NGI Progress Report 2017
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Annual Progress Report Northern Gulf Institute Reporting Period covering October 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 This report was prepared under award NA16OAR4320199 to the Northern Gulf Institute by NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, U.S. Department of Commerce. NGI Progress Report Award NA16OAR4320199 Reporting Period: October 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 2 Northern Gulf Institute 2017 Annual Progress Report Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 5 NGI General Description and Core Activities ................................................................... 5 NGI Management, Mission, and Vision ............................................................................ 6 Executive Summary of Important Research Activities .................................................... 11 Distribution of NOAA Funding ........................................................................................ 15 PROJECT REPORTING (Note that the last 2 digits of the NGI File # correspond with the amendment # to NA16OAR4320199) NGI File #16-NGI3-01: Further Refinements to Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer Surface Wind Measurements in Hurricanes ............................................... 18 NGI File #16-NGI3-02: Determination of Movement Patterns and Reproductive Status of Adult Smalltooth Sawfish ............................................................................................... 21 NGI File #16-NGI3-03: National Weather Service Social Science Curriculum Delivery FY17 ............................................................................................................................. 29 NGI File #16-NGJ3-04: Development of Trace Element and Strontium Isotope Water Chemistry Baseline Data for the Pearl River Watershed ................................................ 31 NGI File #16-NGI3-05: Examination and Validation of Reconnaissance Field Program Data in Multiple HWRF Frameworks .............................................................................. 35 NGI File #16-NGI3-06: Climate Variability in Ocean Surface Turbulent Fluxes ............. 38 NGI File #16-NGI3-07: Regional Geospatial Modeling .................................................. 44 NGI File #16-NGI3-08: University of Southern Mississippi Mapping Center .................. 48 NGI File #16-NGI3-09: Hypoxia National Office Technical Assistance, Observations, Monitoring, and Coordination ......................................................................................... 50 NGI File #16-NGI3-10: NOAA Weather Information and Dissemination All Hazards Stakeholder Needs Assessment Verification Project ..................................................... 54 NGI File #16-NGI3-11: Core infrastructure enhancements, operations, and preliminary research activities supporting VORTEX-SE 2017 field campaign activities - Phase 2 .... 56 NGI File #16-NGI3-12: U.S. Research Vessel Surface Meteorology Data Assembly Center ........................................................................................................................... 62 NGI File #16-NGI3-13: Continuation of Comparative Metagenomics to Indicate Sites Under Anthropogenic Pressure: Year 2 ......................................................................... 68 NGI File #16-NGI3-14: Predicting the impact of anthropogenic climate change on physical and biogeochemical processes in the Northern Gulf of Mexico - Part 2 ........... 70 NGI File #16-NGI3-15: AOML-NGI South Florida Water Quality Data Analyses ........... 76 NGI File #16-NGI3-16: Calibration and Validation of NOAA VIIRS Ocean Products for Monitoring Oceans ........................................................................................................ 80 3 Northern Gulf Institute 2017 Annual Progress Report NGI File #16-NGI3-17: Continuation of Secure Archival Storage for NOAA/NMFS Preserved Specimens at USM's Plankton Archival Facilities ......................................... 92 APPENDIX A. Publication Documentation ..................................................................... 93 APPENDIX B. Employee Support .................................................................................. 94 APPENDIX C. Other Agency Awards ........................................................................... 95 APPENDIX D. Fact Sheet ............................................................................................. 96 4 Northern Gulf Institute 2017 Annual Progress Report INTRODUCTION This Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) Annual Progress Report reviews and summarizes the research and the education and outreach activities accomplished during the reporting period of October 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. The items in this report cover the research conducted under NOAA award NA16OAR4320199. The report consists of two (2) sections and appendices. The first section provides the General Description of NGI, the NGI Direction, Organization and Operations, Key Research and Economic Impact, and Distribution of NGI funding from NOAA. The second section is titled Project Reporting. The section describes the project objective and research conducted for each project and other project details, along with contact information and related NOAA sponsors and strategic goals. Appendix A provides the total count of publications for this reporting period, and Appendix B summarizes the total number of employees and students supported by NOAA funding at NGI. Appendix C lists other agency awards NGI received during this reporting period. NGI General Description and Core Activities The Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institute, a partnership of six complementary academic institutions and NOAA addressing important national strategic research and education goals. Mississippi State University leads this collaboration, partnering with the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and NOAA scientists at various laboratories and operational centers in the Gulf of Mexico region. NGI develops, operates, and maintains an increasingly integrated research and transition program, the results of which raise awareness and understanding of the Gulf region. NGI was recognized by the NOAA Cooperative Institute Science Review Panel in October 2009 for its significant efforts to address important questions related to the NOAA Strategic Goals. NGI has been recognized as critical and well positioned to provide baseline, current, and future science and outreach needs to the region. The necessity of such a role for NGI is acutely demonstrated by Gulf of Mexico catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon incident. The Institute contributes to NOAA’s priority interests in the four NGI research themes of Climate Change and Climate Variability Effects on Regional Ecosystems, Coastal Hazards, Ecosystem Management, and Effective and Efficient Data Management Systems Supporting a Data-driven Economy. Important recent research accomplishments by NGI researchers, in collaboration with multiple NOAA researchers, focus on the issues and resources of the Gulf with many of the tools and protocols transferrable to other coastal environments. Additional details are available in the second section on Project Reporting. The NGI Education and Outreach Program provides an integrated comprehensive approach to educate the public on NGI priority issues associated with NGI research and to facilitate the transition of NGI research to NOAA operational centers. The program connects universities to NOAA and works closely with the educational programs at the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, the various Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant programs and the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team. Together we develop communication and significant long term messaging campaigns to address identified priority issues. As part outreach and part research planning, NGI participated in or hosted a variety of workshops during this reporting period. The NGI Education and Outreach Program disseminates content and reports of research accomplishments through a multi-media approach including listserv emails, Twitter, Facebook, and continual updates to the institution’s website with NGI audience relevant news. Content includes recent information about research activities 5 Northern Gulf Institute 2017 Annual Progress Report and transitioned results, essential components of the collaboration, operation updates, and other outreach items of interest (see: www.NorthernGulfInstitute.org). The NGI Education and Outreach Program strives to enhance NOAA workforce development by including students in several aspects of the cooperative institute. They are involved in research project performance and reporting, internships, career fairs, NGI associated volunteer opportunities, and network support. NGI Management, Mission, and Vision The NGI leadership team adopted a ten year NGI Strategic Plan on June 24, 2011 (http://www.northerngulfinstitute.org/about/documents.php). With input from its university and NOAA partners, the NGI Program Office strives to make the complex collaborations as efficient and easy as possible for the participants with regular teleconferences and meetings. Mission and vision statements NGI Mission: NGI conducts high-impact research and education programs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico