Notice anything different?

We’re ushering in the next 10 years of NERACOOS with a new look! Our mission hasn’t changed; however, we wanted our outward appearance to better reflect what it is we do: provide ocean data for decisions. Though our website will soon have a prettier face on it, the tools you rely on aren’t going anywhere, and neither is our commitment to producing, integrating, and communicating high quality information.

So what do you think? Let us know on Facebook!

How Buoy N's 277-day vacation came to an end

In case you missed it on Facebook, Buoy N, on the loose since December 2018, was recovered off the coast of the Azores thanks to Commander Carlos Santos Fernandes of the Instituto Hidrográfico Lisboa, the Portuguese Naval Vessel Setubal’s crew, and a dose of serendipity. While attending the OceanObs’19 conference in Hawaii, Tom Shyka, the NERACOOS Product & Engagement Manager, was introduced to Commander Fernandes, who contacted his colleagues back in Portugal and authorized a retrieval mission. Without the Commander’s help, Buoy N would likely still be aimlessly wandering the Northern Atlantic.

Throughout its 10 month journey, Buoy N continued broadcasting its location to the Physical Oceanography Group (PhOG) at the University of Maine. While interesting to see the patterns of ocean circulation as interpreted by Buoy N, we are just as glad to have it on its way back to Maine.

All of us at NERACOOS and PhOG offer our sincerest gratitude to Commander Fernandes, Commander Miguel Bessa Pacheco, who handled recovery communications, and Setuba’s Captain, Lieutenant Commander Zambujo Madeira. Obrigado!

Smooth Operator(s) NERACOOS-style

Having a diverse network of operators is one of our system’s greatest strengths, but it can make it difficult to stay abreast of all the innovative work being done. That’s why we asked the NERACOOS operators to join us for an inaugural all-hands meeting so our partners could get an update on NERACOOS activities, learn about each other’s projects, and discuss opportunities for greater collaboration.

Click the pic for a link to our 2018 Annual Report and a full-size version of this map.

The two-day meeting was a mix of presentations and group discussions covering everything from partner branding to potential gaps in the observing system to the five year proposal process and more. We feel very fortunate to work with such a great group of system operators, and we’re already looking forward to our next all-hands meeting.

Shell Day 2019 debrief

It’s hard to believe that Shell Day, the long-anticipated coastal acidification monitoring blitz, wrapped up more than two months ago! The planning and preparation for Shell Day took more than a year, with 57 organizations contributing to the effort by lending their time and expertise so that August 22nd’s sampling activities could go off without a hitch.

Along a hundred sampling sites from Maine to Long Island Sound (see image above), volunteers collected ocean water at high, slack, and low tide, and recorded the water’s salinity and temperature. More than 500 individual samples were gathered, which means that even though Shell Day came and went, the eight labs analyzing the water samples to determine their total alkalinity are still plugging along. (And Emily Silva, NECAN’S fearless coordinator, is still up to her elbows in data entry forms.)

The Shell Day coordinators are in the process of assembling a final report of the activities and results, which we’re looking forward to reading. We’ll be posting additional updates on NECAN.org/ShellDay and our Facebook page.

Funding awarded to NERACOOS for the Integrated Sentinel Monitoring Network (ISMN) Project

NERACOOS, in conjunction with project partners from the University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Saint Joseph's College, and New England Aquarium, were awarded $1.05 million dollars of funding over three years to launch the Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (MBON) expansion into the Gulf of Maine through the ISMN.

Read the official IOOS announcement here. Additional information will be forthcoming on the NERACOOS website.

December Annual Meeting postponed

We are postponing the NERACOOS Annual Meeting, which was scheduled to take place on December 5th and 6th. As soon as we reschedule we will send out the information and post it on our website. Thank you for your patience!