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After a brief hiatus, the NERACOOS newsletter is back!
In this issue: spying on whales with self-driving gliders, collaborating on all things fish, putting the mo’ into “modeling”, and Netflix for the Integrated Nutrient Observatory Project. Thanks for being a part of our community, and please email Julianna with any questions, comments, or feedback.
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New Gliders Help Decode the Ocean’s Secrets
Baleen whales are enormous, yet their survival and movements are dictated by the microscopic food they hunt, a chase that sometimes puts them in the path of ships or fishing gear. On December 1, 2018, our partners at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) launched the first-ever NERACOOS sponsored autonomous glider to determine where whales, including the seriously endangered North Atlantic right whale, are wandering. 
These gliders steer themselves along a pre-programed route, recording the calls of whales in the immediate area, regularly transmitting findings back to project leaders. As of April 1, the WHOI glider is still traveling the Gulf of Maine, having successfully recorded data for the past three months.
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Weather permitting, a glider out of the University of Maine Physical Oceanography Group is set to be deployed the week of April 1 to collect data on currents, water temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll concentrations. Gliders offer an unprecedented amount of comprehensive data, as they can sample the entire water column over a large area for long periods of time.
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In March, Emily, the NECAN Coordinator, and Tom, our Product and Engagement Manager, traveled to Rockport, Maine, for the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, a free yearly exposition where fishers, gear suppliers, policymakers, scientists, and others come together “to collaborate on all things fish.” The Fishermen's Forum is a great opportunity for us to let people know about NERACOOS’ resources and how they can help: our buoys provide real-time data on ocean conditions that mariners use to make their trips safe and efficient. Talking to Forum attendees also helps us understand which of our data and forecasting tools are most useful, so we can continue to offer and improve our services. |
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Bringing the Story of NERACOOS to D.C.
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Jackie, our Operations Manager, and Ru, our Executive Director, visited Washington, D.C., in March to update the New England delegation on NERACOOS’ activities. Our data play a critical role in the lives of many New Englanders, from cargo ship captains navigating Long Island Sound, to surfers planning their sessions up in Wells Beach, Maine. Jackie and Ru visited with delegates from all five coastal New England states and enjoyed their discussions greatly.
Because NERACOOS is one of the 11 Regional Associations (RAs) that maintain ocean observing systems, the team also attended the spring meeting of the Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS) Association and Program Office to get updates and work with other RAs to explore opportunities for additional collaboration.
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Together Is a Wonderful Place to Be
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Thanks to funding from NOAA’s IOOS Coastal Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) program, we’re improving our ability to predict the effects of storms in our region. Currently, forecasters can use the Northeast Coastal Ocean Forecast System (NECOFS) to predict marine impacts on coastal environments. Moving forward, the University of New Hampshire’s Water Balance Model is coming online to predict the effects of runoff and fresh water inundation. Through the COMT project, these two models will share data and “talk” to one another, creating more accurate forecasts that the National Weather Service will use to improve their predictions, which in turn helps emergency managers focus response efforts on the most vulnerable areas.
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This past fall, we kicked off a new effort with our partners to develop an ocean and coastal acidification model for the Northeast. The project, which is funded by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Ocean Acidification Program, expands NECOFS to predict coastal acidification. We’re working with key users, such as water quality managers, aquaculturists, and shellfish harvesters, to discover what information they need and how they’d like it displayed. Click here to learn more about the OA Thresholds project.
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Binge Watch the Integrated Nutrient Observatory Webinar Series
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We’ve officially wrapped our webinar series presenting the findings from the three-year-long Integrated Nutrient Observatory project, which deployed nutrient sensors on buoys throughout the Northeast. From 2015 to 2018, the sensors measured the level of nitrates and phosphates in the water, which is information that policymakers and aquaculture operators can use to guide their management decisions. Many of the nutrient sensors from the project will continue to operate with the support of the Environmental Protection Agency and NERACOOS.
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THE Spot for All Things Ocean Acidification
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The Ocean Acidification Information Exchange, an online community for professionals working on or interested in ocean and coastal acidification, celebrated its first birthday in February! Over the past year, the community has grown to more than 700 members from a huge variety of backgrounds, representing almost every state in the US, and more than 25 countries. If you’d like to join, visit bit.ly/go2OAIE to request an account.
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Upcoming Events
- Marine Biodiversity Observation Network meeting, May 6-7, University of New Hampshire
- National Marine Educators Association Conference, July 21-25, University of New Hampshire
- OceanObs19, September 16-20, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Coastland Estuarine Research Foundation Biennial Conference, November 3-7, Mobile, Alabama
- Gulf of Maine 2050, November 4-8, Portland, Maine
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