Eyes on the Ocean™ - IOOS Newsletter - 3 July 2024 - The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) (2024)

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Dear IOOS Community,

Happy summer! As June rolls into July I’d like to take a moment to recognize the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which demanded a stop to persecution of members of the LGBTQ+ community, catalyzed a larger-scale movement in support of LGBTQ+ rights, and whose anniversary gave rise to the June “Pride” celebrations we see today. June 28, 1969 is known as the day temperatures and tensions reached a breaking point, both environmentally and in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Read more about this historic time in this newly published article by NCEI “Records, Riots, and Rights.” It presents a very interesting use of archive data. Here at IOOS, we are proud of the achievements and contributions of our LGBTQ+ staff members and colleagues in the regions, and we aim to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered to be their true selves.

This week we will celebrate Independence Day in the United States and many folks will head to the beach to celebrate. It’s a good time to familiarize yourself with tips for handling beach hazards, strong waves, and rip currents and check out the beach hazards and forecast to keep yourself safe.

Lastly, as temperatures heat up, hurricane season in the Atlantic is heating up as well. Hurricane Beryl intensified briefly into a Category 5 hurricane yesterday, the earliest Cat 5 hurricane on record! Beryl is forecast to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves across the Caribbean Sea later this week. as it heads West towards the Yucatan peninsula. As part of the IOOS-led hurricane glider coordination project, a Rutgers glider (RU29) is currently collecting data in the Gulf of Mexico in the forecast cone for the storm. You can read more about Beryl and the data being collected in the Glider section below and find resources here from the IOOS office and IOOS regions to keep you informed during hurricane season. And keep up with NOAA's National Hurricane Center for forecasts, warnings, and up to the minute hurricane information.

Wishing you all and happy and safe July!

Thanks,

Carl

• NOAA Announces new Marine Life and Ocean Technology awards: At the end of June. NOAA announced $16.7 million in awards for marine life and ocean technology innovation programs under the Inflation Reduction Act. These new awards seek to address coastal and ocean-based climate resilience issues, such as harmful algal blooms and ecosystem decline, to support communities in preparing for, adapting to, and building resilience to changing climate conditions. A total of 12 awards were made, five to the IOOS Marine Life program on behalf of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and seven to the IOOS Ocean Technology Transition program. These awards will advance efforts in ocean acidification and harmful algal bloom monitoring and mitigation, water level observations, deep sea exploration, expansion of biodiversity and telemetry data gathering and integration, and fill observing gaps. A full list of awardees can be found here.

• IOOS Federal Advisory Committee Public Meeting - July 24-25, 2024: The IOOS Advisory Committee will hold a public hybrid meeting July 24th and 25th at the Pitch at the Wharf in Washington, D.C. The meeting will focus on: (1) NOAA and IOOS budget, (2) engaging with NOAA leadership, (3) working session on Enterprise Excellence, and (4) new membership. Guest speakers include Dr. Rick Spinrad, NOAA Administrator, and Karen St.Germain, Director, Earth Science Division, NASA. The latest version of the agenda and meeting materials will be posted on the IOOS Advisory Committee website. You can access the Federal Register Notice here, and to register for the meeting and/or submit public comments, use this link: https://forms.gle/zB294GT5McKDGvKB7or email Laura.Gewain@noaa.gov.

• NOAA Science Advisory Board Meeting July 31 - August 1: The next in-person NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Meeting will be July 31 - August 1 at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI. Along with several decisional items and informational updates, the meeting will feature two strategic sessions. One session is on Cooperative Science Centers and Building NOAA’s Workforce and a second session on Science Infrastructure for Rapidly Changing Great Lakes Ecosystems. Further meeting details, the meeting agenda, and materials are being posted to the SAB website as they become available.

• Brian Zelenke represents NOS at Offshore Wind (OSW) Congressional Briefing (Climate Ready Nation and Info-based Blue Economy): This year, NOAA's Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLIA) has been offering a series of all-interested Congressional briefings on a variety of NOAA topics (“NOAA Learning Series”). On 6/26 OLIA offered such a briefing on NOAA’s role in offshore wind. Led by Adena Leibman (Senior Advisor on Offshore Wind), each NOAA Line Office presented on their contributions to OSW planning, permitting, operations, etc. IOOS Surface Currents Manager Brian Zelenke was asked to represent NOS, and he delivered remarks detailing how NOS is collaborating with OSW developers, across NOAA line offices, and in partnership with other federal agencies to support the Administration’s OSW development goals.

• June’s Sea Technology Magazine shines a light on MTS/NOAA Ocean Enterprise Initiative (Climate Ready Nation, Make Equity Central to NOAA’s Mission, and Info-based Blue Economy): "The Ocean Enterprise," is featured in the June issue of Sea Technology Magazine. Dive into the critical insights on how the Ocean Enterprise—comprising public, private, nonprofit, research, and academic sectors—plays a pivotal role in addressing pressing societal challenges such as climate adaptation, hazard resilience, ecosystem preservation, and sustainable blue economic growth.

• Welcome Sarina Mann! Sarina (she/her, they/them) joined the IOOS Operations Division / Observing & Prediction Branch on June 10th. They will provide project management support for various data management projects, including our Data Assembly Centers, QARTOD, and select IOOS.US products. Their background is in GIS and remote sensing of the environment with an M.A. from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Before IOOS, they worked at the Arizona State Museum, leading multiple projects to migrate front-facing data entry systems and corresponding anthropological databases. Professionally, they also enjoy public speaking and community engagement. Sarina lives in Tucson, AZ and enjoys lifting weights, hiking, playing guitar, and traveling.

• Welcome Justin Franks! Justin has joined the IOOS Office as our webmaster. He is a DC-based web developer and digital media consultant with over 10 years of experience serving S&P 500 companies, government agencies, small businesses, and mission-driven organizations. He holds a BA in International Relations from Michigan State University. Justin is an advocate for public interest technologies and digital equity and is dedicated to helping bridge intergenerational divides.

• Surface Current Mapping

• New HF-Radar Installed on East-Central Coast of Florida: Congratulations to SECOORA collaborator Dr. Steven Lazarus and his HF-radar team at the Florida Institute of Technology on their work installing two WERA oceanographic HF-radars on the east-central coast of Florida, filling a large gap in ocean surface current velocity and wave data coverage for the area! One WERA was installed at Hightower Beach Park and a second at Treasure Shores Park. A special acknowledgement to Debra Hernandez, Jen Dorton, and the SECOORA team for all your hard work to get these sites approved and funded. Great work!

• BOEM Advances Offshore Wind Near U.S. Territories - Calls for research ideas: IOOS Regional Associations and partners are encouraged to respond to BOEM’s calls here for assistance to ensure offshore energy activities in the U.S. territories are conducted in an environmentally and socially responsible way. This request includes “a Request for Information to determine which entities in the U.S. territories have capabilities, expertise, and interest in performing environmental monitoring and studies in the U.S. territories.” The deadline for responding to BOEM is August 23, 2024.

• San Francisco Bay Crissy Field HF Radar Antenna Replacement: CeNCOOS HF Radar operator CODAR Ocean Sensors recently replaced and relocated the antenna at San Francisco Bay’s historic Crissy Field Pier & Tide Gauge House, home to the oldest continually operating tidal gauge in the Western Hemisphere. The original box antenna, installed by San Francisco State University in 2006 as part of California’s Coastal Oceans Currents Monitoring Program and continuously operating for 17 years, was replaced with a new dome antenna using IOOS-provided retuning and infrastructure recapitalization funds. The Crissy Field radar site is part of the U.S. West Coast HFR network, the largest continuous network in the world. Its position just over 1 km in from the Golden Gate Bridge, under which currents can exceed 3 knots during spring tides and 40% of California's watersheds reach the ocean, makes it strategically important for mapping high-resolution surface currents along with four other stations in the bay.

• Gliders

• Hurricane glider season begins: Hurricane season is underway, and with it comes the deployment of underwater gliders monitoring the water column in locations of interest for storm intensity forecasting in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Caribbean, and southeast Atlantic ocean. Watch this space for more news!

• Hurricane Beryl Intensifies into Category 5 storm: The earliest Category 5 Hurricane on record, the NWS are forecasting that Beryl will remain a strong storm as it heads West towards the Yucatan peninsula. Rutgers glider RU29 is currently in the forecast cone for the storm, which will be a great opportunity to showcase how important the glider data is! Check out the Glider DAC, EDS Model Viewer, and GCOOS GANDALF to access data, see visualizations, and track the gliders. Follow Beryl and other storms during the 2024 Hurricane Season on the IOOS Model Viewer.

• UG2 Updates:

• 2024 Glider Workshop: Registration and call for abstracts is now OPEN for the 2024 UG2 Workshop which will be hosted at the University of Michigan Palmer Commons from September 10 - 12, 2024. This workshop will bring together the global underwater glider community to strengthen international collaboration through community dialogue, exchanges of information, sharing of experiences, and development of best practices to support the glider community. The event will consist of plenaries, break out sessions, town halls, networking happy hours, poster sessions, and vendor booths spread out over three action-packed days.
• Click here to access the registration form
• Check the website for updates and information

• Click here to join UG2

• UG2 Glider Related Job Postings

• Buoys & Moorings

• Building local capacity for sustaining wave buoys in American Samoa: In June, U.S. IOOS Regional Association PacIOOS worked with a team of local partners to deploy two wave buoys in American Samoa, a U.S. territory that has been historically under-represented by ocean observing assets. These new buoys are a much needed addition to an ongoing effort established by core program funds to build observing capacity in American Samoa. The ongoing PacIOOS buoy collaboration includes federal (National Park Service and National Marine Sanctuaries) and non-federal partners (Department of Port Administration), and is training the local ferry crews to deploy and retrieve wave buoys for stewardship of these critical assets. Cultivating local stewardship and expertise will minimize buoy downtime and ensure more consistent access to critical data for maritime safety. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds have provided critical support for recapitalization and upgrades of wave buoys to help sustain this core PacIOOS program. Data from the American Samoa buoys can be accessed via PacIOOS Voyager.

• Ritidian and Hilo Wave Buoy Redeployments:
• The Ritidian, Guam buoy was redeployed in June. The buoy broke free when Typhoon Mawar passed over Guam as a Category 4 storm, during which the buoy recorded a significant wave height of 28.97 feet. With help from local partner, Todd Genereaux, the buoy was redeployed off Ritidian Point on the north shore of Guam. Along with wave height, this buoy also measures sea surface temperature in real-time.
• The Hilo wave buoy was redeployed with the support of UH Hilo Natural Sciences Division’s Captain Kainoa Hauanio and PacIOOS technician Diego Johansen. Moored northeast of Hilo Harbor, 4 miles (6 km) offshore of Leleiwi Point on the windward coast of Hawaiʻi Island, the buoy measures wave height as well as sea surface temperature.

• New CDIP Stations on NANOOS Visualization System: The Coastal Data Information Program, which monitors wave activity along the coast, recently deployed two new stations at the PacWave South test site off Newport, OR (Newport North and Newport South) in partnership with UCSD Scripps, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oregon State University.

• Harmful Algal Blooms

• Low Gulf of Maine Red Tide Predicted for 2024: NCCOS researchers are expecting another low red tide for the Gulf of Maine this spring and summer; the smaller bloom pattern has been observed in the region over the last few years. Gulf of Maine red tide is caused by toxin-producing algae, and the toxin can accumulate in shellfish and can result in serious — or even fatal — illness in people who eat contaminated shellfish. NCCOS and partners produce a yearly red tide forecast for the Gulf of Maine that helps state shellfish managers gauge the severity of the season’s harmful algal blooms before they occur, reducing the possibility of recalls and miscommunication that can lead to reduced seafood consumption. Once the bloom begins, NOAA will provide coastal stakeholders with weekly updates of modeled bloom extent, trajectory, and intensity throughout the spring and summer.

• Marine Life

• Call for Abstracts & Registration Now Open for Ocean Biodiversity TechSurge - October 1-2, 2024: The Call for Abstracts and Registration are now open for the Ocean Biodiversity TechSurge! The TechSurge will be held October 1st and 2nd, 2024 at the Sheraton Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. Join the Ocean Enterprise Initiative's Marine Technology Society (MTS), The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and organizing partners, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) for an insightful conference featuring NOAA's Chief Scientist. Framed in a global context and building on the momentum of the United States National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy, this conference will focus on technologies to address biodiversity loss and market drivers to aggregate supply. Engage in panels and presentations on:
• Context, Demand Aggregation, and Benefits of a Globally Scaled Marine Biodiversity Knowledge Network
• Powering Solutions to Advance Ocean Biodiversity Technologies and Finance

• CETACEAN Project Update: The CETACEAN (Compilation of Environmental, Threats, and Animal Data for Cetacean Population Health Analyses) team has been seeking and compiling population and human-induced threat data for the initial development of the database. They have identified key data sources and collected data from groups that include NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program. The focus has been predominantly on collecting the best population density and occurrence datasets for cetacean species in the Gulf of Mexico, but the CETACEAN team has also been reaching out to research partners to acquire tagging data.

• Congratulations to Grace Glisson and Emily Muterspaugh, from the Program of the Environment at the University of Washington, for completing their capstone projects and internships with the U.S. Animal Telemetry Network at the U.S. IOOS Office! Both students did an amazing job presenting their posters at their capstone symposium and Emily’s poster, titled “Modernizing Environmental Education: Integrating Telemetry Data into Academic Practices,” will be on display in Wallace Hall at the University through the fall quarter. Grace and Emily both graduated in June from the University of Washington, each receiving a degree in Environmental Studies. Many thanks to Dr. Michelle Lander, Research Fisheries Biologist with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, WA, for supervising both students during their internship and for providing support to the ATN during her detail as the acting Animal Telemetry Network Coordinator from August 2023 - April 2024.

• IOOS published a new notebook to the IOOS Code Lab “Interpolate MURSST to great white shark telemetry track with R and ERDDAP” which highlights the use of netCDF in the R programming language and uses the ERDDAP interpolate tool. https://ioos.github.io/ioos_code_lab/content/code_gallery/data_analysis_and_visualization_notebooks/2024-05-16-white_shark_water_temp.html

• QARTOD

• No update.

• Artificial Intelligence

• Hassan chaired a session at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group (June 18-21) on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) for identifying and classifying marine species from image data. The results from this session will be summarized in the ICES report.

• The Salish Sea and Columbia River Operational Forecast System code has been approved for transition to operations. SSCOFS is replacing the existing SELFE-based CREOFS. This project was developed through the Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed program and development was a collaboration between NOAA/NOS offices Integrated Ocean Observing System, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, and Office of Coast Survey, NOAA/NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction Central Operations, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

• New papers & reports:
• Widespread and increasing near-bottom hypoxia in the coastal ocean off the United States Pacific Northwest
• 2024 Yukon River Chinook Run Timing Forecast
• Experimental Weekly Sargassum Inundation Risk (SIR v1.3) Status: June 4-10, 2024
• Experimental Weekly Sargassum Inundation Risk (SIR v1.3) Status: June 11-17, 2024
• Outlook of 2024 Sargassum blooms (June 30, 2024)

• IOOS Enterprise in the News:
  • Imperilled by ocean acidification: How US Pacific shellfish farms are coping (NANOOS), Dialogue Earth, 5/3/24
  • Tough budget decisions for NOAA in focus at House hearing (U.S. IOOS), FedScoop, 6/6/24
  • UMD Leads Sensor Project to Cast a Wide ‘Net’ to Predict, Prepare for Floods (MARACOOS), Maryland Today, 6/7/24
  • Climate Monitoring, Maritime Safety Buoys Deployed in Lake Superior (GLOS), SooLeader, 6/10/24
  • Why does the ocean look dirty, brown in Pacific Beach? (SCCOOS), CBS 8, 6/11/24
  • $2.1M for UH-led Maui wildfire response research (PacIOOS), University of Hawaiʻi System News, 6/24/24
  • Can Seaweed Save American Shellfish? (CeNCOOS), Civil Eats, 6/27/24
  • Biden-Harris Administration invests $16.7 million for marine technology innovation through the Inflation Reduction Act (U.S. IOOS, GLOS, MARACOOS, NERACOOS), NOAA, 6/27/24
  • NOAA announces $16.7M in funding for innovative marine technologies (KOAM)
  • U-M will lead new partnership on Great Lakes biodiversity (GLOS, U.S. IOOS), Michigan News, 6/27/24
  • MIL-OSI USA: RI’s Ocean Discovery League Nets $1.2M NOAA Grant to Develop Low-cost, Deep-ocean Exploration Technology (U.S. IOOS), ForeignAffairs.co.nz, 6/29/24
  • Novy aids development of next-generation ocean sensor system (PacIOOS), Nebraska Today, 7/2/24

• Sharing buoy technical expertise: Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s field team traveled to La Push, WA to participate in the May 2024 coastal moorings fieldwork led by UW-APL. Shadowing and helping the UW-APL team was a valuable training opportunity for CRITFC staff, who gained knowledge on topics including rigging, boat operations, buoy design, AIS systems, ESP prep, and troubleshooting. The experience also strengthened bonds between these two NANOOS partners. Future field shadowing opportunities may be a valuable tool for knowledge transfer among NANOOS field staff.

• Indigenous Great Lake Network initiative Update: The Indigenous Great Lakes Network initiative (IGLNi) held its second in-person meeting on May 24th at the Ojibway Nature Center, in Windsor, Ontario. A few weeks after the meeting, GLOS had the chance to talk with Barbara Wall, of the Indigenous Environmental Institute (IEI) at Trent University, to learn how the second in-person meeting unfolded and to get her perspective on the network’s progress. Read the full story here.

• IOOS and NOAA Support Educating the Next Generation of Ocean Scientists: IOOS and NOAA staff joined Mission Tampa Bay the week of June 8th. Mission Tampa Bay is a STEM camp for middle school girls built around NOAA science and government careers. It is funded by the US Department of Defense (DoDSTEM/DoDEA) and supported by Hillsborough County. Tracy Fanara, IOOS/NOS Coastal Modeling Portfolio Manager, served as Camp Director for the week-long camp. The campers built ROVs, soldered parts for drones, and built buoys (Backyard Buoys) and were trained to use these technologies to investigate water, land and weather phenomena. They also learned to analyze water samples before boarding a ship to research ocean conditions (turbidity, salinity, nutrients, pH, temperature, DO), use weather sensors (pressure, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity), and learned how to read radar and research historical data.

• Ocean Acidification in the classroom: The NANOOS Enabling Change working group was recently invited to present on OA as part of the Climate Change curriculum for middle-school students at TAF@Saghalie, an experiential STEM-focused school in Federal Way, WA. Rachel Wold met with six 7th grade classes over two weeks to introduce OA concepts and causes, highlighting its effects in the Pacific Northwest, and how and why we study it. Wold relied heavily on the lesson plans developed by UW EarthLab Ocean Literacy interns that NANOOS has hosted for the last two summers.

• UN Decade of Ocean Science For Sustainable Development Updates:

• A New Wave of Endorsed Ocean Decade Actions Bridges Gaps in Important Facets of Ocean Science: With the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference marking a milestone event, the first half of the year saw a series of international ocean gatherings where the global ocean community expressed its resolve to take action for the marine environment. As a concrete illustration of this commitment, a new batch of 43 Decade Actions spanning regional and thematic priority areas of ocean action has been endorsed. Read more here: https://oceandecade.org/news/new-wave-of-decade-actions-bridges-gaps-in-important-facets-of-ocean-science/

• Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) News:

• Call for Members: GOOS Biology and Ecosystems Expert Panel: The Biology and Ecosystems Expert Panel (BioEco Panel) is one of three panels providing scientific advice and expertise to GOOS on sustained observations of ocean variables across physics, biogeochemistry and marine life. It coordinates 12 BioEco EOVs focused on monitoring key taxa and habitat groups and a cross-disciplinary EOV focused on ocean sound.To fulfill the Panel’s responsibilities and commitments, two expert members take on voluntary leadership roles within the Panel in relation to each BioEco EOV. Applications from countries within the Southern Hemisphere, Asia and developing nations are encouraged. More information can be found here. Applications will close CoB UTC on 14 July 2024.

• Call for two new members: IOCCP Scientific Steering Group: The International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP), a program of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, is looking for two experts to join its Scientific Steering Group (SSG) for term beginning on 1 October 2024. New SSG members will be expected to develop and expand a comprehensive and effective set of coordination activities within specific IOCCP Themes, as indicated in the announcement (Position #1: Coordination of Nutrients Essential Ocean Variable (EOV); Position #2: Coordination of Nitrous Oxide EOV and Methane observations and data management). To make inquiries and/or to submit your application, please contact the IOCCP Project Office (ioccp@ioccp.org), by 19 July 2024.

• Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) News:

• Station Papa Complete Despite Weather: And what a wild ride it was! The U.S. National Science Foundation Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) 11th expedition to the Global Station Papa Array aboard the R/V Sikuliaq had a bit of trouble with the weather gods during its 17-day journey in the Gulf of Alaska. For safety reasons because the ship cannot deploy large moorings in conditions with ~20’ seas and high winds, the ship spent almost five of the 17-days moving in and out of the array site, trying to find “safer ground” to wait out the worst of the storms. Read more here: https://oceanobservatories.org/2024/06/global-station-papa-expedition-succeeds-despite-weather

• Call for Nominations: Ocean Enterprise Initiative External Advisory Team: The Ocean Enterprise Initiative is a flagship program that aims to spearhead innovation, thought leadership, and economic development within the Ocean Enterprise. The Ocean Enterprise Initiative seeks passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds to serve on the External Advisory Team. The Initiative is looking for representation from Industry, Science, Philanthropic/Non-Profit Organizations, and Government/Intergovernmental Entities with expertise in Biological/Biodiversity Observing; Focus on Asia, Africa, or the Global South; Modeling and Data Services; and Data Repositories/Databases. This team of experts will provide invaluable advice, diverse perspectives, and connections to amplify the impact of the Ocean Enterprise Initiative. Click here for more information on the Ocean Enterprise and Ocean Enterprise Initiative. Apply through the submission form by August 18. View the External Advisory Team Terms of Reference here.

• TAO Recap Project update: The National Data Buoy Center owns, operates, and maintains the “Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean” array, a group of 55 moored buoys anchored near the equatorial Pacific Ocean, between 165°E and 95°W. To enhance the array and gather more detailed and accurate data from key locations across the Pacific Ocean, NDBC launched the TAO Recapitalization Project in 2014. This multi year initiative will upgrade the array and install new buoys in dynamically important locations. During NDBC’s FY24 buoy service season, NDBC will deploy five operational Recap buoys: two along the 180W and 170W line, and one on the 165E line. NDBC will deploy fifteen operational Recap buoys in FY25 and FY26, with the remaining buoys scheduled for deployment in FY27.

• OCS performs final bridge response surveys: The Office of Coast Survey (OCS) navigation response team surveyed the areas around the former Francis Scott Key Bridge crossing where the remaining bridge parts were removed. The final survey identified bridge debris obstructions still on the nautical chart outside the main channel, providing 100% survey coverage around the former bridge crossing. Once the data is assessed and processed, it will be fully applied to the electronic navigational charts. The United States Coast Pilot 3® paragraphs describing the area are now updated with new information regarding the former bridge crossing. These developments were an important milestone in OCS’s response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster in Baltimore.

• Beta release of modernized reference system: The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) will begin using its Beta Product Release Site to promote public testing of modernized National Spatial Reference System products and services. A new web design and up-to-date content makes the beta site easier to find and promote. This design change also allows for better cross-promotion of items found in recent NGS News Bulletins, such as new online tools for land surveyors and short outreach videos in Spanish.

• NOAA announces Gulf of Mexico annual “dead zone” forecast: NOAA forecasts this summer’s Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone or “dead zone”— an area of low-to-no oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life — to be approximately 5,827 square miles. The 2024 forecasted area is above the 37-year average measured size of 5,205 square miles and substantially less than the record of 8,776 square miles set in 2017. The low-oxygen levels near the bottom are insufficient to support most marine life and have long-term impacts on living marine resources that are unable to swim or move away. The annual prediction is based on the U.S. Geological Survey's river-flow and nutrient data. Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in runoff and discharges from agricultural and urban areas to the Mississippi River are the major contributors to the annual summer hypoxic dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

• NOAA announces moderate to above-moderate harmful algal bloom predicted for western Lake Erie: This year’s bloom is expected to measure 5, with a potential range of 4.5–6 on the severity index — similar to last year’s bloom, which had a severity index of 5.3. Moderate blooms have an index of 3–5, while an index above 5 indicates more severe HABs. Blooms over 7.5 are particularly severe, with extensive scum formation and coverage affecting the lake. The largest HABs occurred in 2011, with a severity index of 10, and 2015, with a severity index of 10.5. Read the full story here.

• CO-OPS Rebuilds Port Fourchon PORTS Station: CO-OPS rebuilt the water level station at Port Fourchon, Louisiana. This station is part of NOAA’s Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, or PORTS®. Hurricane Ida destroyed the previous station in 2021 when the storm made landfall nearby with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour and significant storm surge. Following the storm, CO-OPS installed a temporary water level station to keep data flowing for the area's mariners. The new permanent station features an elevated platform designed to withstand potential impacts from strong hurricanes or tropical storms. PORTS data from this station plays a critical role in supporting maritime commerce and safe navigation in the busy local seaport. The new hardened structure was installed just in time for the 2024 hurricane season and will help ensure data is delivered continuously when it is critically needed. Fiscal Year 2022 disaster supplemental funding financed the station rebuild.

• OCS Team Implements Upgrades to Forecast System: The Office of Coast Survey’s Development Laboratory’s Storm Surge Modeling Team upgraded the Surge and Tide Operational Forecast System. The system delivers coastal ocean water level, current, salinity, and temperature forecast models that improve the nation’s coastal resilience and navigational safety. The new release enhances model performance, resolution, and coverage. The global version of the system has a new station bias correction feature that removes systematic errors in the model’s water level forecast guidance for observations at CO-OPS stations. The model was upgraded by incorporating the latest NOAA Global Forecast System outputs, which improved topography/bathymetry, mesh, and atmospheric forcing. The three-dimensional component for the Atlantic basin now has major improvements to the mesh in watersheds; satellite altimetry data usage; referencing the model to the geoid; and forecast guidance — from 48 to 96 hours into the future. The component expanded model coverage east and north to include the St. Lawrence River for improved accuracy.

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