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Please join us for our upcoming OneNOAA science discussion seminars. This is a joint effort to help share science across NOAA. Ecosystem based management and public participation in the management of transboundary waters
Notes: Contact Jason.Didden@noaa.gov for questions or for audio-link information. The role of good policy analysis and interdisciplinary approaches relating to sustainable ocean shipping
Thursday, 18 January 2007; 1200-1300h ETZ Speaker: James Corbett, P.E., Ph.D. (University of Delaware) Abstract: Dr. Corbett will present work developing a general model to analyze management of shipping's environmental impacts including: Dimensions in which shipping activity causes marine environmental impacts; The possible futures of freight activity; The technology-policy frameworks within which shipping is regulated; How good policy analyses might transform debate and enable policy dialogue to focus on issues of core values. Notes: Contact Jason.Didden@noaa.gov for questions or for audio-link information. An innovative approach to protecting essential fish habitat: TNC's trawler buy out Declining Coral Reef Fisheries Resources and the Efficacy of Marine Protected Areas in the Hawaiian Archipelago NOAA Special Symposium Honoring The Career of Dr. D.B. Rao (See announcement) Runoff Generation in Gauged and Ungauged Watersheds: Status and future Digital Coast: Legislative Atlas—Know Where the Law Applies Assuring Healthy, Safe and Environmentally Sustainable Seafood Resources: Application of Analytical Tools and Aquaculture Biotechnologies George Washington Carver -- Voluntary Weather Observer Speaker:�Doria Grimes (Chief, Contract Operations Branch, NOAA Central Library) Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For questions, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184) The Coast and Geodetic Survey: Scientists, Sailors, Surveyors, Chartmakers Tuesday, 06 February 2007; 1200-1300 ETZ (NOAA Science Auditorium) Speaker: Albert Theberge (NOAA Central Library) Notes: See http://www.preserveamerica.noaa.gov/heritageweek.html Shipwrecks of the Northwestern Hawaiian islands Marine National Monument Thursday, 08 February 2007; 1200-1300 ETZ (NOAA Science Auditorium) Speaker: Hans Van Tilburg (NOAA National Marine Santuaries Maritime Heritage Program) Notes: See http://www.preserveamerica.noaa.gov/heritageweek.html New England's first fisheries crisis: Economy, ecology, and fishery politics on the southern coast, 1830-1870. Monday 12 February 2007; 1200-1300 ETZ (NOAA Science Auditorium) Notes: See http://www.preserveamerica.noaa.gov/heritageweek.html The Role of IMARPE in The Management of The Peruvian Fisheries: Managing The Peru Current Ecosystem in a Highly Variable Environment E-mail: presidencia@imarpe.gob.pe Abstract: The ocean off the west coast of South America is notable because it produces more fish per unit area than any other region in the world oceans. However, this area is intimately linked to the ocean-atmosphere coupling over the tropical Pacific, and therefore subject to large year-to-year and decade-to-decade fluctuations in regional ocean climate. Operational fisheries management is the main role of IMARPE. This task is now evolving away from a monospecific to an "Ecosystem-Based" paradigm. This new approach appears to be particularly appropriate for the Humboldt or Peru Current System, where the uncertainty associated with high ocean variability and regime shifts represent major challenges for Ecology and Fisheries research. After many years of managing the main anchovy fisheries stocks in Peru, IMARPE has developed several tools using experience and existing models to manage this complex ocean ecosystem and its main fisheries.�However, several conditions like the large fishing fleet and the impact of warm periods associated with El Nino in the anchovy stock are still important challenges in the management of the Peruvian Fisheries. Presentation Available On-Line: https://intra.nodc.noaa.gov/Information/Training/Seminars/Hector_Soldi_IMARPE.ppt Notes: Admiral Hector Soldi will be visiting NODC/World Data Center for Oceanography, Silver Spring 12-14 February 2007. For questions, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184) The Distributed Large Basin Runoff Model: a Tool for Hydrologic and Water Quality Assessment Speaker: Carlo DeMarchi (School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan / NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory) Abstract:�Agricultural non-point source contamination of water resources by pesticides, animal wastes, and soil erosion is a major problem in much of the Great Lakes Basin.�Point source contaminations, such as combined sewer outflows, also add wastes to water flows.�Sediment, waste, pesticide, and nutrient loadings to surface and subsurface waters can result in oxygen depletion (BOD and COD loadings) and eutrophication in receiving lakes, as well as secondary impacts such as harmful algal blooms and beach closures due to viral and bacterial and/or toxin delivery to affected sites.�Prediction of various ecological system variables or consequences (such as beach closings), as well as effective management of pollution at the watershed scale, require estimation of both point and non-point source material transport through a watershed by hydrological processes. The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is developing an integrated, spatially distributed, physically-based water quality model to evaluate both agricultural non-point source loadings from soil erosion, animal manure, and pesticides, and point source loadings at the watershed level.�Such model combines an existing physically based distributed surface/subsurface hydrology model (the Distributed Large Basin Runoff Model) with databases for animal manure, fertilizers, and pesticides distributions in the watershed, soil erosion models, and pollutant and sediment transport models. The seminar will focus on the development and application of the DLBRM hydrologic model and on the expansion of its capabilities to water quality.�Further, an example of the combination of the DLBRM with a lake circulation model will be presented. Dr. De Marchi graduated at the University of Padova, Italy, in System Engineering, and received a master degree in Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.�He also worked at International Institute for Applied System Analysis in Vienna, Austria, and is currently a Research Investigator at the School of Natural Resources and Environment of the University of Michigan.�Dr. De Marchi has worked on remote sensing of precipitation using satellite images in the Nile River basin and in watershed hydrology and water quality modeling in the Lagoon of Venice, Eastern Europe, and the Great Lakes region. Notes: Join on-line: https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/172920700 ; Conference Call: Telecon: 1-877-774-5038 ; Passcode: 925335# ; Meeting ID: 172-920-700. For questions please contact Pedro.Restrepo@noaa.gov. Radar Monitoring of Forested Wetland Hydrology: Implications for Decision Support Systems Wednesday, 14 February at 1:00 PM ETZ (SSMC2, Room 8246;�Office of Hydrologic Development Seminar) Speaker: Megan Lang (Agricultural Research Service) Abstract: Wetlands provide important services to society but Mid-Atlantic wetlands are at high risk for loss, with forested wetlands being especially vulnerable. Hydrology (flooding and soil moisture) controls wetland function and extent but it may be altered due to changes in weather and anthropogenic influence. Broad-scale forested wetland hydrology is difficult to monitor using ground-based and traditional remote sensing methods. C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data could improve the capability to monitor forested wetland hydrology. This information is management applicable and can be used to parameterize decision support systems, such as water quality models. Other types of active sensors, including lidar and laser altimeters, can be used to supplement the information derived from the radar systems. Notes: Join on-line:�https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/394609465. Conference Call: Telecon: 1-877-774-5038; Passcode: 925335#; Meeting ID: 394-609-465. For questions please contact Pedro.Restrepo@noaa.gov. Modeling Bacterial Transport in Coastal Waters Wednesday, 21 February 2007; 12:00-13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker: Dr.�Philip Roberts (Georgia Institute of Technology and NOAA Oceans and Human Health Initiative Distinguished Scholar) Email: proberts@ce.gatech.edu Abstract: A large fraction of the world's population lives near coastal waters.�These waters are the recipients of their wastewater via outfalls and other sources of bacteria and pathogens, especially creeks and rivers.�Beaches and shorelines are also major recreation sites, but exposure of bathers to bacteria and pathogens can constitute a health hazard, and high bacterial levels at beaches result in beach closures with large economic impacts.�How can we predict bacterial transport in coastal waters and how can we design outfalls and coastal sanitation schemes that are economical and protect public health and the environment? In this seminar we will discuss recent research governing the hydrodynamic aspects of wastewater mixing in coastal waters, particularly related to ocean outfalls discharging buoyant effluent into stratified environments.�New laboratory techniques using three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence, field experiments on outfall mixing, and mathematical modeling of coastal water dispersion will be discussed.�An application of these methods to the design of a sanitation system in Cartagena, Colombia will be presented. Recent research conducted on Lake Michigan with NOAA under the Oceans and Human Health Initiative on the hydrodynamics of river plumes and modeling of the microbial contaminants contained in them and proposed interdisciplinary hydrodynamic and microbial research will also be discussed. Notes: Presentations are typically available by video, webcast, and phone. For video, contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone, dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to the My Meetings website. 2. Enter the required fields. (Meeting Number: 741804628; Passcode: NCCOS1305; Meeting Host: Science Seminar Host)�3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy. 4. Click on Proceed. 5.�Dial into the phone so you can hear too! (NOS staff: instructions for Instant Net Conference and Video Stream can be found at this internal NOS website).�For questions about this seminar, please contact Felix A. Martinez (301-713-3338 x153). The 2005 and 2006 New England red tides:�mechanisms, management challenges, and implications for future forecasting capabilities Thursday, 22 February 2007; 11:30 - 12:30 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker: Donald M. Anderson (Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Email: danderson@whoi.edu Abstract: A massive red tide of Alexandrium fundyense affected southern New England in 2005, closing nearshore shellfish beds from Maine to Massachusetts and 40,000 km2 of offshore federal waters.�This was the largest regional bloom in at least 30 years. In 2006, another A. fundyense bloom developed that initially had many of the same characteristics as the 2005 event.�Although paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxicity in 2006 was still extensive, the bloom did not affect southern Gulf of Maine waters to the same extent as in 2005. This presentation will present observations on the 2005 and 2006 Alexandrium events and will use state-of-the-art computer simulations and sensitivity analyses to identify the key factors that contributed to bloom development and that regulated the observed interannual variability in PSP toxicity within the region.�The long-term implications of the blooms will also be discussed, as there is good reason to believe that the western Gulf of Maine region will experience more frequent and more intense PSP outbreaks in the coming years, compared to the last decade.�The challenges and potential for an operational red tide forecasting system in the Gulf of Maine will also be discussed.� Notes: Presentations are typically available by video, webcast, and phone.�For video, contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone, dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to the My Meetings website. 2. Enter the required fields. (Meeting Number: 741804628; Passcode: NCCOS1305; Meeting Host: Science Seminar Host)�3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy. 4. Click on Proceed. 5.�Dial into the phone so you can hear too! (NOS staff: instructions for Instant Net Conference and Video Stream can be found at this internal NOS website). For questions about this seminar, please contact Felix A. Martinez (301-713-3338 x153). PaCOOS: Developing NOAA's Ecological Observing System for the California Current LME Speaker: Jonathan Phinney Abstract:�The Integrated Ocean Observing (IOOS) products are to develop ocean forecasts and assessments for managers and the public. Both forecasts and assessments are in the early phases of development. Forecasts could include fisheries and harmful algal blooms (HAB's) projections (ecological forecasts), drought and hurricane prediction (climate forecasts) and wave height and currents fields (transportation forecasts) while assessments are being developed through an Integrated Ecological Assessment model. Implementation for IOOS rests on 11 Regional Associations nationwide, including two in California, in collaboration with state and federal government agencies. The RA's role is to augment and improve existing government ocean data and infrastructure needs and forecasts. While the IOOS governance structure divides the West Coast into three regions, there is one major oceanographic feature affecting the entire California ecosystem, the California Current, entering the coastal region from the North Pacific at Vancouver Island, BC and exiting at the Baja Peninsula, Mexico. Also lacking in the governance structure is the importance of ecological connectivity between coastal and offshore waters; for example habitat connectivity for anadromous fish. The Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System (PaCOOS) is the developing government ecological observing "backbone" along the entire California Current. Its purpose is to bring cohesion to the government observing assets along the West Coast and its members include academic institutions, federal and state government agencies as well as the RA's. Initial focus has been on data integration but also assessing existing fisheries "forecasts" for salmon such as stock assessments and other available models. Notes: DIAL-IN NUMBERS: 877-918-6315�; PASSCODE:�HABITAT; NET CONFERENCING PARTICIPANT ACCESS INFORMATION: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/ ; CONFERENCE NUMBER: PH6037191 ; AUDIENCE PASSCODE: HABITAT ; You can join the event directly at:
https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PH6037191&p=HABITAT&t=c . Ocean Heat Content Variability (1955-2006) and the Earth's Heat Balance Modeling River Ice and River Ice Jams with HEC-RAS What Americans Really Think About Climate Change - Attitude Formation and Change in Response to a Raging Scientific Controversy Caribbean Decision Support System Tuesday, 13 March 2007; 12:00 - 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker: Dr. Steve Schill (The Nature Conservancy) Email: sschill@tnc.org Abstract: The Nature Conservancy and its partners developed the Caribbean Decision Support System (CDSS) as a tool to improve the linkage between biodiversity conservation objectives and such human development-related programs as disaster mitigation/response/planning, economic growth (especially tourism and fishing), and land and water use planning. The effort began over four years ago, when the Conservancy and its partners undertook an intensive Ecoregional Assessment of the Greater Caribbean Basin. The effort included a detailed examination of both the region's biological diversity and its socioeconomic factors. It represents the most comprehensive database of biodiversity and socio-economic information in existence for the Greater Caribbean basin. Despite many successes, conservation-planning efforts often overlook potential links to human activities and human-development related programs largely because biodiversity analysis is often focused exclusively on biological patterns and processes. Similarly, planning for human development activities is largely focused on sector-specific interventions, without consideration of the clear linkages between biodiversity health and human well-being. The CDSS was developed to help to bridge this gap. The CDSS can help address such key strategic questions as: Where are healthy ecosystem services most critical for local and national-scale economic development (especially tourism and fishing)? Where are human and biological communities most vulnerable to disaster? Where will unregulated tourism development seriously affect the viability and resilience of representative networks of conservation areas and threaten both species and natural processes? Notes: Presentations are typically available by video, webcast, and phone. For video, contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone, dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to the My Meetings website. 2. Enter the required fields. (Meeting Number: 741804628; Passcode: NCCOS1305; Meeting Host: Science Seminar Host) 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy. 4. Click on Proceed. 5. Dial into the phone so you can hear too! (NOS staff: instructions for Instant Net Conference and Video Stream can be found at this internal NOS website.) For questions, please contact Felix A. Martinez (301-713-3338 x153). Responses and feedbacks of the land surface to changes in climate: Policy implications Toxic Free Radical Produced by Pfiesteria piscicida: A New Paradigm in Marine Toxins Monday, 19 March 2007; 12:00-13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4527, NOS seminar) Speaker: Dr. Peter Moeller (Lead, Toxin/Natural Products Chemistry Program), NOS/NNCOS/Hollings Marine Laboratory Email: peter.moeller@noaa.gov Abstract: Metal-containing organic toxins produced by Pfiesteria piscicida are responsible for highly toxic free radical production. These unstable compounds were characterized for the first time by corroborating data generated from a number of analytical chemistry techniques including EPR, NMR, and mass spectrometry. The toxicity of the metal-containing toxins is due to metal-mediated free radical production. The ephemeral nature of these radical species explains the observed on/off nature of toxicity associated with Pfiesteria, as well as previously reported difficulty in observing the molecular target. This discovery represents the first formal isolation and characterization of a radical forming toxic organic-ligated metal complex isolated from estuarine/marine dinoflagellates. Reported findings underscore the active role of metals interacting with biological systems in the estuarine environment. Notes: Presentations are typically available by video, webcast, and phone. For video, contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone, dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to the My Meetings website. 2. Enter the required fields. (Meeting Number: 741804628; Passcode: NCCOS1305; Meeting Host: Science Seminar Host) 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy. 4. Click on Proceed. 5. Dial into the phone so you can hear too! (NOS staff: instructions for Instant Net Conference and Video Stream can be found at this internal NOS website.) For questions, please contact Felix A. Martinez (301-713-3338 x153). **THIS SEMINAR WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE VIA VIDEO LINK** Ecosystem-based management in the real world Tuesday, 27 March 2007; 12:00-13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker: Josh Sladek Nowlis (NOAA Fisheries/Southeast Fisheries Science Center) Email: Joshua.Nowlis@noaa.gov Abstract: Current efforts towards ecosystem-based management are in peril of being deemed ineffective or irrelevant. Though these high-risk, high-reward approaches have a place, we have put little focus on practical steps we can take to add better ecological understanding to existing observational and modeling capabilities used to manage living marine resources. A diverse set of colleagues and I have provided a number of illustrations of how to do this. In the San Andrés archipelago, Colombia, we devised a habitat classification system and proved it captured the spatial ecology of the local coral reef ecosystems. The classification system allowed us to increase the statistical power of our monitoring, and the Colombian government to guide management decisions. My graduate student and I are applying the same concept to pelagic fisheries, using satellite-derived oceanographic characteristics to define habitats. In Hawaii, we used ecological techniques and understanding, along with the invaluable unfished reference area encompassed by the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, to preliminarily assess nearly 60 previously unassessed species simultaneously—an unprecedented feat. Our assessments highlighted the complex ecological effects of fishing and allowed us to test the degree to which closed areas in the main Hawaiian Islands adequately represent pristine ecosystems. Finally, an understanding of ecology and system planning have allowed colleagues and I to better inform managers of the trade-offs inherent in fishery management decisions. Some basic trade-offs are a direct result of the properties of production in fished species. Understanding these properties sheds light on how to manage trade-offs, which was the basis of an evaluation of the total allowable catch-setting system for North Pacific groundfish. That evaluation indicated that more attention might be paid to the resiliency, or sustainability, of the systems used for less-studied species. Similar techniques were used to illustrate the value of a more conservative rebuilding strategy for Gulf of Mexico vermilion snapper. Together, these studies show that the use of ecology, combined with an understanding of management objectives and needs, can strengthen our management of living marine resources in real-world situations. Notes: Presentations are typically available by video, webcast, and phone. For video, contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone, dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to the My Meetings website. 2. Enter the required fields. (Meeting Number: 741804628; Passcode: NCCOS1305; Meeting Host: Science Seminar Host) 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy. 4. Click on Proceed. 5. Dial into the phone so you can hear too! (NOS staff: instructions for Instant Net Conference and Video Stream can be found at this internal NOS website). For questions, please contact Felix A. Martinez (301-713-3338 x153). Carbon Cycle in the Arctic as a part of the Global Carbon Cycle Thursday 29 March 2007; 11:00 -12:00h ETZ (SSMC3, Room 4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Dr. Olga Alexandrova (P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences) Email: Olga.Alexandrova@asu.edu Abstract: The Global Carbon Cycle (GCC) determines the main parameters of biosphere. These parameters include gas exchange between ocean, atmosphere and geosphere, fluxes of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4, affecting the global climate; GCC has a large influence on bioproductivity, microbiological activity, and transformation of biogenic substances. Carbon fluxes in the ocean and exchange between different reservoirs are one of the main focuses of the studies conducted in the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences. Arctic Carbon Cycle was recognized as an important part of the GCC because of the large stores of carbon in the region. A contemporary picture of the stocks and fluxes of the carbon cycle in the Arctic and the role of the Arctic in the contemporary global carbon cycle is discussed. About the Speaker: Dr. Alexandrova is visiting NODC from March 28-30, 2007. For questions, please contact Igor.Smolyar@noaa.gov. Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). Endocrine Disruption Research at the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) in South Korea X-Informatics � From Raw Data to Information and Knowledge Elwha and Glines Canyon Dam Removals: An overview of upcoming Pacific Northwest nearshore ecosystem restoration Notes: Call in available (1-866-423-3432; Leader Code: 6882916; Participant Code: 4941511). Further questions, please contact Kimberly.Lellis@noaa.gov and Jennifer.Koss@noaa.gov. New opportunities in beach water quality monitoring Positive feedback and the development of ecosystem disruptive algal blooms Census of Marine Life Program Overview (CoML) Speaker(s): Dr. Andy Rosenberg (University of New Hampshire) Abstract: This seminar will speak to the program’s genesis, its overarching research mission & goals, and its implementation framework.
History of Marine Animal Populations (HMAP) Tuesday, 17 April 2007; 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM (SSMC 4, Room 10153; Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Jeff Bolster (University of New Hampshire) Abstract: This seminar will focus on the historical component of CoML that aims to improve our understanding of ecosystem dynamics, specifically with regard to long-term changes in stock abundance, the ecological impact of large-scale harvesting by man, & the role of marine resources in historical development of human society. About the speaker: W. Jeffrey Bolster is a member of the Department of History at the University of New Hampshire, where he holds the James H. and Claire Short Hayes Chair in the Humanities. He has held fellowships from the Smithsonian Institution and the NEH, and he served one year as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Studies at the University of Southern Denmark. Before training as a maritime historian at Brown University (M.A.) and the Johns Hopkins University, (Ph.D.) he went to sea for ten years as a licensed master and mate on oceanographic research vessels and sailing schoolships. Best known for his prize-winning book Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail (Harvard, 1997) he has also published on the environmental history of coastal New England. He is currently part of the HMAP team (History of Marine Animal Populations) at UNH, which is reconstructing abundance and distribution of mid-nineteenth-century cod stocks on the Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf of Maine. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. The international Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Tuesday, 17 April 2007; 19:00h ETZ (SSMC-2, Room 2358; NWS / IEEE Women in Engineering Seminar) Speaker: Helen Wood (NOAA's GEOSS Integration Manager) Email: Helen.Wood@noaa.gov Abstract: Ms. Wood will give a brief overview of the international Global Earth Observation System of Systems activity and the U.S. national effort, with particular focus on expected societal benefits from this important initiative. The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems -- termed GEOSS. This is an activity that the U.S. initiated in 2003. Its purpose is to provide comprehensive, coordinated Earth observations from thousands of sensors worldwide, transforming the data they collect into vital information for society. Since its inception, some 66 governments and more than 40 international organizations have joined the activity from around the world. Back home, the U.S. has formed a national, interagency planning and coordination committee, USGEO, that reports to the President's National Science and Technology Council. About the speaker: Helen Wood is a senior advisor for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In her previous position, she directed near real-time data processing, analysis and distribution operations for NOAA's fleet of environmental satellites. She has had extensive experience with the GEOSS activity both nationally and internationally. She served as Director of the Secretariat for the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations from its formation in 2003 until September 2005. In June 2006, she was designated the NOAA GEOSS Integration Manager. Recently she was appointed co-chair of the USGEO subcommittee. Notes: Please RSVP by 13 April 2007 by contacting Deirdre.R.Jones@noaa.gov, Varetta.Huggins@noaa.gov, or RosDiana.Ginocchi@noaa.gov. Light snacks will be provided before the meeting at 6:30 p.m., and afterwards everyone is welcome to join us at a nearby restaurant for food, drinks, networking, and socializing. Patterns & Processes of the Ecosystems of the Northern Mid-Atlantic (MAR-ECO) About the speaker: Born in a town called Neptune, Michael Vecchione went to sea as a cabin boy on a three-masted schooner in Maine at the age of 16. He completed undergraduate studies in biology at the University of Miami in 1972, and then spent four and a half years as a U.S. Army officer. He has been working on cephalopods since his graduate studies on planktonic molluscs during 1976-79 at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the School of Marine Science for the College of William and Mary. After receiving the Ph.D degree there, he worked briefly for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before accepting a faculty position at McNeese State University where he studied cephalopods, zooplankton, and ichthyoplankton in addition to teaching from 1981-86. In 1986 he moved to his present position as Cephalopod Biologist at the National Systematics Laboratory (NSL), a NOAA Fisheries lab located at the National Museum of Natural History where he is a Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution. He has been Director of the NSL since 1997. He also established and served from 2000-2002 as Director of a Cooperative Marine Education and Research program at VIMS, where he is an adjunct faculty member. Vecchione is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Past-President of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council. COMARGE Relevance to NOAA 2010 and beyond: Understanding and Managing the Largest Steep-Gradients Environment on Earth A Global Census of Life Marine Life on Seamounts (CenSeam) Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) 26 April 2007; 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM (SSMC 3, Room 13836; Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Ann Bucklin, University of Connecticut Abstract: This seminar will address how CMarZ is striving to attain a more complete knowledge of biodiversity hotspots and unexplored ocean regions, new understanding of the functional role of biodiversity in ocean ecosystems, and better characterization of global-scale patterns of zooplankton biodiversity in the world oceans. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Fisheries Management Under Cyclical Population Dynamics Monday 30 April 2007 ; 12:00-13:00h (SSMC-3, Room 12836; Division of Economics and Social Science Analysis of the Office of Science and Technology Seminar) Speaker(s): Professor Wolfram Schlenker (Economics Department at Columbia University); Abstract: Almost all fishery models assume time-invariant parameter values of the underlying biological growth function except for an i.i.d. error term. We present an analysis of the economic implications of cyclical growth parameters in both single and multi-species models, which are frequently observed in many real-world fisheries. Neither optimal harvest rates nor optimal escapement (remaining fish stock after fishing) remain constant as standard models would predict. The amplitude of the optimal escapement is increasing in the amplitude of the biological growth function. Moreover, the optimal harvest rate lags the cycle of the biological growth function, i.e., the highest harvest rate is observed after biological conditions have started to decline and the optimal escapement level has already decreased. This is in sharp contrast to current policies which are in phase with biological conditions and hence imply an increase/decrease in harvest quotas when the biological system is improving/deteriorating. In our model, harvest closures are only optimal during time periods when growth parameters are improving most rapidly. Notes: For questions about this seminar please contact Michelle.McGregor@noaa.gov The Farm Bill, Biofuels and Health of Our Coastal Ecosystems Tuesday, 01 May 2007; 11:30 � 12:30 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Thomas W. Simpson (College of Agricultural and Natural Resources, University of Maryland) Email(s): tsimpson@umd.edu Abstract: Currently, the most widespread pollution threat to the Nation’s coastal waters is from nutrients with an estimated two-thirds of coastal rivers and bays moderately to severely degraded from nutrient pollution. This pollution has led to multiple impacts on coastal waters including hypoxia (i.e. �dead zones�), loss of seagrass beds, degradation of coral reefs, alterations of food webs and increases in harmful algal blooms. The largest single contributor overall to nutrients entering the Nation’s coastal waters in many locations, such as the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay which both have large hypoxic zones in summer, is from nonpoint source agricultural runoff. By far the largest source of funding for programs that have multiple benefits, including the control of nonpoint sources of nutrients, is contained within the USDA conservation programs of the Farm Bill. The U.S. Ocean Commission in 2004 recommended that �The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should align its conservation programs and funding with other programs aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution, such as those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.� The Farm Bill is expected to be reauthorized this year and there have been many calls for its programs that reduce polluted runoff to be strengthened. Recent and dramatic trends in agriculture, driven by the push to produce ethanol from corn and other crops, threaten to increase nutrient runoff, further highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue. Several existing and innovative agricultural programs that have a high potential to reduce nutrient runoff will be discussed along with suggestions on how to increase their application and strategic targeting through changes to the Farm Bill. Connections between the Farm Bill and biofuel trends will also be discussed. Notes: Presentations are typically available via video, phone/webcast. For video: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting connection. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to My Meetings, enter meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150 if needed; 2) Enter other required fields; 3) Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) Click on Proceed; 5) Dial into the phone so you can hear presentation. Census of Marine Life Gulf of Mexico Area Program (GoMEX) 01 May 2007; 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM (SSMC 3, Room 13836; Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Wes Tunnel, Texas A&M University Abstract: TBD Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) "Making Ocean Life Count" Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Biogeography of Deepwater Chemosynthetic Ecosystems (ChEss) 02 May 2007; 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM (SSMC 3, Room 13836; Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Chris German, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Abstract: TBD Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. What is GEOSS and Why Do We Care? Notes: Call in information: Phone number: 866-631-5469 ; Participant code: 3958086. Powerpoint presentation (pdf; ~2.2MB) of talk available. For questions about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (see http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html). 4th Oceanographic Data Panel Meeting between NODC and the Korea NODC (KODC) In Search of the Holy Grail: Ecological Forecasting in Chesapeake Bay Census of Marine Life Gulf of Maine Area Program (GoMA) About the speaker: Dr. Incze serves as Chief Scientist for the Gulf of Maine Area Program of the Census of Marine Life. He is a Research Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Director of the Aquatic Systems Group, both housed in the School of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of Southern Maine. The Aquatic Systems Group brings together faculty from several departments and colleges within the university to strengthen research and educational opportunities in aquatic systems, including aquatic ecology and related earth sciences, computing, geospatial analysis, policy and planning. He received a B.S. in Biology from Cornell University (1976), a M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Maine (1979), and a Ph.D. in Fisheries from the University of Washington (1983). His research interests include plankton ecology, recruitment dynamics, coupled physical-biological interactions, marine resources and conservation sciences. Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Census of the Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life (CeDAMar) Abstract: The abyssal seafloor is a vast ecosystem, covering more than half of the Earth’s surface, and underlying > 50% of the US exclusive economic zone. Nonetheless, it has remained very poorly studied, with the total area sampled covering but a few hectares. Some previous studies suggest the abyssal seafloor is a major cradle of biodiversity, while others suggest it is largely a diversity �sink.� CeDAMar (the Census of Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life) is an integrated series of international oceanographic expeditions, involving of 150 scientists from 51 institutions in14 countries, designed to address critical gaps in our understanding of the patterns and causes of biodiversity in the abyss. Our results indicate that local biodiversity is extremely high, with 2000 species of bacteria, 250 species of protozoans, and 500 species of invertebrates (worms, crustaceans and molluscs) typically found at single abyssal sites. More than 90% of the thousands of invertebrate species collected during CeDAMar are new to science, highlighting our extremely poor understanding of abyssal diversity and evolution. CeDAMar scientist have applied modern molecular techniques for the first time to the abyssal fauna revealing remarkable distribution patterns that vary with faunal type. Some groups, for example the protozoan foraminiferans, contain species distributed from the Arctic to the Antarctic, demonstrating the existence of cosmopolitan abyssal species. Other faunal groups, such as the polychaete worms and isopod crustaceans, exhibit substantial species turnover over distances of 1500 km, suggesting the individual basins may have developed large numbers of endemic species. Nematode worms, until recently thought to be species poor in the abyss, exhibit a surprising number of apparently unique abyssal taxa, suggesting that the very deep ocean has fostered adaptive radiations, and is not simply a tomb for starving individuals washed from shallower habitats. Unexpectedly, times-series studies at abyssal stations show that populations of echinoderms respond to large-scale, climate-driven changes in the productivity patterns in the upper ocean. Because these abyssal species rely on the export of food through vast volumes of the ocean, their populations appear to be sensitive indicators of ecosystem change in surface waters and the ocean’s interior. Thus, to assess the ocean’s health, to evaluate its levels of biodiversity, and to manage the impacts of human activities (e.g., fishing, mineral extraction and fossil fuel burning), it is imperative to monitor and to continue to explore the abyss, the ocean’s largest ecosystem.
Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project (POST) Speaker(s): Dr. David Welch (Kintama Research Corporation) Abstract: POST, the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking array, is currently the world’s largest telemetry system for studying the movements and survival of marine fish. It is also intended to be the exemplar for the Ocean Tracking Network (the subject of the May 18th talk by Ron O�Dor). OTN is intended to form �an array of POST arrays�, sitting on the continental shelves of all the continents on the planet. As such, it provides a prime example of what the evolving OOS system might look like. POST was one of the Census of Marine Life’s original field projects, a natural fit given the CoML’s focus on distribution, diversity, and abundance of marine life. However, POST is also starting to prove itself in addressing key US policy questions for fisheries, and thereby demonstrating the fundamental linkage between these biological questions and vexing high-level policy issues. POST thus forms an interesting example of how the development of a highly quantitative tool looking at basic biological processes can inform and reinvigorate the science of fisheries management�and ocean research. The operational considerations involved in developing POST include the need for: (A) Developing large-scale and high volume methods for conducting surgery on thousands of test animals while ensuring the highest ethical standards of fish handling and surgical procedures are met; (B) Developing technical methods for deploying and maintaining a very large scale permanent tracking array on the seabed; and (C) Ensuring that the data are recovered in very high yield to validate the array concept and provide meaningful scientific results to justify the support for building (and expanding) the array. I review the technical operation of POST from the twin perspectives of ethical animal use and technical operation of a large-scale engineering system. In the final section of the talk, I review the performance of the array in addressing key policy questions concerning the management of Columbia & Fraser R salmon populations. Speaker Bio: David Welch received a B.Sc. in Biology and Economics from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in 1985. He is the former head of the Canadian government’s High Seas Salmon Program at DFO, which he started in 1990 after a quarter century hiatus in ocean research on salmon. During the next decade he was responsible for studying the ocean biology of Pacific salmon, and provided some of the first compelling evidence for a potentially profound impact of global warming on Pacific salmon in the ocean. He is the chief architect of the Census of Marine Life’s project POST and President of Kintama Research. Welch started Kintama in 1990 to develop the pioneering technology platform necessary for delivering data from a permanent ocean array capable of directly measuring survival of migrating fish in the ocean. The success of POST can be measured from three perspectives: (1) It is the largest and most complex marine tracking array under single management anywhere in the globe, with a current geographic span of almost 2,500 km; (2) The Canadian Government committed $45M Cdn starting in 2007 to champion the globalization of the POST array as the Ocean Tracking Network; (3) The array is now capable of measuring the movements and survival of fish as small as 12.5 cm year-round, and may be capable of tracking fish as small as 10 cm by 2008. As a result, the marine science community is now on the brink of being able to conduct direct quantitative experimental studies in the ocean on fish of the kind that transformed chemistry and physics one and two centuries ago. Dr Welch has previously acted as scientific spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund on the issue of global warming, and has been invited to testify on the results of his research on the ocean biology of Pacific salmon at the U.S. Senate. Dr Welch speaks fluent Japanese and lives on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. AIAA and NOAA are joining together to offer you an opportunity to look at Network Centric Concepts at work in civil government Wednesday, 16 May 2007 ; 09:00 to 15:00 h ( AIAA and NOAA joint seminars; Location: see notes below) Speakers: Several speakers (See PDF description) Abstract: AIAA and NOAA are joining together to offer you an opportunity to look at Network Centric Concepts at work in civil government.
Location: Room 6057, Department of Commerce Headquarters, Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th Street and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC. Seminars sponsored by the NOAA National Weather Service Office of Science and Technology and the AIAA NetCentric Program Committee, the AIAA Society & Aerospace TC, and the AIAA National Capital Section. The cost is $30.00 for lunch and logistics. For more information and to register, contact Marcie Jones (AIAANATLCAPSEC@aol.com; Phone (301)812-0103) or Tim Howard (timothy.howard@noaa.gov; Phone: (301) 713-1570 x143). Attendance is limited to the first 90 people who register. See PDF description. International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) 19th Session highlights Speaker: Robert (Bob) Gelfeld (NODC) Email: Robert.Gelfeld@noaa.gov Abstract: The IOC’s International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) was established in 1961 to enhance marine research, exploitation and development by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating Member States and by meeting the needs of users for data and information products. The Nineteenth Session of the IOC Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE-XIX) was held at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy between 12 and 16 March 2007. This seminar will describe highlights of this meeting. Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). Serving the Coastal Manager: Results of the NOAA Coastal Services Center’s 2006 Coastal Resource Management Customer Survey Speaker(s): Dr. Chris Ellis (NOAA/NOS/Coastal Services Center) Email(s): Chris.Ellis@noaa.gov Abstract: The NOAA Coastal Services Center’s primary initiatives address those issues considered most important to coastal managers�hazards, habitats, resilient communities, land and water use, and information access to support sound, informed decision-making. In an effort to assess both customer satisfaction and to better understand the important issues affecting the coastal management community, the Center sponsors a survey every three years to gather such information. The data are then used to establish Center priorities and evaluate its activities. This discussion will highlight survey findings on a variety of topics. Topics include priority coastal management issues, expressed needs for social science tools and support, desired data layers for geographic information system projects, training, and other related decision-support tools and technical assistance. Information will be presented primarily from a national perspective, with select, notable points from various regional U.S. geographies. The 2006 Coastal Resource Management Customer Survey report is currently available on the NOAA Coastal Services Center’s Web site at www.csc.noaa.gov/survey/. This is the fourth such survey; previous surveys were administered in 1996, 1999, and 2002. Notes: Presentations are typically available via video, phone/webcast. For video: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting connection. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to My Meetings, enter meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150 if needed; 2) Enter other required fields; 3) Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) Click on Proceed; 5) Dial into the phone so you can hear presentation. Canadian Global Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Abstract: Media coverage of the founding meeting for the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), referred to it as "the Internet for fish." With OTN now a Pilot Project for the IOC’s Global Ocean Observing System the analogy is apt because, as with the Internet, a global group of users is pressing for standards and protocols to allow universal storage and sharing of a broad spectrum of information. Also like the Internet, once society makes a significant investment and stabilizes the playing field, industry will be able to invest, secure in the understanding that the new products they develop will remain compatible with a wide-spread system. This presentation will summarize some recurring themes from tracking and telemetry workshops around the world - ways that industry believes it can deliver a picture of the complex interactions of physics and biology that are the world's oceans. This is a picture that scientists and managers need in order to protect and restore ocean productivity. Speaker Bio: Currently Census of Marine Life (COML) Senior Scientist, after degrees in biochemistry and medical physiology a post-doc at Cambridge University and Stazione Zoologica, Naples, turned him to cephalopods and marine biology. Studies on cephalopod behaviour and physiology in nature using acoustic telemetry led to involvement in large scale tracking arrays. Within COML he is developing the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) to monitor marine animals from 20g salmon to 20MT whales with arrays to detect globally unique codes. Tags lasting up to 20 years give new time-series perspectives on changes in individual movements in response to climate change and acoustical downloading archival tags will provide records of the oceanography experienced by, and interactions among, tagged species. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Census of Coral Reefs (CReefs) Speaker(s): Dr. Nancy Knowlton (University of California San Diego) Abstract: CReefs research focuses on biodiversity broadly, including the many species typically not censused in coral and fish surveys. The four central questions that govern the project are: 1. How many species occur on coral reefs and what are the patterns of species diversity for all reef species across gradients of human disturbance? Can these patterns be predicted by more limited assessments (e.g. of fishes and corals)? 2. What kinds of species are obligatorily associated with healthy coral reefs and how widely are they distributed? What are the implications for conservation and management? 3. What are the prospects for maintenance of species diversity on reefs suffering various levels of human impacts? 4. How much and what kinds of taxonomic and ecological information are required to manage reefs effectively? Are cost effective proxies possible? The first CReefs field effort, the �Census of Coral Reef Ecosystems: Understudied Species and the Biodiversity of French Frigate Shoals (FFS), NWHI Marine National Monument,� was conducted 8-28 Oct 2006 aboard the NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette. The expedition, funded almost entirely by multi-institutional in-kind support (>$1M), focused on biodiversity of understudied/unknown reef-associated invertebrates, algae, and microbes. ). This international effort, led by NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, utilized 14 sampling methodologies designed to have minimal ecological impacts on 12 reef habitat types. Artificial Reef Matrix Structures (ARMS, Zimmerman 2004) were deployed for testing as a legacy method. Preliminary analyses indicate that ~1611-2151 unique morpho-species were documented, with >100 probable new species/new records. DNA was collected for the Barcode of Life initiative, and taxonomists are now analyzing the samples. The cruise and newly developed website (www.creefs.org) received wide international media attention. NOAA Pacific Region Integrated Data Enterprise (PRIDE) funds will support incorporation of these (and other NOAA) data into OBIS via the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN). Speaker Bio: Dr. Nancy Knowlton is founder and Director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (CMBC), and holds the John Dove Isaacs Chair in Natural Philosophy at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California at San Diego. Her research focuses on the ecology and evolution of coral reef organisms using a variety of techniques, including molecular genetics, field studies, and mathematical modeling. Her analyses have led to the now widespread recognition that estimates of marine diversity are probably too low by a factor of ten. Dr. Knowlton received her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and her PhD at the University of California at Berkeley, and was a professor at Yale University prior to moving to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, where she continues to maintain a part-time position. She currently serves on the National Geographic Society’s Committee on Research and Exploration and Conservation Trust Committee, chairs the World Bank’s Targeted Research Program for Coral Reefs, and is one of three principle investigators of the Census of Marine Life’s Coral Reef Initiative - CReefs - together with Julian Caley of AIMS and Rusty Brainard of NOAA. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an Aldo Leopold Fellow. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Natural Geography in Near Shore Areas (NaGISA) Speaker(s): Dr. Brenda Konar (University of Alaska Fairbanks) Abstract: Come to this seminar to hear about NaGISA, a collaborative effort aimed at inventorying & monitoring biodiversity in the narrow inshore zone of the world's oceans at depths of less than 20 meters, the area people know best and impact most. This project’s ultimate goal is a series of well-distributed standard transects from the high intertidal zone to 20 meters water depth around the world, the inventory of which can be repeated over a 50-year or even greater time frame. Speaker Bio: As an Associate Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, much of Brenda Konar’s research is focused on nearshore ecology. Specifically, she is interested in habitat characterizations, monitoring programs, and experimental process studies that examine influences of various biotic and abiotic factors. She has worked on a wide-variety of organisms from large marine mammals (grey whales and sea lions) to macroalgae and in a variety of regions (from the Arctic to the Antarctic). Some of her current studies include: evaluating walrus foraging habitats in the North Pacific, determining essential juvenile fish habitat in the nearshore waters of Kachemak Bay, Alaska, examining recovery of hard-bottom communities in the Beaufort Sea, and of course, NaGISA. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Warming and freshening of Baffin Bay, 1916-2003 Wednesday 23 May 2007; 11:00 -12:00h ETZ (SSMC3, Room 2501, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Melissa Zweng (University of Delaware, Newark) Email: mzweng@UDel.Edu Abstract: Regression analysis of historical hydrographic data is used to determine changes in temperature and salinity in Baffin Bay for the time period from 1916 to 2003. We find two distinct sets of changes in Baffin Bay: First, areas affected by the Atlantic inflow to Baffin Bay show substantial and statistically significant warming trends. In the more than 2000 m deep basin, the warming peaks at 0.11 � 0.06�C/ decade-- at 700 m depth below the 640 m sill depth of Davis Strait connecting Baffin Bay to the North Atlantic Ocean. A vertical heat flux divergence of 0.25 W/m2 is required to warm Baffin Bay below 900 m by the amount observed. The required heat appears to be advected from the shelf and slope regions of the eastern Labrador Sea via Davis Strait along the west Greenland shelf break and diffuses vertically and horizontally into the deep central basin. Second, areas affected by Arctic inflow to Baffin Bay show a marginally significant freshening of up to about 0.086 � 0.039 psu/decade. This freshening trend extends along the western margin of Baffin Island to Davis Strait and into the Labrador Sea. The freshening in the northern reaches of Baffin Bay is similar in size to that at its southern reaches. Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone not available. For questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). The Far-East Research Hydrometeorological Institute, Vladivostok Thursday 24 May 2007; 11:00 -12:00h ETZ (SSMC3, Room 4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Andrey Kruts (Director of the Regional Oceanographic Data Center, Vladivostok) Email: akruts@ferhri.ru Abstract: The Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute (FERHRI) of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) was established in Vladivostok in February 1950. Andrey Kruts, Director of the Regional Oceanographic Data Center, Vladivostok and Julia Kruts, Far-East Research Hydrometeorological Institute, Vladivostok, will be visiting NODC/WDC May 12 - Jun 1, 2007. They will describe highlights of this institute. Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). Ensemble Streamflow Forecasting with the Coupled GFS-Noah Modeling System Speaker: Zoltan Toth (Environmental Modeling Center/NCEP/NOAA) Email: Zoltan.Toth@noaa.gov Abstract: A major application of numerical weather prediction (NWP) is to provide forcing to hydrological models to generate streamflow forecasts in a one-way or two-way coupled mode. Since precipitation/runoff forecasts exhibit large uncertainties, hydrologic forecasts should be framed in a probabilistic form and follow an ensemble approach. Using NCEP’s Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) coupled with the Noah Land Surface Model (Noah LSM), this study evaluates the quality of the output of the coupled air-land ensemble system as external forcing for river routing ensemble forecasting. A streamflow �analysis� is generated following the methodology of the North America Land Surface Data Assimilation (NLDAS) project over the CONUS domain, by forcing the Land-River system with observed precipitation. This analysis is used as the initial condition for the river routing model in the coupled air-land-river forecast system, and as a proxy for truth in the verification of the experimental ensemble river flow forecasts. Quantitative evaluation of the streamflow forecasts revealed that (1) The coupled GFS-Noah forecasting system, with a river routing model attached, reasonably captures analyzed streamflows; (2) The GEFS ensemble mean forecasts, and especially the GEFS ensemble based probabilistic forecasts, have more skill than the ensemble control or even a higher resolution single control forecast (GFS); (3) Bias (systematic error) is a significant part of the total forecast error which can possibly be reduced through a suitable bias-correction algorithm; (4) For larger river basins, the ensemble forecasts exhibit skill even without a bias correction; (5) For medium and small river basins, the shorter-range forecasts suffer from considerable under-dispersion, i.e., insufficient spread. These preliminary results suggest that the GEFS-Noah system provides reasonable forcing to hydrological models although a procedure to downscale precipitation is needed for shorter range (up to 5-7 days) predictions especially for smaller and medium-sized basins. Notes: Go to meeting: https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/620376384; Conference Call: Telecon: 1-877-774-5038 Passcode: 925335#; Meeting ID: 620-376-384. For questions about this seminar please contact Pedro.Restrepo@noaa.gov. Arctic Ocean Biodiversity (ArcOD) Speaker(s): Dr. Rolf Gradinger, University of Alaska Fairbanks Abstract: The Arctic Ocean is the most extreme ocean on the planet given its year-round existing ice cover and the seasonality of light. It also holds a multitude of unique life forms, highly adapted in their life history, ecology and physiology to the extreme and seasonal conditions of their environment. Yet, our knowledge of what currently lives in the Arctic Ocean is still rudimentary. This seminar will describe the ArcOD project, a relatively new initiative aimed at documenting the Arctic’s current biodiversity on a Pan-Arctic scale. Speaker Bio: Rolf Gradinger, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the School of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska-Fairbanks. He studied biology at the Universities in Mainz and Kiel, Germany finishing his Masters and PhD degrees at Kiel University. Since completing his PhD, Dr. Gradinger’s main interest has been in Arctic sea ice ecology, which he explored as a PostDoc and Assistant Professor while at two institutions in Germany. In 2001, he moved to Alaska, where he continues to work today as a polar ecologist at the Insitute of Marine Science of the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Dr. Gradinger has most recently been devoting his time to exploring the diversity of life in Arctic sea ice, participating in two NOAA OE-funded Arctic expeditions (with ice breaker vessels) and two OE-funded trips to Arctic native communities. In addition to his field research interests, he is leading the CoML ArcOD project with Russ Hopcroft and Bodil Bluhm; he is also a member of various national research committees (e.g. UNOLS AICC, NSF BEST Scientific Steering Group), and is editor of the journal, Polar Biology. Beyond his pursuits in polar marine ecology, Dr. Gradinger is interested in classical music, birding, fishing, and kayaking. Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Communicating the role of local ecological knowledge and traditional community structure in environmental decision making Tuesday, 29 May 2007; 12:00 � 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Tim Kelly and Perry Pickert, Friday’s Films Email(s): tim@fridaysfilms.com; perry@fridaysfilms.com Abstract: In an era of youtube and myspace, community-based videos are being exposed to huge audiences. San Francisco-based film makers Tim Kelly and Perry Pickert will present their journey into the world of environmental education films. In addition, they will provide advice on how to utilize this communication tool as an effective mechanism for building awareness of the value of incorporating local ecological knowledge and traditional community structure into the policy making process. In this presentation, Tim and Perry will introduce and present their 20 minute film �Seeds of the Future� showcasing the current status and prospect for protection of fish spawning aggregations in Fiji. They will then answer questions about the film, the filmmaking process, their approach to environmental film making, and discuss how internet distribution has changed the landscape of media. Friday’s Films was founded in 2002 to tell the unique story of Bahamian fishermen in �Hanging in The Balance: The Future of Fishing In The Bahamas.� This film sparked variety of other productions across the Pacific, Asia, North America, and the Caribbean. Fridays Films is based in San Francisco, California and produces documentary, industrial, and multi-media programming. Notes: Presentations are typically available via video, phone/webcast. For video: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting connection. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to My Meetings, enter meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150 if needed; 2) Enter other required fields; 3) Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) Click on Proceed; 5) Dial into the phone so you can hear presentation. Barcoding Census of Marine Life DNA Barcoding Protocol (DNA Barcoding) 30 May 2007; 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM (SSMC 4, Room 10153; Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Dirk Steinke, University of Guelph Abstract: TBD Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. Plant communities of Jug Bay wetlands and how they are influenced by hydrology and animal disturbance Wednesday, 30 May 2007; 12:00 � 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Andrew H. Baldwin (Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland) Email(s): baldwin@umd.edu Abstract: The vegetation of tidal freshwater marshes is temporally dynamic and spatially variable due to a number of factors, including hydrology and animal activity. The Jug Bay marshes are species-rich compared with salt and brackish marshes, and exhibit zonation into high and low marsh plant communities. Annual species are roughly as abundant as perennials, although the abundance of annuals varies between years. Dominant perennial species include arrow arum (Peltandra virginica), rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides), bur-reed (Sparganium americanum), and spatterdock (Nuphar luteum), while abundant annuals include tearthumbs (Polygonum spp.), bur-marigold (Bidens laevis), and jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). Research my lab has conducted at Jug Bay has focused on influence of hydrology and animal activity on plant community structure. Studies have included four experiments in Billingsley Marsh, including field, greenhouse, and seed bank studies on the effects of hydrology on plant communities, and a field exclosure experiment to examine effects of animals on high and low marsh vegetation. Additionally, we described the influence of a beaver dam in the marsh south of Route 4 on hydrology and vegetation. Finally, we studied vegetation, soil, hydrology, and seed banks of marshes north and south of Maryland Route 4 as reference sites for vegetation studies at restored tidal freshwater marshes along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. (Kingman and Kenilworth marshes). The hydrologic studies show that increasing the frequency and duration of flooding reduces the diversity of marsh vegetation, and suggest that the effect of flooding on reducing diversity is greater if it occurs earlier rather than later in the growing season. In the exclosure study, I found that animal disturbance (e.g., grazing or physical disturbance by geese, carp, and muskrat) can strongly reduce seedling establishment by some annual species (Zizania aquatica and Bidens laevis), but that the effect depends on hydrology: a strong animal effect was seen in the low marsh but not in the high marsh. By increasing flooding, the beaver dam significantly reduced plant biomass in impounded wetlands. This research in the Jug Bay wetlands underscores the importance of interactions between biotic and abiotic variables in maintaining spatial and temporal complexity in the vegetation of these systems. Notes: Presentations are typically available via video, phone/webcast. For video: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting connection. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1. Go to My Meetings, enter meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150 if needed; 2) Enter other required fields; 3) Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) Click on Proceed; 5) Dial into the phone so you can hear presentation. Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) 31 May 2007; 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM (SSMC 3, Room 11836; Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Daniel Costa, University of California Santa Cruz Abstract: TBD Notes: All Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life (CoML) �Making Ocean Life Count� Lunchtime Seminar seminars are listed at http://explore.noaa.gov/about/seminar.html. Presentations will be available by phone and webcast. For phone, dial 1-877-973-0627, passcode: 530761. A live video webcast feed will be available for remote users at www.explore.noaa.gov. For questions please contact: Reginald.Beach@noaa.gov, Margot.Bohan@noaa.gov, and/or Nicolas.Alvarado@noaa.gov. The Canadian Census of Marine Life (CAN) Future of Marine Animal Populations (FMAP) International Census of Marine Microbes (ICoMM) Non-linear response of deep-sea red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) catches to environmental forcings in a submarine canyon in NW Mediterranean Sea Exploitation of spawning aggregations: Uncertain future in a sea of change An Overview of the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) ** POSTPONED ** A system for Operational Flash Flood Guidance Worldwide Cooperative Management for the Shared Fisheries Resources of the China Seas June 27, 2007 ; 1200-1300h ETZ in SSMC-3, 2nd Floor (NOAA Library, Sponsored by NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology) Speaker: Guifang (Julia) Xue, Law of the Sea Institute, Ocean University of China, Sponsored by NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology. Abstract: The Yellow Sea and East China Sea ( China Seas) are semi-enclosed seas where the fish stocks are mainly shared among China, Japan, and South Korea (the China Seas states). The shared nature of fish stocks makes their conservation and management difficult, and efforts by any single state are incomplete and ineffective. The LOSC grants coastal states sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the resources of their EEZs, but the China Seas states have not reached agreement on their EEZs boundaries due to overlapping claims. Fisheries disputes have been common and the cooperative management of the shared resources needs to be promoted. The seminar will firstly review: 1) the existing bilateral fisheries agreements between China and Japan, and China and South Korea; 2) the necessity for cooperative management of the shared resources and the LOSC frameworks applicable to such cooperation; and 3) the challenges from a Chinese perspective. The second part of the seminar will provide a case study of fisheries co-operation between China and Vietnam for the Gulf of Tonkin. It will review the management measures pertaining to the Agreed Zones under the Agreement, and will highlight the achievements of the Agreement and pinpoints the crucial role of implementation to the success of the fisheries co-operation. Notes: For more information see http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html. NOAA’s Undersea Research at Lee Stocking Island: An Ecosystem Approach Historical Ecology of the Florida Keys Coral Reef Ecoregion NOAA's Virtual World: Experiencing the Edge of Space to the Bottom of the Ocean Further reading: See the paper "Networked Virtual Environments and the NIH Mission: How Second Life and other Virtual Systems Can Assist with Collaboration and Citizen Outreach" available online (PDF) Climate Impacts on the World Ocean: The Challenge of Multiple Stresses July 19, 2007; 1200-1300h ETZ in SSMC-3, 2nd Floor (NOAA Central Library) Speaker: Dr. Ed Miles (University of Washington, Seattle) Abstract: Four new stresses of global and hemispheric scale have emerged to combine with two old stresses to generate impacts for marine ecosystems on a global scale. The four new stresses are: 1. The ocean has taken up about one third of all the anthropogenic carbon released to the atmosphere (~142Pg C). 2. This uptake of carbon dioxide has resulted to date in a reduction of about 0.1 pH units throughout the global surface ocean, with much more implied by the continued increase of CO2 emissions. Increasing acidity threatens all calcareous living organisms in the world ocean. 3. The world ocean has taken up 80-84% of the heat generated by the anthropogenic emissions of CO2. Increases in surface and sub-surface heat are generating large scale biogeographic shifts in the distribution of the most important species targeted by humans as sources of animal protein intake. 4. Increased surface and sub-surface heat has generated positive feedbacks between the ocean and high latitude ice sheets which significantly increase summer melt rates. This significant input of fresh water also implies increasing probability of stratification in the water column and, as a consequence, decreased productivity. These four new stresses now join two old ones: 5.Increased intensities of land-based pollution of the coastal ocean as a result of population growth, expanding urbanization of the coastal zone, and unwise land-use practices; and 6. The weakened condition of commercial fish populations where significant levels of overfishing have occurred. These six stresses present management challenges on a scale which far surpasses anything we have yet faced and we have neither the knowledge nor the tools to manage such a suite of multiple stresses. The presentation will summarize an effort to achieve a coordinated approach by the University of Washington, NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), the NOAA/NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Fisheries Science Center, in addition to academic specialists in the United States, all of whom combine to focus on the effects of two new stresses: ocean acidification and changing ocean thermal structure. The program that these participants are seeking to construct would focus on addressing five questions: What are the changes to the physical/chemical system in the North Pacific and Bering Sea? What are the biological responses and mechanisms to the carbon-climate system? What are the socioeconomic linkages (mitigation, adaptation, public perception)? What are the projections for the future under various CO2 emission scenarios? What are the vulnerabilities of marine human-environment systems defined in terms of nonlinearities, thresholds, and feedbacks? Notes: For more information see http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html. Communicating the role of local ecological knowledge and traditional community structure in environmental decision making (Note: this is a repeat performance for NOAA employees and other public in Honolulu, Hawaii of their earlier presentation in Silver Spring, Maryland) Tuesday, 24 July 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 PST (PSC Conference Room, 737 Bishop St. Suite 1550, Honolulu, Hawaii, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Tim Kelly and Perry Pickert, Friday’s Films Email(s): tim@fridaysfilms.com; perry@fridaysfilms.com Abstract: In an era of youtube and myspace, community-based videos are being exposed to huge audiences. San Francisco-based film makers Tim Kelly and Perry Pickert will present their journey into the world of environmental education films. In addition, they will provide advice on how to utilize this communication tool as an effective mechanism for building awareness of the value of incorporating local ecological knowledge and traditional community structure into the policy making process. In this presentation, Tim and Perry will introduce and present their 20 minute film “Seeds of the Future” showcasing the current status and prospect for protection of fish spawning aggregations in Fiji. They will then answer questions about the film, the filmmaking process, their approach to environmental film making, and discuss how internet distribution has changed the landscape of media. Friday’s Films was founded in 2002 to tell the unique story of Bahamian fishermen in “Hanging in The Balance: The Future of Fishing In The Bahamas.” This film sparked variety of other productions across the Pacific, Asia, North America, and the Caribbean. Fridays Films is based in San Francisco, California and produces documentary, industrial, and multi-media programming. Notes: This presentation is not available for remote viewing. If interested in the Friday'sFilms documentaries, copies of their films are available for loan at the NOAA Central Library or contact the film makers directly. In the future the films may be available online at the Library's website. Check with the Library for further information. What Lies Beneath: New Technology to Assess the Threat of Toxic Organic Chemicals in Sediment Tuesday, 24 July 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Keith A. Maruya, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) Email(s): keithm@sccwrp.org Abstract: Harbor and river sediment polluted by toxic organic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is a persistent problem that threatens human health and coastal ecosystems around the country. A portion of these organic pollutants are dissolved in the water permeating sediment and are “bioavailable”—and therefore a threat—to marine life and people that consume seafood. The remaining pollutants bind tightly to sediment particles, which prevents them from entering the food chain. Traditional methods of monitoring sediment pollution are slow, costly, and unable to assess the percentage of organic pollutants that are actually bioavailable. Coastal managers need a sound, reproducible method to determine the potential bioavailability of organic pollutants in sediment so they can pinpoint those sites in greatest need of remediation and restoration. With support from CICEET, researchers at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) are developing a cost-effective, fiber-based sensor that monitors the bioavailability of organic pollutants in situ, or in the sediment. Unlike bulk sediment chemistry, the most widely used sediment assessment tool, this sensor uses solid phase microextraction (SPME) technology to quantify the bioavailable fraction, or “porewater concentration,” of organic pollutants in sediment. This enables the user to pinpoint sites with chemicals that could be harmful to aquatic life. The researchers have demonstrated the SPME sensor’s effectiveness in bench-scale tests and in field trials. It successfully measures porewater concentration of organic pollutants in a manner that correlates with total pollutant concentrations assessed through bulk sediment chemistry. Use of the sensor did not impact aquatic life or the ecosystem. CICEET researchers have partnered with the California State Water Board, which is developing sediment standards and a sediment quality control plan for California’s bays and estuaries. The State Water Board hopes to use the SPME-based sensor technology to replace complicated and costly sediment chemistry in its efforts to assess sediment quality. In the next series of tests, researchers will compare measurements of the bioavailability of organic pollutants with measures of toxicity in animals living in the same location where the testing is taking place. If successful, the technology has the potential to be applied in any water body where toxic organic chemical pollution in sediment is a problem. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Salt content variability in the near-surface waters of the Gulf of Mexico (1955-2000) [PDF] Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone access available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). An Overview of the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) Thursday 26 July 2007; 11:00 -12:00h ETZ (SSMC3, Room 4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker(s): Joe Stinus & Scott Mowery Email: Joe.Stinus@noaa.gov & Scott.Mowery@noaa.gov Abstract: The mission of NCDDC is to support ecosystem stewardship by providing access to the nation's coastal data resources. Scott Mowery will follow Joe's presentation with a brief on NOAA's Regional Teams and PATT programs On-line access to Power Point presentation: (1) https://intra.nodc.noaa.gov/Information/Training/Seminars/Seminars2007/Joe_Stinus_NCDDC_seminar.ppt & (2) https://intra.nodc.noaa.gov/Information/Training/Seminars/Seminars2007/Scott_Mowery_2007_Regional_Team_Overview.ppt Notes: Teleconferencing: dial into the MCI teleconferencing center approximately 5 mins. before the start of the seminar. The number to dial is 877-939-5831, when prompted enter passcode 118873. VideoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184).
Synoptic Mapping of Coral Reef Ecosystems - the Main Hawaiian Islands The Alaska Native Education Project: a Partnership Tuesday, 07 August 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Glenn Seaman (Alaska Department of Fish and Game), Teresa McTigue, Gary Matlock (NOAA/NCCOS) Email(s): glenn_seaman@fishgame.state.ak.us, terry.mctigue@noaa.gov, gary.matlock@noaa.gov Abstract: Rural communities in Alaska, particularly Alaska Native villages, have unique science and educational needs formed both by the community's remoteness and it's culture. NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science has partnered with the seven Alaska Tribes in south central Alaska (collectively known as the Chugach Tribes) and the University of Alaska to support science education in remote and Tribal areas that improves science literacy in the region and supports the Tribes' goal of more effective participation in natural resource management. In this presentation, the authors will provide an overview of both statewide and regional efforts that meet these goals in a way that is sensitive and responsive to the unique cultural and community challenges in rural Alaska. Discussion will focus on the Chugach region and the Tribal Education Inititive, an effort to provide more meaningful Tribal involvement in management and research in the resources and areas of importance to the communities. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. "An Inconvenient Truth", a documentary on global warming Thursday, 09 August 2007; 12:00 – 14:00 ETZ (NOAA Auditorium -Science Center-) Abstract: The NOAA Central Library will sponsor a showing Al Gore's Academy Award ® winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" on the subject of global warming. Following the 96 minute presentation, Frank Niepold, NOAA Climate Education Coordinator, will lead a short discussion on the topic. Funding to purchase the DVD was provided by the Friends of the NOAA Library. Notes: Due to copyright restrictions, the presentation will neither be web cast nor video-conferenced. However, NOAA staff are encouraged to borrow the DVD or the book by the same title from the NOAA Central Library. For more information contact Doria Grimes. Improving Your Presentation Skills (Updated announcement!) Tuesday, 14 August 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4527, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Donna McCaskill, Communications Director; NOAA Coastal Services Center Email(s): Donna.Mccaskill@noaa.gov Abstract: From giving a status report to your peers to making that big presentation in front of an important constituent group, most of our jobs involve public speaking to some degree. This brown bag presentation will focus on communication skills for people in the scientific field. Our speaker, Donna McCaskill, has 25 years of experience helping scientists and other professional communicate through the written and spoken word. Notes: This presentation will only be available for the local Washington, D.C. audience. Data Management - Putting the "Integrated" in NOAA's Integrated Ecosystem Assessments Thursday, 16 August 2007; 11:30 - 12:30 ETZ (SSMC-3, [4th floor large conference room #4527], NODC Seminar) Speaker: Dr. Steve Murawski (NOAA Ecosystem Goal Team Lead) Email: Steve.Murawski@noaa.gov Abstract: The NOAA Ecosystem Goal Team (EGT) has identified Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs) as a critical tool to enable NOAA’s ecosystem approach to management. An IEA is a synthesis and quantitative analysis of information on relevant physical, chemical, ecological and human processes in relation to specified ecosystem management objectives. IEAs focus not on collecting new observations or conducting new research, but on integrating existing datasets to produce more useful assessments, build ecological forecast models, and develop other ecological decision support tools. The process of integrating and managing existing data sources is complex, and at present, NOAA does not have the full capability to pull these data together into a form that is readily accessible and useable by NOAA scientists producing these assessments. The EGT is pursuing options for strengthening its data and information management capabilities to support IEAs and these initiatives will be discussed. Presentation available on-line (PDF): https://intra.nodc.noaa.gov/Information/Training/Seminars/Seminars2007/nesdis_IEA.pdf About The Speaker: BIO Notes: Teleconferencing and WebEx access available. For webcast access: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 442112424 and passcode NODC4817 (alternatively direct Participant Join URL: http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=442112424&p=NODC4817&t=c); 2) type in other required fields (i.e., your name, e-mail, organization); 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. Please contact your IT staff for questions about WebEx. For Teleconference access: For those wanting wanting to participate in seminar via teleconference: dial 1-877-939-5831 (~ 5mins. prior to start of meeting) and when prompted, enter passcode 118873. For questions about teleconferencing, please contact Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184) or Kirsten.Larsen@noaa.gov (301-713-2239 x180). New England’s Marine Resource Education Program - Bridging the Gap among Fishermen, Scientists and Managers Tuesday 21 August 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, 2nd Floor, NOAA Central Library) Speaker(s): Laura Taylor Singer (Gulf of Maine Research Institute) Abstract: It has been widely acknowledged that the complex system of fisheries science and management is difficult for many fishermen and others to navigate. Fishermen attending fishery management council meetings, serving as advisors to the management processes, or partnering in collaborative research, require baseline information to be effective in their roles. In addition to information challenges, there are cultural differences among those interested in fisheries management. Often, the issues that arise in a management setting are based on a lack of understanding and trust. In New England, the Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) was created by fishery activists in the region to address these issues. The curriculum, tailored specifically for fishermen and relevant stakeholder groups, covers two topic areas: a three-day Fishery Science Module, followed by a three-day Fishery Management Module. MREP has become a recognized training program for fishermen, managers, scientists and environmentalists in the region and has recently gained national interest. Notes: See http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html What They are Saying: Learning About the Coastal Management Community through the Coastal Zone Conference Series Thursday, 23 August 2007; 11:30 – 12:30 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Jan Kucklick and Ginger Hinchcliff (NOAA Coastal Services Center) Email(s): Jan.Kucklick@noaa.gov, Ginger.Hinchcliff@noaa.gov Abstract: The Coastal Zone conference is one of the largest interdisciplinary gatherings of the coastal and ocean resource management community. This biennial conference brings together participants from over 20 countries to share case studies and local approaches to a variety of coastal management issues ranging from climate change, to fisheries management, to coastal hazards, to sediment management. Our speakers, Jan Kucklick, and Ginger Hinchcliff, of the NOAA Coastal Services Cener, will share what they heard and learned from the recent Coastal Zone 07 Conference in Portland, Oregon. NOAA Coastal Services Center serves as the presenting sponsor of the Coastal Zone conference series. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Effects of Human Interferences on Hydrologic Processes –The Modeling Issues Thursday, 23 August 2007; 13:30 – 14:30 ETZ (SSMC-2, Room #8246, Office of Hydrologic Development Seminar) Speaker(s): Prof. Ximin Cai (Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Abstract: Effects of human interferences on hydrologic processes have occurred at all scales from local, basin to the global due to various human activities including human influences on climate change and variability, land use and land cover change, flow regulation through dams and reservoirs, water withdrawal and return flow, and irrigation. However, human interferences are still not yet a major focus of scientific studies in the U.S.; the level of integration of data from the human system with standard hydrologic data is limited in current watershed hydrologic studies; and fundamental understanding of the role of human interference effects in the hydrologic cycle is not clear. Some hydrologic models focus on natural processes but ignore human interferences; while others treat human interferences as fixed boundary conditions or inputs. In particular, numerous model calibration efforts attempt to adjust natural parameters only, assuming the parameters or inputs related to human activities are deterministic. This can easily end with wrong values of those natural parameters because of the considerable errors in human data used in the models. This presentation discusses the characteristics of human data error, the difficulties in assimilating human data into hydrologic models, and related research issues in improving watershed hydrologic modeling. Human data errors are usually biased and the statistical properties of the errors are often unknown or not fully known, which may cause non-stationary, unpredictable, and biased error on the model forecast. Because of the non-Gaussian or biased data errors, determining the true error covariance matrices is a challenge for data assimilation approaches such as the most widely used Kalman filter (KF) and its extensions. Since watersheds are coupled natural-human systems, research needs to pay explicit attention to human-nature interactions and feedbacks in the hydrologic cycle. Specific questions include what hydrologic processes, at what scale and what local (spatial variability) are especially sensitive to the data errors of a certain type of human interferences. Addressing these questions will lead to the understanding of watershed behaviors under the combined influences of natural variability and human interferences and of the impact of biased error in human interferences on the simulation of hydrologic processes. Addressing these questions is also expected to provide guidelines for designing human interference monitoring systems. Notes: Join on-line: https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/372749737 ; Conference Call: Telecon: 1-877-774-5038; Passcode: 925335#; Meeting ID: 372-749-737. For questions about this seminar please contact Jennifer Kent or Pedro.Restrepo@noaa.gov. Responsive Management and The Human Dimension of Natural Resource Management Monday, 27 August 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Mark Damian Duda (Responsive Management) Email(s): mark@responsivemanagement.com Abstract: Responsive Management was established in 1985 by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) to assist natural resource agencies better understand and work with their constituents. WAFWA understood that natural resource agencies approached natural resource management issues in a scientific, deliberate and orderly process, but did not always approach "people" issues in that same scientific, deliberate and orderly manner. The program developed numerous human dimensions training programs and products for natural resource managers, including how to incorporate the human dimension into natural resource management, public attitude surveys, communications and conflict resolution. By 1991 Responsive Management became so busy conducting surveys and consulting it was decided it would be best run as a private business since WAFWA did not have the infrastructure to administer the program. Responsive Management was turned over to then Board Member Mark Damian Duda and incorporated as a private business at that time. Since then, Responsive Management has conducted almost 1,000 telephone, mail, and internet surveys, focus groups, needs assessments and other human dimensions research projects for numerous natural resource agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One of these projects includes the recent Coastal Services Center 2006 Coastal Resource Management Survey. For the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Responsive Management is currently conducting a programmatic evaluation of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program Networks in the Southeast and Southwest Regions and recently completed a needs assessment on Florida manatee education and outreach. A coastal training needs assessment and market inventory is currently being conducted for Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve. Come and interact with Mark while he shares his 25 years of human dimensions in natural resource experience with NOAA staff. Mark holds a MES (Master of Environmental Studies) with an emphasis in natural resource policy and planning from Yale University. While at Yale, Mark worked with Dr. Stephen Kellert, known for his pioneering work in the human dimensions field. Mark is also a trained biologist and worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the 1980s. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Persistent Underwater Surveillance Networks Using Micro-sized Sensor Nodes Wednesday, 29 August 2007; 12:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Steve Stanic (Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Ms.) Email(s): steve.stanic@nrlssc.navy.mil Abstract: The Naval Research Laboratory is currently conducting research and developing technologies to fabricate, deploy, and test, a persistent underwater surveillance network using micro-sensor nodes. These sensor nodes will use micro-modems, high-frequency directional communication transducers, and be capable of interfacing with numerous miniature and nano sized sensor packages. Calculations have shown that sensor node life cycles could approach 6 to 12 months depending on the surveillance and signal processing demands. Sensor life times could be extended indefinitely by using microbial power generation. It is anticipated that these nodes would ultimately be the size of a “coke can” and deployable from small surface craft, underwater vehicles, and air born assets. The cost per unit could be as low as $200-300. Potential applications could include riverene surveillance, harbor and ship protection, coral reef management, and environmental monitoring. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS.
The Integration of Estuary Acoustic Seabed Mapping to the Requirements of Ecosystem Based Management California sea lions and the biotoxin domoic acid: morbidity and mortality patterns and potential implications for the population The Evolution of Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) CLIVAR and Carbon Hydrographic Data Office (CCHDO) tentative title Tuesday, 11 September 2007; 11:00 - 12:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room 4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. James H. Swift (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD) Email: jswift@ucsd.edu Abstract: The CCHDO's primary mission is to be a repository and distribution center for CTD and Hydrographic data sets of the highest possible quality. These data are a product of WOCE, CLIVAR and numerous other oceanographic research programs -- past, present and to come. Notes: For questions about teleconferencing, please contact Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). Droughts and flooding rains in Australia Tuesday, 11 September 2007; 2:00 to 3:00 pm ETZ (SSMC-2, Room 8246, OHD seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Dörte Jakob (Australian Bureau of Meteorology) Abstract: Australia is the driest inhabited continent. Why do you spend time on reviewing methods for design rainfall estimation? Australia is also a continent with highly variable rainfall. While much of Australia is still in a severe drought, major flooding has occurred during June 2007. The current methods for design rainfall estimation in Australia were developed in the 1980s. A pilot study is underway to develop new methods. Results from the pilot study will be presented. If reservoirs in large parts of Australia are less than half-full, why are you concerned about how climate change might affect estimates of Probable Maximum Precipitation (used in estimating the PMP Design Flood)? For most catchments in Australia, even the largest observed storms on record have rainfall depths which are typically below 25% of the relevant PMP estimates. However, for some storms rainfall depths have reached up to 85% of the corresponding PMP estimate. According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC, rainfall intensity is projected to increase under climate change, even in regions where mean precipitation decreases. Moisture availability, storm efficiency and storm types were investigated to answer the question whether PMP estimates might change under a changing climate. Notes: Remote access information TBD. For more information about this seminar please contact: Geoffrey.Bonnin@noaa.gov Urban Aerosol Effects on Clouds, Rainfall and Surface Energy Budget Wednesday, 12 September 2007; 2:00 PM ETZ (SSMC-3, Room 3404; ARL seminar) Speaker: Menglin Jin (NASA GSFC/U of MD, Marshall Sheperd, Atmospheric Sciences Program, The University of Georgia, Michael D. King, NASA GSFC) Email: mjin@atmos.umd.edu Abstract: Urbanization is one of the extreme cases of human being-natural climate system interactions. We use satellite observations to address how urban aerosols affect both surface and atmospheric conditions and radiation at diurnal, weekly, and seasonally scales. Analyses of 6-year MODIS aerosol measurements, together with clouds, rainfall, surface temperature and in situ AERONET data reveal that urban aerosol has clear modifications on warm cloud droplet size, but less significant effect on rainfall at monthly scale. In addition, aerosol effect may be stronger over sea surface than over urban surface. Further more, urban aerosol reduces surface energy budget up to 20-40Wm-2, which further reduces surface skin temperature. Nevertheless, urban heat island effect is larger than aerosol-skin temperature effect, and consequently urban surfaces are warmer than non-urban regions in daytime and nighttime. Terrace Structure of the Shallow Dry Tortugas Coral Reef Ecosystem Thursday, 13 September 2007, 11:30 – 12:30 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): John C. Brock (USGS Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies) Email(s): jbrock@usgs.gov Abstract: Terraces have been recognized in many reef systems around the world, and on last interglacial reefs, this geomorphology has been linked to changes in sea level regimes. In parallel, many reef systems have an ecological zonation that correlates coarsely with geomorphology. However, benthic habitat mapping of coral reef ecosystems is typically accomplished by the classification of multi-spectral images acquired from satellites or aircraft, an approach that omits the use of reef morphology in defining habitat boundaries. Aircraft lidar surveys can map fine scale reef structure, and enable the recognition of terraces on shallow coral reef ecosystems that may control the distribution of benthic communities. We evaluated the hypothesis that the shallow Dry Tortugas coral reef ecosystem is geomorphologically organized into terraces that act to control ecological zonation. Following a NASA airborne lidar survey in August 2004 that resulted in a one-meter scale topographic map, the Wilcox signed rank test was used to verify the presence of terraces on Garden Key Bank, Pulaski Bank and Loggerhead Key Bank, the major geomorphic units of the shallow Dry Tortugas. Next, the boat-mounted Along Track Reef Imaging System (ATRIS) was used to collect voluminous observations of benthic class and topographic complexity to investigate correlation between the recognized terracing and the spatial structure of benthic habitats. A Jaccard Dissimilarity analysis of interpreted ATRIS benthic images collected on transects across all three major banks of the Dry Tortugas revealed significant within and between bank differences in terrace benthic community composition. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Social Science Tools and Information Tuesday, 18 September 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Hansje Gold-Krueck ( NOAA Coastal Services Center). Email(s): Hansje.Gold-Krueck@noaa.gov Abstract: When it comes to managing natural resources, the people side of the equation is very important. HumanDimensions.gov, or HD.gov, is dedicated to the application of social science for natural resource management professionals. This brown bag presentation will discuss social science basics, the tools available from this site, and a little bit about how the site was developed amongst hundreds of partners. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS): An Overview Wednesday, 19 September 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, 2nd Floor, NOAA Central Library/NODC Seminar) Speaker(s): Zdenka Willis (Director, IOOS) Abstract: NOAA is leading interagency and regional efforts to build the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). IOOS is a coordinated network of people and technology that work together to generate and disseminate continuous data on our coastal waters, Great Lakes, and oceans. IOOS is our nation’s ocean contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, an international effort designed to monitor Earth and transmit observations globally. The goal of IOOS is to expand and improve our ability to collect, deliver, and use ocean information—providing information in the right format at the right time to scientists, managers, businesses, governments, and the public. Presentation Available On-Line: See power point slides Notes: For more information see http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html. MOS Probability Forecasts: Part 1 - Event Probabilities (See Part 2 seminar on 3 October 2007) Wednesday, 19 September 2007; 14:00 - 15:00 P.M. ETZ (SSMC#2, Room 2358, NWS - Science and Technology Seminars) Speaker(s): Kathy Gilbert and Judy Ghirardelli (Meteorological Development Laboratory, Office of Science and Technology) Abstract: Probabilistic weather forecasting may finally be on the upswing. Contributing to the renewed interest is the 2006 National Research Council report “Completing the Forecast.” Probability of precipitation forecasts have been issued to the public since 1966, but most other forecasts are single-value or of a descriptive nature. The Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) has been providing probabilistic guidance forecasts of several weather elements in various formats for many years. These forecasts are of specific events, such as the probability of thunderstorms, or of categories of variables that have very skewed distributions and do not lend themselves to statistical treatment as continuous variables. Examples of these latter forecasts include the probability of ceiling height less than 500 ft. and the probability of greater than one inch of rain. These are essentially “event” probabilities. More recently, we have been developing methods to deal with probability distributions of continuous variables such as maximum temperature. All of these forecasts are, of course, based on output of numerical models. With the latest development, ensembles produced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction have been used. The first seminar will describe MDL’s probabilistic forecasts of weather events and lay the groundwork for the next seminar which will describe the techniques and results of producing probabilistic forecasts of continuous variables. Notes: The flier can be viewed at http://www.weather.gov/mdl/seminar/. Further information, please contact Harry.Glahn@noaa.gov. Please pass this information along as appropriate. For remote access, contact Carl McCalla.
Outreach with Positive Outcomes MOS Probability Forecasts: Part 2 - Probability Distributions of Continuous Variables (See Part 1 seminar on 19 September 2007) Development of the Ocean GeoPortal: An Educational and Data Harvesting Tool Tuesday, 09 October 2007; 11:00 - 12:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Daniel Cole (Geographic Information Systems Coordinator, Smithsonian Institution) Email: coled@si.edu Abstract: The Ocean GeoPortal will encompass the geo-referenced portion of NMNH’s 33 million marine specimens from eight of the museum’s divisions (Invertebrate Zoology, Fish, Mammals, Amphibians and Reptiles, Minerals, Botany, and Paleobiology). These large data sets may be combined for display and analysis (based on fields of taxonomy, location, depth, collector, ship, expedition, etc) with environmental data sets from our partners at NOAA, in addition to any world-wide or site-specific data sets from our collaborators (NASA, USGS, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Scripps, Monterey Bay Research Institute, National Geographic Society, New England Aquarium, other Smithsonian research units and other academic institutions with marine programs). We plan to provide extensive data bases for outside scientists to harvest spatial data through the GIS Portal Toolkit (GPTK) software. Through customization of the GeoPortal, we also plan to provide educational materials developed by collaborators, including static and interactive maps for K-12 and the general public to access and learn, as well as incorporating on-line lessons and virtual field trips into customized versions of ArcIMS and GPTK, along with links to the planned Google Ocean. Presentation available on-line: Geoportal seminar (PDF): OceanGeoPortal.pdf ; Geoportal web links: OceanGeoPortalflyer-1.doc Notes: Participants for this seminar via teleconference should dial 1-877-939-5831, when prompted enter passcode 118873. Other teleconferencing, WebEx, videoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov (301-713-3284 x155) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184).
Ecohydrology and Its Relevance to Hydrologic Forecasting at Climatic Time Scales U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Regulatory Framework for High-Level Waste and A Risk-Informed Performance-Based Approach Applied to Yucca Mountain, Nevada Thursday, 11 October 2007; 11:00 - 12:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Dr. Andrew C. Campbell Email: Andy.Campbell@noaa.gov Abstract: TBA Presentation available on-line: ACampbell_NODC_NOAA_Oct_2007.pdf About the speaker: Biography_for_Andy_Campbell.pdf Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov (301-713-3284 x155) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). The Chesapeake Bay Forecast System Friday, October 12, 2007; 1 -2 pm (SSMC-3; Room 7836; Coast Survey Development Laboratory Seminar) Speaker: Professor Raghu Murtugudde (Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and Cooperative Institute of Climate Studies at the University of Maryland) Abstract: The Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) and Cooperative Institute of Climate Studies (CICS) at the University of Maryland are developing a fully integrated, biogeochemical model of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the estuary. This Chesapeake Bay Forecast System (CBFS), consisting of a coupled Atmospheric/ Land/Ocean model complete with biological and geochemical components, is being assembled with existing models and will include assimilation of in-situ and satellite-derived measurements to enable near-real time applications and climate change research. The system includes the Weather Service’s Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model as the atmospheric component, the U.S. Department of Agricultural Research Service’s Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) as the hydrological model, and Rutgers University’s Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) as the coastal ocean model. Objectives of the CBFS and its output will be described and discussed. Notes: For questions about this seminar, please contact Frank Aikman (301-713-2809 x101) Why study biodiversity? An example from the Island of Tobago, West Indies Friday, 19 October 2007; 12:00 - 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, 2nd Floor, NODC/NOAA Library Seminar) Speaker: Dave Hardy Email: Dave.Hardy@noaa.gov Abstract: Since 1962 I have been conducting a study of bodiversity on the Island of Tobago, West Indies. This effort has resulted in the discovery of 52 new taxa (1 family, 2 genera, and 52 new species). During the same time period (1962 to present), ten species (5 birds, 3 reptiles, 1 mammal, and 1 crustacean) have apparently become extint on the Island. The impact of extinction on the environment will probably not be fully understood until we have identified as many un-discovered species as possible. There is thus an urgent need for in-depth studies of biodiversity not only in Tobago, but throughout the World. Notes: Teleconferencing available upon request by contacting Mary Lou Cumberpatch (301-713-2600 Ext.129; Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov). See also http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html Innovative Tools to Motivate Watershed Stewardship Friday, 19 October 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Christine Feurt, Ph.D., Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve and Director, Center for Sustainable Communities Department of Environmental Studies, University of New England Email(s): cfeurt@wellsnerr.org or cfeurt@une.edu Abstract: Barriers to watershed stewardship are frequently misunderstood. Timely application of scientific research and technological innovations with potential to contribute to improvements in coastal water quality can be blocked when adopters of the information fail to recognize or understand the relevance or benefits. This research used an innovative interdisciplinary approach to understand and overcome barriers to science translation in municipal decision-making about non-point source pollution. This research combined and evaluated methodology and theory concerning the role of cultural models in environmental decision-making with the process and strategies of Collaborative Learning to facilitate science translation and community based ecosystem management. Cultural models are shared perceptions and attitudes about how the world works. They are implicit, taken for granted and frequently operate below the level of consciousness. This research discovered that differing cultural models of water and pollution play a role in the definition, perception and behaviors that people adopt toward water management. Differences in the cultural models of municipal officials and water program managers contribute to different perspectives about strategies for protecting water. This case study evaluates the “Protecting Our Children’s Water” project implemented by the Coastal Training Program of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in southern Maine. This project used an innovative blend of social science research and Collaborative Learning to motivate implementation of watershed management plans to address nonpoint source pollution associated with land use practices. The process of forming two watershed councils in southern Maine, designing a series of training workshops and tracking progress on watershed plan implementation will be described. The role of science as a motivator, the nature of conflict surrounding property rights and the importance of project framing for municipal decision making will be presented. Provocative findings with implications for the design of educational messages about nonpoint source pollution will be included. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Observations from the Louisiana and Texas Hypoxic Zones: summer 2007 Monday, 22 October 2007; 12:00 – 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-4, Room #8150, NOS seminar) Speaker(s): Dr. Steven F. DiMarco ( Texas A&M University) Email(s): sdimarco@tamu.edu Abstract: The 2007 season of coastal hypoxia of the Texas-Louisiana Shelf contained several surprises. Predicted to be the largest hypoxic area to date, low dissolved oxygen concentrations were seen mostly offshore south of Atchafalaya in March. Physical conditions likely led to large variability of the distribution of low oxygen bottom waters in July. Light winds allowed low oxygen conditions to persist in the western region until tropical storms affected the region in mid-September. Unusually large rainfall over Texas led to stratified conditions along coastal Texas. A one day rapid response cruise on 08 August was deployed near Freeport, TX, to assess the severity and extent of low oxygen conditions which persisted since early June. The Texas hypoxia was dispersed by Hurricane Humberto on 18 September. Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. 1. The experience of operational hydrological forecasting in the Russian Federation & 2. The current state of the hydrological network of ROSHYDROMET and prospects for its further improvement 29 october 2007; 13:00-14:00 ETZ (SSMC2, Room 8246; Office of Hydrologic Development Seminar) Speaker: Dr. Sergei Borshch (Hydrometeorological Research Center of the Russian Federation) Email: borsch@mecom.ru Abstract: Dr. Borshch will give a two-part seminar at OHD The first part of the seminar is entitled "The experience of operational hydrological forecasting in the Russian Federation," and the second part is entitled: "The current state of the hydrological network of ROSHYDROMET and prospects for its further improvement". See abstract here: https://intra.nodc.noaa.gov/Information/Training/Seminars/Seminars2007/Abstract_of_Dr_Borshch_presentation.pdf Notes: Goto Meeting information: Please join Sergei Borshch's seminar on Monday, October 29 at 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time at https://www.gotomeeting.com/join/499002808. Conference Call: Telecon: 1-877-774-5038, Passcode: 925335#, Meeting ID: 499-002-808. For questions please contact Pedro.Restrepo@noaa.gov.
Notes: Presentations are typically available via a combination of phone & webcast. With a reservation, they can also be available by video conferencing to those with appropriate equipment. For phone: dial 866-541-1377, passcode 142625. For webcast: 1) go to http://www.MyMeetings.com, enter the meeting number 449707376 and passcode NOS8150; 2) enter other required fields; 3) indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4) click on Proceed. You must also dial the phone number above so you can hear the presentation. For videoconferencing: contact nos.video.conference@noaa.gov for information on setting up a reservation. Please allow adequate time for testing of connections (at least 24 hours or more) if you do not regularly connect with NOS. Bio-assessment Tools for the Development of Biocriteria
NCAR’s Societal Impacts Program Research and Outreach Ocean activities at the Brazilian NODC Friday, 2 November 2007 ; 1100-noon EST (SSMC-3, Room 4817, NODC seminar) Speaker: Lieutenant Vladimir Maluf (Brazilian Navy, Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation) Title: Ocean activities at the Brazilian NODC. Abstract: none Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC)/phone available upon request by contacting Cheryl Ingram (Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov) at least a day before the seminar. ESTIMATING FUTURE VALUE OF ALASKA PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AT RISK TO CLIMATE CHANGE Tuesday, 13 November 2007; 10:00-11:00am Alaska Daylight/Standard Time (RISA/ACCAP seminar via teleconference only) Speaker: Peter Larsen, The Nature Conservancy Abstract: Alaska's public infrastructure is disigned for a cold climate. We can expect 10-20% higher costs for infrastructure replacement due to climate change. Join us for a discussion of work conducted at the Institute of Social and Economic Research to update a public infrastructure database and estimate future costs to infrastructure replacement due to climate change. Notes: The NOAA Alaska Regional Collaboration Team is partnering with the Alaska Climate Change Assessment Program (ACCAP). ACCP is part of the NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA). For further information about this seminar please contact: Sarah Trainor, ACCAP Coordinator and Research Scientist, (907) 474-7878, fnsft@uaf.edu (see also http://www.uaf.edu/accap/teleconference.htm). How to Participate / Log-In to the Alaska Climate Teleconference: 1) With a regular telephone dial: 1-800-893-8850; 2) When prompted, enter the PIN code: 7531823; PLEASE MUTE YOUR PHONE DURING THE PRESENTATION. The audio is very sensitive and your external conversations and typing can be heard by other participants. To view the presentation during a teleconference: 1) Point your web browser to: http://www.shareitnow.com; 2) Click on the blue Join a Meeting button on the left side bar; 3) For Presenter ID enter: accap@uaf.edu. ENDURANCE: Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic Antarctic Explorer Wednesday, 14 November 2007; 12:00 - 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4817, Office of Ocean Exploration Seminar) Speaker: Dr. William Stone (Stone Aerospace) Email: bill.stone@stoneaerospace.com Abstract: Planning for the NASA robotic mission to Europa to search for microbiological life in the sub-surface ocean beneath the 5 kilometer icecap of that Jovian moon has led to the development of two ambitious fully autonomous underwater research vehicles that are pushing the envelop for AUVs. From 2004-2007 the DEPTHX project developed and tested concepts for automated 3D mapping and an associated navigational technique known as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). 3D-SLAM allowed DEPTHX to become the first autonomous vehicle to explore, un-tethered, into subterranean hydrothermal vents. It returned home on its just-created 3D maps that were acquired during the original exploration. A second objective of the DEPTHX program was to test new architectures for conducting science autonomy in unexplored environments. Both objectives were dramatically demonstrated on the Zacaton 3 expedition in May of 2007. ENDURANCE -- a new AUV based on DEPTHX technology -- is currently under development for deployment below ice in West Lake Bonney, Antarctica, in the fall of 2008. ENDURANCE code development is focused on extending science autonomy to such capabilities as full sub-surface 3D mapping of West Lake Bonney; 3D and photo mosaic automated imaging of sub-surface Taylor Glacier; and to completely automated grid sampling of the highly stratified lake while minimizing environmental impact. The hat trick for ENDURANCE is an autonomous egress and docking behavior that will bring it back and up a melt hole only half a meter larger in diameter than the vehicle itself at the conclusion of each mission. Dr. Stone was PI for DEPTHX and is Co-I and lead AUV designer for ENDURANCE. Website: www.stoneaerospace.com Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov (301-713-3284 x155) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Reg Beach (301.734.1016) or Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). Inter-Basin Freshwater Disparity and Ocean Thermohaline Circulation Monday, 19 November 2007; 11:00 - 12:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Dr. Dan Seidov (NODC) Email: Dan.Seidov@noaa.gov Abstract: The current paradigm of the global ocean thermohaline circulation (THC) is that the driving force of THC—the Meridional Overturning Circulation—is controlled almost exclusively by freshwater fluxes across the sea surface in the Nordic Seas and northern North Atlantic (NNA). A generalized version of this paradigm suggests that the balance between North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and Antarctic Deep Water (AADW) is responsible for the so-called “global ocean conveyor belt”— a system of ocean currents connecting different ocean basins and most notably – the northern North Atlantic and northern North Pacific Oceans – the most distant regions of the world ocean. The sea surface salinity (SSS) contrast between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is the key for the present-day THC operation. However, it remained largely unknown how fragile is this SSS contrast and how large the freshwater cycling in the ocean-atmosphere system should be to maintain the global conveyor and whether this contrast does indeed depend on freshwater balance in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Recent modeling efforts challenge the view of THC as a system operated from NNA. It has been shown that a slight disparity in freshwater redistribution between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans can be sufficient for building up and maintaining a global conveyor-type ocean thermohaline circulation. Relatively small changes in this disparity leading to change in sea surface salinity (SSS) contrasts between the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and in the north-south SSS contrasts within the northern parts of both oceans (not only in the Atlantic Ocean, as many believe) can easily change the operation of the entire global conveyor. Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov (301-713-3284 x155) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). NODC Office Safety Is Your Responsibility Thursday, 29 November 2007; 11:00 - 12:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker(s): Cheryl Ingram, Josepth Shirley, Hernan Garcia (NODC) Email: Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov, Joseph.Shirley@noaa.gov, Hernan.garcia@noaa.gov Abstract: TBA Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov (301-713-3284 x155) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). Technical review on database design and development for historical Korea oceanographic data sets Tuesday, 04 December 2007; 12:00 - 13:00 ETZ (SSMC-3, Room #4817, NODC Seminar) Speaker: Freud Park (NODC) Email: Freud.Park@noaa.gov On-line access to Power Point presentation: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-About/Outreach/docs/07/FreudPark_KOD_Seminar.pdf Notes: VideoTeleConferencing (VTC) access available upon request by contacting Cheryl.Ingram@noaa.gov (301-713-3284 x155) at least a day before the seminar. For general questions about this seminar, please contact Hernan Garcia (301-713-3290 x184). A User-Driven Meso-Gamma-Scale Numerical Modeling and Visualization System for Building the Larger Community OBIS, Ocean Biogeographical information System: integrating the oceans’ species-based distribution data
Positioning NOAA for Tomorrow's Opportunities Thursday, 13 December 2007; 11:30-12:30 ETZ (SSMC3, Conference Room #4527; NOAA Library Seminar) Speaker: Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, JR., U.S. Navy (Ret.), NOAA Administrator Abstract: Come join VADM Lautenbacher as he shares his thoughts on how NOAA has evolved during his tenure and how NOAA can be prepared for the transition from his administration to the next. He will highlight many of NOAA’s recent accomplishments and discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for NOAA. Following VADM Lautenbacher's presentation, a holiday reception will be held in the NOAA Central Library on the 2nd Floor of SSMC #3. The NOAA Holiday Band and Chorus will provide entertainment at this event. Refreshments including soft drinks, holiday desserts, and light hors d'oeuvres will be available for all. Notes: See http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html
Seminar Partner's contactsPartners: NODC, NOS, OHC, ARL, OHD, NMFS, NWS, NOAA Library, NCBO & Office of Ocean Exploration. Fisheries Service, Office of Habitat Conservation seminars: Air Resources Laboratory seminars: National Weather Service - Office of Hydrologic Development National Weather Service - Science and Technology Seminars National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Policy Seminars NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO): NCBO focuses multiple NOAA capabilities on Chesapeake Bay restoration through science, service, and stewardship of the Bay ecosystem. NOAA Central Library brown bag seminars (see listing at http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/news/news.html): Office of Ocean Exploration Census of Marine Life Lunchtime Seminar Series Lunchtime “Making Ocean Life Count” Seminar Series
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