Ocean Observing in the Gulf of Mexico: The GCOOS Spring Webinar Series

Registration is now open for the GCOOS Spring Webinar Series, which takes place in February and March and focuses on the work of GCOOS-funded Principal Investigators and how their efforts support the organization’s Strategic Plan and Focus Areas. 

• Seminars take place from 3-4 p.m. ET on Wednesdays in February and March.
• Details & registration at www.GCOOS.org/2023-spring-webinars/

Feb. 8

“GCOOS Current Five-Year Award: Introduction and Partnerships” with GCOOS Executive Director Dr. Jorge Brenner

“Decision Support Tools for Maritime Transportation in the Gulf of Mexico,” Dr. Mark Luther, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Maritime and Port Studies, University of South Florida (USF).

Eleven of the top 20 ports (ranked by total tonnage) in the U.S. are located in the Gulf of Mexico. The USF Center for Maritime and Port Studies provides an interface between GCOOS and the maritime transportation community. AI routines are being developed to improve the forecast of met/ocean parameters at critical navigation points near the busiest Gulf ports by integrating available observations and model hindcasts/nowcasts/forecasts with vessel tracking data to predict optimal vessel arrival times to satisfy published Vessel Handling Guidelines for tide, current, and wind conditions.

Feb. 15

“BSEE Notice to Lessees and Operators Data,” Felimon Gayanilo Systems Architect/Enterprise IT with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and GCOOS Co-Data Manager

This talk will cover a brief introduction to the Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement (BSEE) and the Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that precipitated the collection of ADCP data. The introductory notes will also cover the transition period from the National Data Buoy Center to GCOOS on the collection and curation of the ADCP data. The current status of the effort and a short presentation of the BSEE/NTL data portal will follow. The talk will culminate with plans to enhance the data services.

“Mote Marine Laboratory and GCOOS: Research Highlights and Lessons Learned Post-Hurricane Ian,” John J. Langan, Senior Engineer and Manager of the Ocean Technology Program at Mote Marine Laboratory

This presentation will focus mainly on what Mote is currently doing in their research with GCOOS in regards to gliders and the programmable hyperspectral seawater scanners. It will also illustrate the struggles they’ve encountered since Hurricane Ian trying to get their equipment back up and running.

Feb. 22

“High Frequency Radar in the Gulf of Mexico” with: 

• Stephan D. Howden, Associate Professor in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he has directed the Central Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System since 2003.
• Anthony Knap, Director of the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A&M University, Professor of Oceanography and the holder of the James Whatley Endowed Chair for Geosciences.
• Ben Williams and Dr. Kerri Whilden, FUGRO

(Please note: this webinar is 1.5 hours to accommodate multiple speakers.)

March 1

“Advancing Products to Support Marine Life Studies and Management Assessments,” Dr. Frank E. Müller-Karger, Professor in the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida (USA).

GCOOS and the IOOS programs are working with the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) to integrate biological data into ocean observing. This work is part of the Healthy Ecosystems and Living Resources Key Focus Area of the GCOOS Strategic Plan (2020-2025).

The goal of MBON is to support coastal and offshore studies of marine life, including addressing the needs for environmental and biological observations of the National Marine Sanctuaries (Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary). The collaboration between GCOOS and MBON helps advance rapid, frequent, synoptic, and accessible maps of multiple Essential Ocean Variables (EOV), and links GCOOS with the efforts to develop Essential Biodiversity Variables.

Among the examples that we will discuss are efforts to validate biogeographic “Seascapes” developed by MBON researchers in collaboration with CoastWatch (NOAA NESDIS) and NASA, monitoring for coastal plumes impacts on the Flower Garden Banks, and characterizing phytoplankton species variability and changes in reef-fish biodiversity in waters of the Florida Keys.

“LSU Earth Scan Lab (ESL) Satellite Image Products for GCOOS,” Dr. Nan Walker, Direcgtor, Louisiana State University Earth Scan Lab (ESL)

This talk will overview the satellite imagery that GCOOS is funding ESL to produce daily, as well as applications for this imagery. A GOES SST animation will be shown to highlight the detachment of Warm Core Eddy Zodiac from the Loop Current around Christmas 2022. The record-breaking flood of the Mississippi River in 2019 will be discussed using a MODIS true color image animation. In addition, a short tour of the ESL website will be provided to facilitate accessing animations of hurricanes and hurricane cool wakes as well as the long-term (2-20 years) image archives, that document coastal and deep-water conditions and events in the Gulf of Mexico. 

March 8  

“Providing Real-Time Water Quality Conditions Through Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) and Hurricanes,” Dr. Eric Milbrandt, Director, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Laboratory

Continuous data is valuable when describing and understanding events. The Caloosahatchee Estuary and associated marine waters of the Gulf of Mexico have persistent harmful algal blooms from freshwater (cyanobacteria) to marine (dinoflagellate) environments. The establishment of nine real-time sensor platforms throughout estuary and surrounding barrier islands in 2007 has broadened the understanding of the sources of freshwater, either Lake or watershed, on water quality. The data are used for research purposes and are summarized into weekly condition reports that are shared with academic, state and federal partners.

“Near Real-Time Remote Sensing: Monitoring of Water Properties of the Gulf of Mexico,” Dr. Chuanmin Hu, Professor of Optical Oceanography, College of Marine Science, University of South Florida

Hu has established a virtual antenna system (VAS) to download and process satellite data in near real-time, from which the following have been developed:

• Sargassum Watch System (SaWS) to monitor and track pelagic sargassum
• Virtual Buoy System (VBS) to monitor coastal water quality
• Integrated Red tide Information System (IRIS) to monitor and track red tides

March 15

“USF Glider Operations,” Chad Lembke, University of South Florida

Mr. Lembke will provide an update of the scope, results, and plans for the USF glider fleet, which perform near year-round deployments in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and provide data to local, regional, and national partners.  Water quality variables collected provide context for research endeavors such as red tide monitoring and evolution, circulation models, hurricane strength forecasting, and fisheries applications.

“WAVCIS: Status and Prospects,” Dr. Chunyan Li, Louisiana State University, Director of the Wave-Current-Surge Information System (WAVCIS)

Dr. Li will review the status of, the observational and research activities pertinent to GCOOS-funded work, and the future prospects for WAVCIS 

March 22

“Continued Development of the GCOOS Observing System: Satellite Altimetry Data,” Dr. Robert Leben, Research Professor Emeritus in the Ann and H. J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder (UCB) and a member of the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR).

This talk will review GCOOS-funded work at UCB for monitoring, maintaining, and transitioning near real-time and historical altimetry products for the Gulf of Mexico to the GCOOS Data Management and Communications (DMAC) subsystem. He will also provide an update of the altimeter data products and review recent significant oceanographic events in the Gulf.

“Nutrient Sensors,” Dr. Beth Stuffer, Associate Professor, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Department of Biology 

March 29

“Early Warning of Harmful Algal Blooms Using Continuous Automated Imaging Flow Cytometry,” Dr. Lisa Campbell, Regents Professor and recipient of the William R. Bryant Endowed Chair in the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University

The Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) combines flow cytometry and video technology to capture images of individual plankton cells. Continuous, automated operation and data processing, together with machine-learning technology, enables near real-time reporting of individual phytoplankton species abundance and community composition. Sustained operation of this novel technology at the Texas Observatory for Algal Succession Time series (TOAST) in Port Aransas, Texas, since 2007, and Surfside Beach, Texas, since 2017, has provided successful early warning for HAB events. Initial stages of HABs are detected with sufficient time to close shellfish harvesting and prevent human illness. In addition, time series data have been used in particle tracking and individual based models to identify the origins of HABs sources and the importance of physical factors in bloom initiation. Examination of archived images from this high temporal resolution (hourly to daily) time series at TOAST has furnished new insights on interactions among the plankton (e.g., parasites, symbionts, grazers) and the dynamics of phytoplankton community structure.

“Imaging FlowCytobots (IFCB) at Dauphin Island Sea Lab,” with Dr. Kenneth Hoadley, University of Alabama (UA).