programs (e.g., of Tsunamis (DART ) buoys, a vital component the Climate Program Offi ce, National Sea Grant of the recently-completed warning network for ® 12 College Program, and Ocean Exploration and the United States. DART buoys will dramati- Sant Ocean Hall Research Program). Through tools that observe, cally increase warning times and decrease the track, and predict the concentrations and move- loss of life. In October 2008, Dr. Eddie Bernard, ment of carbon, we are shrinking the probabili- Director of NOAA’s Pacifi c Marine Environ- ties of error in climate models. Ultimately, our mental Laboratory, was honored with a Service preeminent research is a vehicle for improving to America Medal in Homeland Security for his ® products and services used by decision makers leading work on DART . to prevent the loss of human life, manage natural In 2003, just a month after the system was resources, gain a greater understanding of the transferred from research to operational mode, ® Earth-system, and maintain a strong economy. the value of DART was demonstrated when Hawaii cancelled a tsunami warning because ® Ocean Exploration, Observation, and Monitoring real-time DART data showed that the tsunami The ocean covers more than 70 percent of would not be damaging. This saved the state an U.S. Department the Earth’s surface, yet more than 90 percent estimated $68 million. The latest generation of of Commerce ® remains unexplored. NOAA uses different ve- DART has two-way satellite communications National Oceanic (continued on page 3) and Atmospheric Administration 2 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR November 2008

EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR Letter from the NODC Director The Earth System Monitor (ISSN 1068-2678) is published quarterly by the NOAA National Environmen- considerable improvement over the previous tal Satellite, Data, and Information multi-year updates. Service. Past issues are available Also, we acquired and archived over online and are syndicated by an 11,600 datasets from over 70 oceanographic RSS feed. See: organizations and offi ces. We increased the www.nodc.noaa.gov/ESM number of users of the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment High Resolution Comments should be directed to Sea Surface Temperature product by 20 Andrew Allegra, Managing Editor. percent, which translates to over a 300 per- Email: [email protected] cent increase in data distributed. NODC in- Phone: 301-713-3277 x152 creased the amount of historical data as well Fax: 301-713-3302 as modern profi le data in the World Ocean Database. Data from approximately 200,000 Editing and Layout ▲ Margarita Conkright Gregg, Ph.D. Ocean Station Data casts and approximately Mindy Gaines, Tara Mairs, 200,000 Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Marc Pulliam, Kelly Logan As we start a new fi scal year at casts were processed for inclusion into the upcoming World Ocean Database 2009. The The mailing address for the NOAA, it is exciting to look back and see Earth System Monitor is: what the National Oceanographic Data Cen- number of visitors accessing the online Photo National Oceanographic ter (NODC) accomplished in the past year. Library, Climate Data Modernization web- Data Center This was an active, productive, and exciting sites and collections, and our online legacy NOAA/NESDIS E/OC year at the center. We initiated a series of databases surpassed all previous records. SSMC3, 4th Floor activities to communicate to our customers During 2009, we will continue to com- 1315 East-West Highway the multitude of NODC products and servic- municate NODC’s mission and vision that Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282 es, at the same time receiving input on what refl ects the core capabilities of the center Disclaimer ocean data and information are required by and deals with the growing requirements for ocean data and information. We will also Mention in the Earth System Monitor the community we serve. We also developed of commercial companies or com- tools and services that will facilitate the ex- continue to plan for products and services mercial products does not constitute change of ocean data and information. This our customers will require in the future. Our an endorsement or recommenda- is essential since understanding the oceans success relies on national and international tion by the National Oceanic and and coasts in a changing climate requires partnerships, and we judge our accomplish- Atmospheric Administration or the historical as well as real-time ocean data and ments by the usefulness of our data and in- U.S. Department of Commerce. Use information. NODC, in its role as the nation- formation products. for publicity or advertising purposes al steward for ocean data and information, is In 2008, the Earth System Monitor fo- of information published in the Earth System Monitor concerning propi- working with the national and international cused on the NOAA mission goals “Weather and Water” and “Commerce and Trans- etary products or the tests of such communities to provide products essential to products is not authorized. addressing these issues. portation” and on the “Satellite” subgoal. In meeting our goal to provide access to This issue focuses on “Ships, Satellites, the Nation’s coastal and ocean data and infor- and Buoys.” Dr. Richard Spinrad, Assis- mation, NODC integrated disparate datasets tant Administrator of NOAA in the Offi ce of through its Regional Ecosystem Data Manage- Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), ment (REDM) portal; implemented the Coral leads the issue with a description of how the Reef Information System (CoRIS) Regional research conducted at OAR is critical for Portal, which enables a broad audience of us- “reducing uncertainty in climate forecasts, predicting severe weather, and sustainably ers to discover NOAA-funded coral ecosys- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF tems data and information products; and en- managing ecosystems.” Other articles in COMMERCE hanced NODC’s Coastal Water Temperature this issue support his views on the transition Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary Guide to include an interactive Google MapsTM of research-to-operations, and the key role interface. An internal application known as OAR plays in exploration and discovery that National Oceanic and World Ocean Database Select was enhanced lay the foundation for NOAA’s services of Atmospheric Administration by scientists at NODC to provide public ac- the future. ■ William J. Brennan, Ph.D., cess to ocean profi les every three months, a Acting Under Secretary Margarita and Administrator November 2008 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR 3

(Oceanic and Atmospheric Research continued from page 1) saving $640,000 per coastal mile when evacuations and other between the anchored seafl oor bottom pressure recorder, Tsu- preparedness measures are not necessary. nami Warning Centers (TWC), and the National Data Buoy Center. This allows TWCs to set stations in event mode in Changing Climate anticipation of possible tsunamis or retrieve the high-resolution Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our (15-s intervals) data in one-hour blocks for detailed analysis. time. NOAA researchers are working to improve our under- NOAA researchers are also improving ocean observa- standing and prediction of natural climate variability, as well tions through an innovative use of ocean “robots” called the as to identify and predict human-caused, or anthropogenic, Argo array. NOAA helped lead the international Argo effort climate change. Scores of NOAA scientists contributed to in the year 2000 to deploy 3,000 free-drifting fl oats around the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the globe. There are now nearly 3,200 drifters throughout Fourth Assessment Report, which shared the 2007 Nobel the world’s oceans. Argo fl oats spend most of their life col- Peace Prize and included over 20 numerical model runs for lecting hydrographic data from the water-column as deep this historic assessment. as 2,000 meters. In combination with satellite data, Argo OAR researchers were measuring the Earth’s carbon provides a dynamic, more complete description of the up- footprint long before it became vogue. Precise measure- per ocean. With fl oats around the globe and data available ments of carbon dioxide have been collected at the South within 24 hours via satellite, scientists no longer have to Pole and NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii since piece together data from multiple systems to get a worldwide 1958, which is the longest continuous carbon dioxide (CO2) profi le of ocean variability.y record in the world. Expandingp g on this work,, our researchers devedevelopedlopep d a nennewew tottool,oolo , CaCCarbonTracker,arbr ononTrTracackek r,, which is a global

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Ocean Acidiﬁ cation:

Researching the Other CO2 Side-Effect Rochelle Plutchak, Sea Grant Fellow, NOAA’s Ofﬁ ce of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

this high-CO environment causes a drastic reduction in the Anyone who has ever had pet fi sh knows that changes 2 in pH levels can wreak havoc on life in an aquarium. The production of the cement that allows corals to create reefs same is true in the ocean. It is estimated that the oceans capable of withstanding erosion. These results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences have absorbed about 50 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released from the burning of fossil fuels, lowering ocean in July 2008. pH. The result has been a 30 percent increase in hydrogen Over the next millennium, the ocean is expected to absorb ions (acidity) since the start of the industrial age; this pro- around 90 percent of the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. cess is known as ocean acidifi cation. In NOAA’s Offi ce of This expected increase in ocean acidifi cation will create a Oceanic and Atmospheric Research need for additional and superior sensors, (OAR), scientists have been working to technologies for studying impacts on better understand this change in ocean organisms and ecosystems, and ecological chemistry. Just this year, researchers modeling efforts to help predict changes. from the Pacifi c Marine Environmental OAR scientists have been on the lead- Laboratory (PMEL) documented the ing edge of the effort to develop these fi rst evidence that the western North technologies. American continental shelf is seasonally In 2007, scientists from PMEL impacted by ocean acidifi cation, which launched the fi rst buoy designed to could already be impacting the near- specifi cally monitor ocean acidifi ca- shore environment. tion in the Gulf of Alaska. The 10-foot Ocean acidifi cation threatens marine diameter buoy measures air-sea exchange organisms, including corals that support of CO2, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as biodiversity and phytoplankton that are pH in surface waters. The buoy is part the base of the food web. Increasing of a National Science Foundation project acidity lowers carbonate ion concen- awarded to oceanographers at PMEL and tration, a component of the calcium the University of Washington in Seattle, in carbonate used by many organisms to collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans build shells, skeletons, and coral reef Canada and the Institute of Ocean Sci- structures. This threat to ecosystems ences in Sidney, British Columbia. In ▲ NOAA scientists and technicians make fi nal may also impact the economy. Ameri- adjustments on the fi rst buoy designed to mea- addition to the lone buoy in the Gulf of cans love their seafood—to the tune of sure ocean acidifi cation. The buoy was launched Alaska, expanded monitoring is crucial. approximately $60 billion per year, mak- in the Gulf of Alaska. The Earth System Research Laboratory ing us the third largest consumer in the is now working with other NOAA labs world. Coastal and marine commercial fi shing generates as to develop a new technique to measure CO2 fl uxes over the much as $30 billion per year and nearly 70,000 jobs. Healthy open ocean, an important step in assessing the role of oceanic coral reefs are the foundation of many of these fi sheries, as uptake in the global CO2 budget. well as the source of tourism and recreation revenues. Promoting further understanding of ocean acidifi cation and The ecological and economic implications of ocean acidifi - preventing it from worsening is absolutely essential. OAR cation are far-reaching, and NOAA scientists are spearheading researchers are conducting preeminent research to “understand research and monitoring efforts to fully understand changes to climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability vulnerable ecosystems. Results from a recent study from the to plan and respond”—one of NOAA’s four mission goals. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory could OAR’s Climate Program Offi ce and laboratories are improv- offer a glimpse into the future for coral reefs if atmospheric ing our understanding of the global carbon cycle, connections to ocean acidifi cation, and the potential impacts on marine life CO2 continues to rise. Researchers studied seawater chemistry and the framework of coral reefs in the eastern tropical Pacifi c, and the planet. This research will help society better understand how increasing atmospheric CO will change the ocean a region exposed to high levels of CO2, and compared them 2 with levels found in reefs in the Bahamas. They found that and how these changes will impact our world. ■ NoNovemberovev mber 22008008 EARTH SYSTEMYSSTTEM MONITORONITOR 5

The NOAA CoastWatch Program: Twenty Years and Counting

Michael Soracco, Senior Systems Engineer, SP Systems, Inc., and Paul M. DiGiacomo, NOAA CoastWatch Program Manager

The NOAA CoastWatch Program has come a long way since its start in 1987. What began as an ad hoc single product in response to a harmful algal bloom (HAB) event in North Carolina has evolved into a cross-NOAA effort that provides a wide range of oceanographic satellite remote sensing data, products, and services to a diverse group of users. Of particular note, CoastWatch was recently given an honor- able mention in both the “Breakthroughs” and “Foundation Datasets and Products” categories for NOAA’s 200th Celebration. The basic premise of NOAA CoastWatch has not changed very much since the begin- ning. The CoastWatch mission remains to “process near-real-time oceanographic satellite data and make it available to Federal, State, and local marine scientists, coastal resource managers, and the general public.” The early days of CoastWatch required users to regis- ter and use a modem to access government ▲ Screenshot of the CoastWatch Data Analysis Tool (CDAT) using the survey function to systems. Sea surface temperature data were generate a histogram based on a user-selected box. distributed through eight regional nodes within CoastWatch produces and disseminates a wide variety the United States. Datasets are now signifi cantly larger, and of satellite remote sensing products, including ocean color much faster networks have replaced modems in moving data (e.g., chlorophyll-a and refl ectance), ocean surface winds, from receiving stations, through central processing systems sea surface temperature, and other products from a variety and/or regional nodes, and, ultimately, to end users. In ad- of domestic and international platform/sensors. Addition- dition to CoastWatch Central Operations in Camp Springs, ally, CoastWatch facilitates and enhances product develop- Maryland, six regional nodes remain, situated in the various ment and quality and supports their transition from research line offi ces of NOAA. These divisions continue developing into applications, working with a broad group of scientists unique products, in addition to distributing standard satellite from NOAA line offi ces as well as other agencies, academic data and products. Services provided by the regional nodes institutions, and other organizations. Collectively, these include online Geographical Information Systems, The- scientists develop products that can go through three phases matic Real-Time Environmental Distributed Data Services of development: experimental, pre-operational, and opera- (THREDDS), Live Access Servers (LAS), and a variety of tional. Although products may be posted on the CoastWatch applets and software tools. website during any of these three developmental phases, There have also been improvements in data processing; operational products undergo a rigorous review and transi- specifi cally, reformatting datasets into a common program tion process through NOAA’s Satellite Products and Services format called the CoastWatch Hierarchical Data Format Review Board (SPSRB). (HDF). In addition, a Graphical User Interface program Ocean color is one of CoastWatch’s most used datasets, called the CoastWatch Data Analysis Tool (CDAT; see fi gure particularly in support of HAB monitoring. CoastWatch above) enables users to easily manipulate satellite data initially used ocean color data from the Ocean Color and (HDF) depending upon their specifi c needs and applications. Temperature Scanner (OCTS) onboard the National Space CDAT and other utilities can be downloaded from the Coast- Development Agency of Japan’s (NASDA, now the Japan Watch website. Alternatively, users can import and use these (continued on page 6) data in their own software packages. 6 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR November 2008

NOOSS Optimization: The Multi-Purpose Buoy

Michael Burdette, Oceanographer, National Data Buoy Center Special Thanks to Brett Taft, Engineer; Rodney Riley, Engineer; William Hansen, Engineer; and LTJG William Wells, NOAA Corps., for helping with this article.

Recently, the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) and Deep-ocean As- sessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART®) systems were assimilated into the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) Ocean Observation System of Systems (NOOSS). This transition highlighted the need to develop a strategy to manage three independent observation systems as one integrated observation system of nearly 200 buoys. To accomplish this, NDBC fi rst developed a multi-purpose buoy, a standard platform with baseline form factors to meet the individual and combined needs of a TAO, DART®, and Coastal Weather Buoy. This new buoy will allow for more combined and coordinated operations that take advantage of a common platform, provide an opportunity to mix observation schemes where advantageous, and reduce overall logistics and maintenance costs. The design, development, fabrication, and deployment of the proto- type multi-purpose systems for long-term fi eld testing were completed in June 2008. As with any system that is intended for multiple applications, there were major design confl icts that had to be resolved. These issues included individual power system requirements for each application; pay- load packaging; and the placement of a wave sensor relative to magnetic interference. In addition, NDBC created a confi gurable mooring bridle to accommodate various hardware and program requirements and a confi gurable Acoustic Doppler Current Profi ler (ADCP) well to protect the sensor from environmental damage and increase reliability. NDBC also made ▲ Testing the Multi-Purpose Buoy. sure to design this buoy so that it is easy for a fi eld technician to service or reconfi gure at sea. To date, all fi eld testing has proven successful. In 2009, NDBC plans to conduct one last short-term test to prove interoperabil- ity. During at-sea service, each of the buoys will be reconfi gured on-deck to support different program requirements before being redeployed for a 30-day monitoring period. ■

(The NOAA CoastWatch Program continued from page 5) from the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Envisat platform Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA) Advanced Earth and is likewise preparing for the Visible/Infrared Imager/ Observing Satellite (ADEOS) (1996-1997). This initial Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) to be fl own aboard the National effort paved the way for implementing NOAA’s fi rst opera- Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System tional ocean color products, starting in 2006. Today, data (NPOESS) platforms. from GeoEye’s Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor New developments and improvements scheduled in the (SeaWiFS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Admin- coming year for CoastWatch include completing the rede- istration’s (NASA’s) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spec- sign of the CoastWatch Central website; further developing troradiometer (MODIS) aboard the OrbView-2 and Aqua a complementary OceanWatch website that supports global spacecraft, respectively, are processed into daily, mean, and climate applications; supporting the network Common Data anomaly chlorophyll-a and refl ectance products. These Form (netCDF) format; and implementing a THREDDS products are then made available to NOAA’s Center for server to support NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO- (IOOS) activities, among many other efforts. ■ OPS) for analysis and are used to issue HAB bulletins for the Gulf of Mexico. To maintain operational ocean color For additional information on CoastWatch, visit http://coast- continuity, CoastWatch is now obtaining and processing watch.noaa.gov/ or contact Paul DiGiacomo, the CoastWatch MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data Program Manager, at [email protected]. November 2008 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR 7

Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Hurricane Research

Erica Rule, Outreach Coordinator, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

NOAA has been sending manned aircraft into hurri- can be used again for future missions once recovered back on land. canes for over 50 years to collect information vital to under- In September 2005, NOAA, its partners, and the National standing hurricane dynamics and accurately measuring storm Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) success- strength. To improve intensity forecasts, scientists need to fully fl ew an unmanned aircraft into Tropical Storm Ophelia. collect information in the environment where the air meets the The UAS was fi rst fl own in hurricane strength winds during sea—called the hurricane boundary layer. Hurricane Noel in 2007. In both instances, the Aerosonde® Since 2005, NOAA has been studying the unique capabil- UAS provided critical near-surface wind observations to the ity of unmanned aircraft for use in understanding hurricanes. National Hurricane Center in real time. NOAA uses the Aerosonde®, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) This year, NOAA plans to test the capability of UAS air- as an instrument platform capable of transmitting data, from craft to obtain continuous observations of temperature, mois- within hurricanes, at fl ight levels at or below 500 feet of ture, and wind close to the ocean surface in a mature, major altitude where it is too dangerous to send manned aircraft. hurricane (category 3 or stronger). In coming years, NOAA During a fl ight into a hurricane, the UAS spirals into the eye hopes UAS data will be used to help initialize and verify of the storm, riding the waves of air turbulence while its pilot operational and research-oriented numerical experiments of controls the aircraft from anywhere in the world. The aircraft tropical cyclones. ■

WISDOM (Weather In Situ Deployment Optimization Method)

Justyna Nicinska, WISDOM Program Manager, NOAA’s Ofﬁ ce of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and Russell B. Chadwick, Senior Engineer, Global Systems Division

Severe hurricanes have a devastating impact on the Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. The long-term goal is to southern coast of the United States, Caribbean Countries, measurably improve hurricane forecasts by saturating the data and eastern Central America. More accurate predictions of void for every major storm with several hundred balloons and landfall and of hurricane intensity at landfall are of increasing include these data in global forecast models. importance for public safety. Improvements, such as highly A signifi cant source of hurricane forecast error is the lack accurate track and intensity forecasts can moderate potentially of in situ wind data over large areas, up to thousands of miles, unnecessary large-scale evacuations and enhance public secu- around the storms. WISDOM will use advanced modeling rity by providing additional time to prepare. techniques fi rst, to identify the high forecast-value regions The Weather In Situ Deployment Optimization Method for data collection and second, to identify the optimal bal- (WISDOM) project seeks to improve the three to seven day loon launch sites. Upon release, balloons will rise rapidly to predictions of Atlantic hurricane track and intensity by de- a specifi ed altitude and drift along the previously estimated ploying specialized balloons into critical data-sparse regions trajectory into the targeted region. The wind data from the of the atmosphere. An interagency effort, sponsored by the balloon/GPS system will be distributed to operational fore- Department of Homeland Security and managed by NOAA, casting centers. is underway to test this concept during the 2008 hurricane The WISDOM 2008 proof of concept test is underway. season. This system consists of ground-based release points Nineteen balloons were successfully launched from Mississippi, for “super-pressure” balloons in a large area around a weather Florida, Puerto Rico, and Barbados by students from Mississippi disturbance. These balloons will travel through the atmo- State University, University of Miami, the Caribbean Institute for sphere and communicate pertinent measurements (altitude Meteorology and Hydrology, and by NOAA employees. There and location, used to derive wind data) via a small Global will be additional deployments this season, targeting the next Positioning System (GPS) unit to the Earth Systems Research approaching storm. ■ 8 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR November 2008

NOAA Great Lakes Lab leading to the development of Harm- News Briefs Recognized for ‘Green’ ful Algal Blooms (HABs) and forecast Research Vessels anoxic “dead zones” in the central and Great Lakes Environmental GLERL converted a fl eet of re- western basins of Lake Erie. Research Laboratory search vessels from petroleum-based NOAA’s Great Lakes Environ- to 100 percent bio-based fuel and Research Finds Vaccine against mental Research Laboratory (GLERL) lubricants, earning a White House Common Deadly Fish Virus conducts high quality research and Closing-the-Circle Award in the green Ohio Sea Grant researchers have provides scientifi c leadership on im- purchasing category. This initiative found that a unicellular alga, Chla- portant issues in both the Great Lakes reduced costs and positively impacts mydomonas reinhardtii, can be used and marine coastal environments. the work environment for the vessels’ to vaccinate fi sh against the Infec- This work leads to new knowledge, crews and researchers. GLERL’s ap- tious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus tools, approaches, awareness, and proach to the 1998 Executive Order (IHNV), which kills 30 percent of the services. GLERL has embarked on that called for the “greening” of gov- U.S. trout population. The IHVN anti- development of ecosystem forecast- ernment agencies was to focus on the gen is attached to the alga cells, which ing capabilities that predict the effects use of bio-products on research vessels are then fed to fi sh, inducing an im- of biological, chemical, physical, and and to demonstrate environmental and mune response to the virus. Success- human-induced changes on ecosystems. operational benefi ts. ful trials of this vaccination process could lead to a major decrease in U.S. Invasive Shrimp Species trout population deaths. Discovered in Great Lakes For more information on the GLERL, Biologists at GLERL’s Lake visit www.glerl.noaa.gov. Michigan Field Station in Muskegon, Michigan, collected an invasive Mysid shrimp species that was previously not found in the Great Lakes. NOAA’s Oldest Ship, John N. The full impact of this new invasive Cobb, to be Retired species is not yet known. Aquatic NOAA ship John N. Cobb, the invasive species are a global problem, oldest and only wooden hulled ship in threatening the economic security of the NOAA fl eet, was decommissioned the United States. They reduce the ▲ R/V Laurentian was one of the fi rst NOAA research on August 13, 2008, in Seattle after 58 vessels converted to operate on bio-based fuel and years of service. The 93-foot fi sheries benefi cial uses of coastal ecosystems lubricants. and resources and increase costs for research vessel began service in 1950 commerce and trade-related coastal with the Bureau of Fisheries, prede- industries. International Field Years on cessor to NOAA’s Fisheries Service, Lake Erie conducting albacore tuna surveys in GLERL, in collaboration with Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. researchers in the U.S. and Canada, is Homeported in Seattle, Cobb has oper- nearing the end of an extensive Lake ated primarily in Alaskan waters for Erie research endeavor. The project, much of her service life, most recently International Field Years on Lake Erie, in support of the fi sheries service’s has become the largest international Auke Bay Laboratories in Juneau. multidisciplinary research effort of its “The John N. Cobb has been an kind in Lake Erie’s history, involv- extremely productive platform for ing approximately 40 scientists from NOAA. She has been operating with NOAA, 17 different universities, and her original 1931-design Fairbanks- private institutions spread across 7 Morse engine until this year,” said states and 4 countries. Fourteen ob- Rear Admiral Jonathan W. Bailey, servation moorings were deployed in director of the NOAA Corps, one of the lake to continuously collect data. the Nation’s seven uniformed services, The project is expected to yield an and NOAA’s Offi ce of Marine and ▲ Hemimysis anomala invasive shrimp. improved understanding of processes Aviation Operations. “We are sad November 2008 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR 9

buoy will also feature a new sensor, designed to track levels of nitrogen in the water. High levels of nutrients, including nitrogen, have a strong con- nection to deterioration of the bay’s health, and can contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels in bay waters, which create areas known as “dead zones.” “The Susquehanna buoy is more than just an important addition to the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake Na- tional Historic Trail,” said Senator Cardin. “This innovative buoy system will provide real-time data to boaters, ▲ John N. Cobb in Glacier Bay, Alaska. help scientists gather critical informa- to see Cobb go, but it would not be — the purse seine vessel Karen Rae tion about the nutrient and ecological the best use of NOAA’s resources to in the mid 1990s and the Alaska health of the Chesapeake Bay’s wa- perform the maintenance and repairs state ferry Le Conte in 2004. tershed, while also providing visitors required to keep her in service.” NOAA is investigating the use of with information about Capt. Smith’s John N. Cobb was designed as a other NOAA ships or chartered vessels historic voyages of discovery.” purse-seiner, but added capabilities to carry on Cobb’s work in Alaska. The system’s buoys have been de- enabled her to utilize almost every ployed at the mouths of the Potomac, fi shing method, including trawling and NOAA Deploys “Smart Buoy” Patapsco, and Rappahannock rivers, long-lining. The ship has conducted and in the James River off Jamestown, at Mouth of Susquehanna River Virginia. various types of data acquisition and NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Offi ce research, including juvenile salmon deployed a new edition of its series For more information on these “Smart marine ecology evaluations, juvenile of “smart buoys” at the mouth of the rockfi sh habitat assessments, sablefi sh Buoys,” visit www.buoybay.org/site/ Susquehanna River on September 13, public. tagging and telemetry, marine mam- 2008, to monitor the bay’s changing mal surveys, coral and sponge benthic conditions. U.S. Senator Barbara habitat research, near-shore estuaries’ Mikulski, U.S. Senator Benjamin L. habitat mapping, and oceanographic Cardin, and U.S. Rep. C.A. “Dutch” sampling and long-term coastal moni- Ruppersberger, along with retired toring. Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Laut- Cobb’s career has included some enbacher, Jr., Ph.D., Under Secretary interesting and unusual missions such as: of Commerce for Oceans and Atmo- ● Cobb helped pioneer the use of sphere, commemorated the deploy- surface rope trawls, which led to ment at Concord Point in Havre de the development of an important Grace, Maryland. long-term dataset on the biologi- As part of the Chesapeake Bay cal and physical factors affecting Interpretive Buoy System, this is the annual fl uctuations in the popula- fi fth interpretative buoy to mark the tion strength of specifi c groups of Capt. John Smith Chesapeake Nation- salmon. al Historic Trail. The new buoy will ● The Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989 feature a sensor to track nutrient levels kept Cobb busy for several years as they enter the bay from the river. supporting evaluations of the ef- The buoy, like others in the fects of the oil spill on the Prince system, will collect weather, oceano- William Sound ecosystem. graphic, and water-quality observa- ● Cobb came to the assistance of tions, and transmit this data wirelessly two vessels in distress in Alaska in near-real-time. The Susquehanna ▲ Smart Buoy in the Susquehanna River. 10 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR November 2008

Live from Seaﬂ oor to Scientists Ashore

Christine Patrick, Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, NOAA Offi ce of Ocean Exploration and Research, and Fred Gorell, Public Affairs Offi cer, NOAA Offi ce of Ocean Exploration and Research

With Okeanos Explorer, NOAA has a ship on course has great potential to help NOAA understand, manage, and to be “America’s Ship for Ocean Exploration,”—the only Fed- protect the ocean and its resources. And with images of ocean eral ship dedicated solely to exploring our largely unknown discoveries delivered live to a variety of audiences ashore, we ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of expect ocean literacy to rise, allowing stakeholders to make knowledge. The ship will explore in new ways, sending im- better-informed decisions on ocean issues. ages and other data live from the seafl oor to scientists ashore. Unlike many ocean expeditions, this ship’s missions will Why explore? All life relies on the ocean, which covers have most scientists remaining ashore. Using telepresence more than 70 percent of our planet. The ocean drives weather, technology, live images from the seafl oor and other data regulates temperature, and provides half of the oxygen we will fl ow over satellite and high-speed Internet pathways to breathe, food, medicines, energy, and avenues for commerce. scientists standing watch in any of fi ve Exploration Com- Yet, the ocean is 95 percent unexplored. The Okeanos Explorer mand Centers ashore. This allows those scientists to add their expertise and even take control of missions, no matter where the ship may be. Ship missions include exploration mapping and site characterization, reconnaissance, education, and outreach. If an anomaly is discovered, more “on-call” scientists ashore may join the team as the ship deploys remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and other sensors and systems to conduct a preliminary investigation. When enough data is generated to energize the ocean research community to pursue follow-on investigations, the ship will move on to explore other parts of the unknown ocean. The ship’s most visible feature is a large dome for high- bandwidth satellite communications between explorers ashore and afl oat. A modern hull-mounted multibeam sonar produces high-resolution maps of the seafl oor as deep as 6,000 meters, and the vessel’s tethered ROVs can operate down to 6,000 meters. When ROVs are deployed, Okeanos Explorer remains on station using dynamic positioning, a sort of automatic pilot that integrates satellite positioning data with the ship’s engines and thrusters. Okeanos Explorer is operated by NOAA’s Offi ce of Ma- rine and Aviation Operations, with NOAA’s Offi ce of Ocean Exploration and Research operating mission-related equip- ment. The ship and crew are conducting training and fi eld tests off the U.S. West Coast with the fi rst full fi eld season planned for 2009. The Okeanos Explorer will spend its fi rst two years in the Pacifi c before homeporting in Rhode Island. ■ ▲ Illustration of the ship, and the ROV sled, main science ROV, and the xBot. NOAA image from Many of the ship’s adventures will stream to NOAA’s award- drawings by ROV builder Phoenix International. winning website, oceanexplorer.noaa.gov, bringing the excite- ment of ocean exploration and discovery live into classrooms, newsrooms, and living rooms. November 2008 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR 11

Poster Designed By: Marc Pulliam Photo Courtesy of: Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution

12 EARTH SYSTEM MONITOR November 2008

Sant Ocean Hall

Joanne Flanders, NOAA Ocean Hall Coordinator and Deputy for Program Development, Ofﬁ ce of Ocean Exploration and Research

The Sant Ocean Hall opened on September 27th at the National Museum of Natural History to reveal a 23,000 square foot exhibit designed around the message: The ocean is a global system essential to all life. Five years in the making, this exhibit weaves more than 600 specimens and models—and a 1,500 gallon Indo-Pacifi c coral reef aquarium—with high defi nition imagery, innovative computer interactives, and a virtual submersible expedition to the seafl oor. The 30-year “permanent” exhibit responds to the calls of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and U.S. Ocean Action Plan to manage the ocean wisely and build public support for a healthy ocean. It will be kept current through updateable exhibits such as NOAA’s Science On a Sphere®, an animated globe that displays Earth’s environmental processes, the NOAA designed Ocean Today Kiosk, which allows visitors to access data and recent discoveries through multi-media offerings, and a “Where in the World we do Science” station, which highlights novel research and the people behind it. The Smithsonian-NOAA partnership to create a national exhibition on the ocean began in 2003 and was made possible through fi nancial support from Congress. Sant Ocean Hall received more than 42,000 visitors on its fi rst day, and the museum entertains and informs seven million people annually. The hall’s information and stewardship messages are carried through shared content to kiosks at Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers nationwide and via the museum’s public programming. This exhibit will also be leveraged further through a national ocean science education collaborative being developed by NOAA, the

museum, and the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence. ■

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