NOAA's Mission is driven by Science, Service, and Stewardship. Each of these drivers includes significant international aspects. We work collaboratively with other nations to make measurements and observations and share that data to develop, test, and evaluate our models. Our science and understanding are enriched through interactions with international peers. Besides providing information services to decision and policy makers domestically, NOAA also shares these services and others not only with our neighbors, but globally as well. Stewardship involves both conserving and preserving our domestic resources and protecting those resources from external threats. In the broader picture, stewardship extends to protecting resources in the world-wide ecosystem since national borders are not barriers to phenomena in the oceans and atmosphere. The relationship between the Office of International Affairs, the Line Offices, Goal Teams, and International Affairs Council will be described. What will be presented includes examples of international activities which significantly support NOAA's Mission and opportunities for enhancing international contributions.

[see http://www.noaa.gov/turner.html]

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Wednesday, January 13, 2010 6:48 AM / Last edited Friday, March 12, 2010 8:48 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Douglas Burnett will talk on key components of the international legal rights and obligations related to submarines cables. Included in the presentation will be current developments with regard to cable security and environmental issues, including marine mammals and activities between industry and the UN Environmental Programme and other areas where NOAA has important roles. Submarine cables have been used in the oceans since 1850 but never have their importance been so pronounced as now. International fiber optic submarine cables carry over 95 percent of the international internet communications of the United States, including voice, data, and video communications. About 35 cables, each with a diameter of a garden hose, link the United States with the world and are critical national infrastructure by any metric. The use of cables for scientific observations and military purposes is also expanding rapidly. Cables are comprehensively treated in the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS) which supplies the legal framework under which they are laid and maintained. The attached chart highlights the applicable provisions of UNCLOS, the Geneva Conventions on the High Seas and Continental Shelf, and the 1884 International Convention for the Protection of Submarine Cables.

Mr. Burnett is a maritime partner at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P. and the international law advisor to the International Cable Protection Committee. He has testified as an expert on cables on behalf of the telecommunication industry at UNCLOS hearings by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee [click Doug_Burnett_Bio.pdf].

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, March 1, 2010 2:59 PM / Last updated Tuesday, March 2, 2010 7:15 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

This study evaluates the performance of the NWS Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (HL-RDHM) subject to five different parameterizations. The model parameters were estimated during the calibration period using the traditional manual approach, two local optimization searches, and two sophisticated global optimization methods. While being relatively costly in terms of computational resources and time, the global optimization method (with some added constraints) achieved the greatest accuracy in simulating streamflow during calibration. The overall best performance during the validation period, however, was accomplished with the model that was calibrated with the step-wise, local optimization method. Further analyses of the results during validation indicated the models calibrated manually and with the global optimization methods offered improvements over the local optimization search during high flow periods (i.e., flow exceedance probability < 10%). This study provides information about the performance of a high-dimensional, rainfall-runoff model based on different calibration strategies with a consideration of the desired objectives (i.e., accuracy during calibration, validation, high flows, low flows) and required computational resources. Particular emphasis was placed on model performance during high flow events, in conjunction with the modeling objectives of the Coastal and Inland Flooding Observation and Warning (CI-FLOW) project.

Conference Call: (866) 713-2373, passcode 9960047; GotoMeeting: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/999815617. For further information please contact Mike Smith (Michael.Smith@noaa.gov; 301-713-06404 Ext 128) or ken.pavelle@noaa.gov.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Friday, March 5, 2010 8:57 AM / Last updated Wednesday, March 10, 2010 6:57 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

This seminar will cover research aimed at determining and recommending ways in which predictions (simulated flows at the outlet of headwater basins) may be improved through the combination of hydraulic routing and rainfall-runoff modeling. The work completed thus far is separated into three research areas. The first research area develops a diffusion wave strategy for routing flows within HL-RDHM. The goal of this research was to assess the feasibility of diffusion routing within the current HL-RDHM model structure. From this research, it was found that the two parameters in the diffusion wave (wave celerity and the dispersion coefficient) can be related to the existing a-priori routing parameters (local channel slope, roughness coefficient, and two cross section shape parameters) used in HL-RDHM. Additionally, a numerical strategy for implementing diffusion wave routing was identified from the literature. The numerical strategy remains to be tested within HL-RDHM. It seems beneficial to test this strategy on a stream reach, prior to implementation on a stream network, to determine the stability and accuracy of the numerical solution. The second research area was to replace a portion of the HL-RDHM main stream reach in the Blue and Illinois River basins with a HEC-RAS model. The goal with this research was to assess coupling of the two models, examine the role of parameterized cross section shapes, and assess advantages/disadvantages from implementing a more general routing method. It was found that the external coupling approach is quite inefficient and limiting. It requires a substantial amount of effort and time to set up and transfer information to the hydraulic model, making a systematic analysis of parameters and uncertainty unrealistic. It was also found that some benefit may be possible from including floodplain hydraulic geometry in the routing process. The magnitude of this benefit needs to be identified more precisely with a more efficient modeling framework. The last research project looked at how existing analytical routing criteria may provide information regarding the basin scale where a given routing method (kinematic, non-inertia, or dynamic wave routing) becomes dominant. The goal with this research was to provide additional support to the selection of a routing method. For this research, an existing criteria was chosen and combined with the basin geomorphology, climate, and hydrologic response. The latter is used to extend the criteria to account for basin size. Preliminary numerical tests suggest a strong dependence of the criteria to the slope-area relationship, indicating that this might be a useful quantity when trying to choose a routing method. The combined criteria also shows a tendency for diffusion to become more dominant with increasing basin size. Based on the performed research, a next step could be to continue with the implementation of the diffusion wave strategy and examine the possibility of including floodplain hydraulic geometry.

Conference Call: (866) 713-2373, passcode 9960047; GotoMeeting: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/456386097. For further information please contact Mike Smith (Michael.Smith@noaa.gov; 301-713-06404 Ext 128) or ken.pavelle@noaa.gov.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Friday, March 5, 2010 8:57 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

The New York City (NYC) water supply system is operated by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide water to more than 9 million people. To help manage this complex system with many reservoirs and several large aqueducts, NYCDEP contracted with the engineering firms of Hazen and Sawyer (NYC) and Hydrologics (Columbia, MD) to develop a decision support system that was initially used in a planning mode to simulate operation of the NYC reservoirs, including daily release and diversion decisions, within the context of water quality objectives, water supply reliability objectives, and release requirements throughout the system. The next phase of work is to integrate this decision support system into an Operations Support Tool (OST) that will use NWS ensemble weather, water and climate forecasts as inputs to support model simulations in Position Analysis (PA) mode. The OST will link DEP’s water quality and quantity models; assimilate near-real-time data on reservoir levels, stream flow into the reservoirs, snowpack and water quality in streams and reservoirs; and ingest NWS forecasts. At the same time, it will apply the rules and laws that govern the water supply operations. And it will involve close collaboration between the NYCDEP and the NWS. This seminar will describe the NYC water supply system, the OST and NWS ensemble forecast requirements.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, March 11, 2010 12:55 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Dr. Aris P. Georgakakos (Professor and Director, Georgia Water Resources Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology), Dr. Huaming Yao (Senior Research Scientist, Georgia Water Resources Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology), and Feng Zhang (PhD Student, Georgia Water Resources Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology).

Southeast US has historically enjoyed abundant water resources, but recent decades ushered in rapid population increase, crawling urbanization, unsustainable agricultural expansion, severe droughts with devastating socioeconomic consequences, widespread river pollution, endangered ecosystems, and litigious transboundary water disputes. These challenges are exemplified in the Apalachicola- Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin shared by Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, which provides a wealth of regional water resources, energy, environmental, ecological, and socio-economic benefits. The study includes (1) processing all IPCC available GCM scenarios for bias correction and downscaling, (2) developing physically based models for all ACF sub-watersheds, and (3) incorporating the watershed response within an adaptive river and reservoir regulation and assessment model encompassing all ACF storage facilities and water uses. An assessment of the historical 1901-2009 period shows that the ACF exhibits drier soil moisture and runoff trends, with drought impacts exacerbated by inflexible federal project regulation practices and ineffective drought management plans. Basin assessments with future climate and demand scenarios indicate that (1) drier trends will continue with drought and flood episodes becoming more severe, and (2) lake levels, water supply reliability, energy generation, and ecological flows are impacted adversely. The study illustrates that there is a critical need for flexible technical and institutional measures to mitigate and adapt to simultaneous climate, demand, and land use change. Adaptive management was shown to be a particularly effective mitigation strategy.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Tuesday, March 9, 2010 2:24 PM / Last updated Friday, March 12, 2010 7:01 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

TBD

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Friday, November 27, 2009 9:00 AM / Last updated Monday, February 22, 2010 9:45 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Tuesday, 23 March 2010; 10:00-11:00 Alaska Local Time [Check U.S. Time clock for your local time]; (Seminar location: University of Alaska, Faibanks, Alaska; OneNOAA Science Seminar sponsored by: ACCAP Alaska Climate Teleconferences)

Since the Industrial Revolution approximately 1/3 of all human CO2 emissions have been absorbed by the ocean. While this process has mitigated global temperature increases it has had a profound effect on the chemistry of the surface ocean, making the water more acidic. This phenomenon is exacerbated in the cold, highly productive waters in the continental shelf seas surrounding Alaska. Recent observations have shown that the bottom waters over the shelves of the Chukchi and Bering Seas, as well has the Gulf of Alaska become undersaturated with respect to aragonite in late summer and fall. These undersaturated waters could be corrosive to shell building organisms such as clams, oysters, and crabs. Here, the controls and seasonal distribution of ocean acidification around Alaska will be discussed in the context of the import commercial fisheries.

How to Participate / Log-In to the Alaska Climate Webinar: 1) 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 and disrupt the presentation. Toview the presentation: 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 . If you do not see anything on your screen, click on the refresh button on the top bar. For Macintosh computer users: A copy of the presentation will also be available on the ACCAP website: www.uaf.edu/accap. See the right-hand column under "Highlights." For further information please contact Brook Gamble, Outreach and Education Specialist, (907) 474-7812, accap@uaf.edu.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, February 18, 2010 6:43 AM / Last edited Monday, March 8, 2010 9:07 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Wednesday, 24 March 2010; 12:00-13:00 ETZ [Check U.S. Time clock for your local time] (Seminar location: SSMC-3, 2nd Floor; OneNOAA Science Seminar sponsored by: NODC NOAA Central Library)

In this presentation, an overview of international developments in high seas conservation will be provided. Examples of ongoing scientific research / analyses relevant in applying various internationally-accepted conservation planning criteria will be provided, as well as opportunities and challenges ahead. Working in the high seas, it is impossible not to be faced with issues surrounding incomplete data / knowledge, and how we can make decisions in such situations. Of course, to various extents, incomplete knowledge of ecosystems plagues the daily lives of marine conservation scientists, practitioners and decision-makers everywhere, and there is little sign that this will change soon... So, how do we balance the need to know with the need to act? Addressing ever-mounting environmental problems requires moving beyond habitually calling for more sectoral research, laudable though that may be, to learning how to deal collaboratively with what little we’ve got. In this part of the presentation, I would like to put forward some preliminary ideas developing as part of a collaborative research effort with James Cook University (Australia) on “adaptive Maritime Spatial Planning” (aMSP).

Please RSVP to Alma Lyons at Alma.J.Lyons@noaa.gov.
Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, March 15, 2010 11:41 AM / Last edited Thursday, March 18, 2010 7:35 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

NOAA Restoration Day is an annual opportunity for NOAA employees to put into action the mission they support in their office work while helping to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay. This is one of the largest voluntary federal employee-sponsored environmental stewardship events in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and for the past seven years, NOAA volunteers have had a great time growing underwater grasses in our Silver Spring offices and planting them in the Chesapeake Bay. This year we will be trying something new – growing and planting switchgrass! Switchgrass, or beachgrass, is typically found on beach dunes and helps stabilize the shoreline. We have 22 grow tanks to be distributed NOAA-wide. It’s easy to set-up a tank in your office and only takes a small time commitment. After 2.5 months, your grasses will be planted as one of several, get your hands dirty and get out in-the-field, NOAA Restoration Day activities in June being held at the NOAA Oxford Lab, one of five research labs for the NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) located in Oxford, MD (http://www.chbr.noaa.gov/oxfordlab/default.aspx). All are welcome to attend the workshop to learn more about Chesapeake Bay habitat, growing switchgrass in your office, and to receive your tank supplies. Due to limited supplies, if your office is interested in hosting a tank you must RSVP by March 19 and seek prior approval from your Office Director. Tanks are available on a first come, first served basis. To RSVP, please contact: Michele.Winowitch@noaa.gov; on the Web: NOAA Restoration Day: http://restorationday.noaa.gov.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Tuesday, March 16, 2010 2:16 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Overview of Dr. Spinrad's Career with NOAA: Challenges, Opportunities.

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, March 18, 2010 7:38 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Friday, 26 March 2010, 10:00 – 11:00 ETZ [Check U.S. Time clock for your local time] (Seminar location: World Weather Building, Room 707, Camp Springs, MD; OneNOAA Science Seminar sponsored by: NESDIS STAR).

Soil moisture plays a vital role in the partitioning of sensible and latent heat fluxes in the surface energy budget and the lack of a dense spatial and temporal network of ground-based observations provides a challenge to the initialization of the “true” soil moisture state in numerical weather prediction simulations. The retrieval of soil moisture using observations from both satellite-based thermal-infrared (TIR) and passive microwave (PM) sensors has been developed (Anderson et al., 2007; Hain et al., 2009; Jackson, 1993; Njoku et al., 2003). The ability of the TIR and microwave observations to diagnose soil moisture conditions within different layers of the soil profile provides an opportunity to use each in a synergistic data assimilation approach towards the goal of diagnosing the “true” soil moisture state from surface to root-zone. TIR and PM retrievals of soil moisture are compared to soil moisture estimates provided by a retrospective Land Information System (LIS) simulation using the NOAH LSM during the time period of 2003 - 2008. The TIR-based soil moisture product is provided by a retrieval of soil moisture associated with surface flux estimates from the Atmosphere-Land-Exchange-Inversion (ALEXI) model (Anderson et al., 1997; Mecikalski et al., 1999; Hain et al., 2009). The PM soil moisture retrieval is provided by the Vrijie Universiteit Amsterdam(VUA)-NASA surface soil moisture product. The VUA retrieval is based on the findings of Owe et al. (2001; 2008) using the Land Surface Parameter model (LPRM), which uses one dual polarized channel (6.925 or 10.65 GHz) for a dual-retrieval of surface soil moisture and vegetation water content. In addition, retrievals of ALEXI (TIR) and AMSR-E (PM) soil moisture are assimilated with the LIS and the NOAH LSM. A series of data assimilation experiments are completed with the following configuration, (a) no assimilation, (b) only ALEXI soil moisture, (c) only AMSR-E soil moisture, and (d) ALEXI and AMSR-E soil moisture. The relative skill of each assimilation configuration is quantified through a data-denial experimental design, where the LSM is forced with an inferior precipitation dataset (in this case, the TRMM 3B42RT precipitation dataset). The ability of each assimilation configuration to correct for precipitation errors is quantified through the comparison of the results with a single simulation over the same domain with a highquality (NLDAS) precipitation dataset. Finally, applications of ALEXI surface flux estimates with respect to the detection and monitoring of drought across North America will also be presented.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Tuesday, March 9, 2010 6:49 AM / Last edited Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:31 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

NOAA and its predecessor agencies have completed over 16,300 hydrographic surveys, dating back to 1837. Digital metadata capture from these surveys began in 1997 with the inception of the hydrographic survey descriptive report preservation project. Metadata recovered from the hydrographic survey descriptive reports was entered into a database implemented in DB3, and subsequently migrated to Microsoft Access. Metadata was gradually expanded to reflect the how, where and why of each survey. Migration to a new Oracle platform was achieved in 2004, through a partnership with the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Since 2004, hydrographic survey metadata presentation and query has increased in sophistication to the present day offerings on the NGDC Map Service Web Browser. The newest metadata product is the Hydrographic Survey Rap Sheet, a user-friendly summary metadata view which came on line in late January of 2010 and is now available for surveys from 1982 to the present. This seminar illustrates how to access NOAA’s hydrographic survey metadata and data through the NGDC site.

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Tuesday, February 23, 2010 7:37 AM / Last updated Thursday, February 25, 2010 10:49 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Malaria is the major vector-born disease in the world. It occurs in 107 countries with a ½ of world population. Every year 300-500 million clinical cases of malaria occur with 1.5-3 million fatalities. Children, old people and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to malaria. Africa is the most affected continent, which contributes 60 % of global malaria cases and 80% of death. Malaria is strongly affected by the environment. Climate and ecosystems determines distribution of malaria and weather affects timing, duration, area and intensity of outbreaks. In general warm and wet weather stimulated mosquitoes hatching, activity and the rate of malaria transmission to people. Satellite data have been used in recent years to monitor malaria based on Vegetation Health (VH), method that have been developed applied successfully for early detect and monitor malaria from the operational environmental satellite. The VH was developed from reflectance/emission measured by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) flown on NOAA polar-orbiting satellites since 1981. The calibrated measurements were converted to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and brightness temperature (BT), which were expressed as a deviation from 30-year climatology. Three indices characterizing moisture (VCI), thermal (TCI) and vegetation health (VHI) conditions were produced and calibrated against in situ data. They were applied to identify malaria early enough to mitigate its consequences. These results covering several countries in Africa, Asia and South America will be presented.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, March 11, 2010 11:23 AM / Updated Monday, April 12, 2010 2:51 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Controversy has arisen among the public and in the media regarding the health effects of fish intake in adults. Substantial evidence indicates that fish consumption reduces coronary heart disease mortality, the leading cause of death in developed and most developing nations. Conversely, concerns have grown regarding potential effects of exposure to mercury and other contaminants found in some fish. Because fish consumption appears to have important health benefits in adults, elucidating the relationships between fish intake, mercury and other contaminant exposure, and health risk is of considerable scientific and public health relevance. Modest consumption of fish (e.g., 1-2 servings/wk), especially species higher in the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduces risk of coronary death by 36% (95% confidence interval, 20%-50%; P<.001) and may favorably affect other clinical outcomes. Women of childbearing age and nursing mothers should consume seafood for optimal brain development in their children, limiting intake of only a few selected species. Health effects of low-level methylmercury in adults are not clearly established; methylmercury may modestly decrease the cardiovascular benefits of fish intake. A variety of seafood should be consumed; individuals with very high consumption (≥ 5 servings/wk) may wish to limit intake of species highest in mercury levels. Levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish are low, and potential carcinogenic and other effects are greatly outweighed by potential benefits of fish intake and should have little impact on individual choices for commercial seafood consumption. (All individuals should consult regional advisories for local sportscaught fish). For major health outcomes among adults, based on both the strength of the evidence and the potential magnitudes of effect, the benefits of fish intake greatly exceed the potential risks. These findings demonstrate that quantitative and comparable assessment of risks and benefits is needed to make informed recommendations about optimal fish consumption. Such evaluation has been limited in the past by widely varying standard methods for assessing nutritional benefits vs. toxicological risks.

"Dariush Mozaffarian is a cardiologist and epidemiologist; Co-Director of the Program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology (www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/cvdepi/); Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; and Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. His research focuses on the effects of lifestyle, particularly dietary habits, on cardiovascular health and disease. Dr. Mozaffarian has authored numerous scientific publications and research studies relating to lifestyle and cardiovascular health, including papers on trans fatty acids; fish and omega-3 fatty acids, contaminants, and human health; and the Meditteranean diet. He has served on several national and international committees and advisory boards, including the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention Leadership Committee, Nutrition Committee, Statistics Committee, 2020 Goals Committee, and Trans Fat Initiative Committee; the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization / World Health Organization Expert Consultation on Fats and Fatty Acids In Human Nutrition; the Pan American Health Organization Task Force on Trans Fat Free Americas; the Canadian Health Measures Survey Expert Advisory Committee; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Seafood Education Project Advisory Group; and the Gates Foundation / World Health Organization Global Burden of Diseases Nutrition Expert Group. A Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and Fellow of the American Heart Association, Dr. Mozaffarian received a B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University (with Honors, with Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa), an M.D. from Columbia University (Alpha Omega Alpha), an M.P.H. from the University of Washington, and a Doctorate in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine."

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, April 5, 2010 6:32 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, April 5, 2010 8:41 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

The next generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) series with a planned launch in 2015 includes an advanced imager and a new capability for total lightning detection (cloud and cloud-to-ground flashes). The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) will map total lightning activity continuously day and night with near-uniform spatial resolution of 8 km and with a product refresh rate of less than 20 sec over the western hemisphere from the west coast of Africa (GOES-E) to New Zealand (GOES-W) when the constellation is fully operational. Near global coverage will be possible by the end of the decade with operational lightning imagers planned by EUMETSAT and the Chinese Meteorological Agency. Cloud-resolving numerical models, such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, now have the capability of computing fields of mixing ratios of multiple species of hydrometeors, including several important ice-phase species known to be associated with lightning flash rate (graupel, hail, ice water content). In this presentation, we review the past decade of data assimilation experiments using proxy relationships for lightning and present new methodologies and opportunities to demonstrate how regional cloud-resolving forecast simulations can be exploited to create quantitatively calibrated, time-dependent and specific short-term forecasts of lightning flash rates in convective environments. Our prototype methods being tested at the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed and Storm Prediction Center this spring yield lightning forecast products that are straightforward, while avoiding the added expense and complexity of incorporating explicit cloud electrification algorithms into the models.

Online video access:1. Click on JCSDA Seminar, 2. Enter your name and e-mail address, 3. Enter the meeting password: JCSDAseminar2010, 4. Click "Join Now", 5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. Audio / conference call: USA participants: 1-866-715-2479, Passcode: 9457557, International: 1-517-345-5260 (see http://www.jcsda.noaa.gov/JCSDASeminars.php). For questions please contact George Ohring (George.Ohring@noaa.gov). Note that this eminar was originally scheduled for March 24, 2010.

Steve Goodman is the GOES-R Program Senior Scientist since 2008 and a past Acting Deputy Director of the JCSDA. Dr. Goodman’s research specialization includes the remote sensing of thunderstorms, lightning, and precipitation processes, and the application of space-based remote sensing to improve short-range forecasts of convective weather hazards. In 2001 he received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement for his research on severe storms. In support of current and planned missions Dr. Goodman is the Team Lead for the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper Lightning Applications Team and a Co-Investigator on the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Lightning Imaging Sensor (TRMM/LIS) Instrument Team. Dr. Goodman is currently a member of the AMS Committee on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography, U.S. representative to the WWRP Nowcasting Working Group, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres. He earned his PhD in Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, MS in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma, and BA in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:07 AM / Last edited Thursday, April 8, 2010 1:09 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

A series of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing campaigns were conducted from 2002 to 2005 at five U.S. estuaries: Apalachicola Bay, FL; ACE basin, SC; Grand Bay, MS; Delaware Bay, DE; and Chesapeake Bay, MD. 151 field stations were occupied within the flight tracts where the following were obtained: (1) water reflectance R(λ) spectra were acquired by a pair of ocean optic 2000 spectroradiometers, simultaneously, the concentration of (2) chlorophyll a and (3) total suspended solid, and the (4) absorption of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured at these stations. A principal component analysis was conducted to characterize the general variability of these water reflectance R(λ) spectra, and explore the factors that drive the variability of water reflectance in optically complex coastal environments. The results suggested that water reflectance spectra in turbid estuarine waters are the results of complex interactions of phytoplankton pigments, total suspended solids, and CDOM. The first principal component, which represents 72% of total variance of R(?), is strongly affected by scattering of total suspended solids and the absorption of CDOM at the green region of spectra; while the second principal component represents 20% of total variation of R(λ) spectra is mainly driven by phytoplankton biomass e.g. Chl a concentrations in red and near infrared spectral regions. Furthermore, the results of this study could provide a framework for using hyperspectral remote sensing as a cost effective method to characterize water quality in optically complex coastal waters.

Remote access via webinar: Please fill out the registration form a few minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin. The Meeting Number is 742656968; the Passcode is brownbag. For audio, dial 866-833-7307. The participant passcode is 8986360. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Friday, November 27, 2009 9:00 AM / Last edited Wednesday, January 20, 2010 7:07 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

The threatened grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in northwestern Montana has been managed for recovery since 1975, yet no rigorous data were available to monitor program success. We used data from a large noninvasive genetic sampling effort conducted in 2004 and 33 years of physical captures to assess the abundance, distribution, and genetic structure of this population. We combined data from 3 sampling methods (hair trap, bear rub, and physical capture) to construct individual bear encounter histories for use in Huggins–Pledger closed mark–recapture models. Our population estimate, = 765 (CV = 3.8%) was more than double the existing estimate derived from sightings of females with young. Based on our results, the estimated known, human–caused mortality rate in 2004 was a 4.6% (95% CI: 4.2–4.9%), slightly above the 4% considered sustainable; however, the high proportion of female mortalities raises concern. Using location data from genetic sampling, telemetry, and confirmed sightings, we found that grizzly bears occupied 33,480 km2 in the NCDE during 1994–2007, including 10,340 km2 outside the recovery zone. We used factorial correspondence analysis to identify potential barriers to gene flow within this population. Our results suggested that genetic interchange recently increased in areas with low gene flow; however, we also detected evidence of incipient fragmentation across the major transportation corridor in this ecosystem. Our results suggest that the NCDE population is faring better than previously thought, and highlight the need for a more rigorous monitoring program than the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan specifies.

Kate Kendall is currently a research ecologist with the USGS at the Glacier Field Station in Glacier National Park, MT. As Leader of the Northern Divide Bear Project, she directs a research team that is using hair snaring and genetic analysis to investigate the status of the grizzly and black bear populations in the 8 M-acre Glacier NP – Bob Marshall Wilderness Ecosystem. She came to NW Montana in 1982 after studying bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem as a member of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. She initiated a research project this spring to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of noninvasive sampling methods and genetic analysis to monitor bear population trend at a landscape scale.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, April 5, 2010 6:32 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Tourism is increasingly touted as a development opportunity for coastal and rural areas affected by natural resource decline. As commercial fisheries face depletion the world over, people look to tourism to help coastal communities recover from economic crisis, but little work has been done to explore if the investment in tourism can ever replace the full human ecological value of the fishery, including its impacts on a region's culture, economy, and environment. Springuel's sabbatical in Newfoundland examined the impact of the 1992 cod moratorium on Newfoundland's coastal communities over the last 16 years, and particularly how marine heritage tourism has emerged as a model in the province's revitalization attempts. Dozens of interviews with Newfoundlanders involved in tourism and fisheries (including current and former fisherman and fish plant workers, boat captains, tour operators, community development and government representatives, residents, community leaders, academics, and front line staff at tourism destinations, visitor centers and museums) and first hand observations of marine tourism destinations show that marine heritage, in particular, has contributed to both the revitalization of devastated outports and the rise of tourism in these coastal communities. Though tourism will never replace an exhausted natural resource, it can play an important role in the future of coastal and rural areas. Maine's reliance on a single marine fishery (lobster) mirrors Newfoundland's reliance on cod. This presentation will highlight the Newfoundland experience and touch on how lessons learned can be applied in Maine.

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, February 25, 2010 10:53 AM / Last edited Tuesday, April 20, 2010 7:01 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Food simulations for engineering studies and operational forecasting are traditionally carried out using one-dimensional (1D) numerical models, which present serious limitations for simulating non channelized flows over a flat topography. Advances in upwind shock-capturing numerical schemes and two-dimensional topography provided by graphical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies have led to the development of robust two-dimensional flood simulation models that can be used for engineering studies. Despite considerable advances in CPU speeds of modern computers, two-dimensional models require relatively longer computational times due to small time step imposed by rather restrictive stability conditions associated with explicit time integration. Existing two-dimensional models are generally too slow for operational forecasting purposes, which require faster-than-real-time simulation speeds. In the past there have been many attempts to speed up two-dimensional models. USGS has experimented with near-real time flood simulations using TRIMR2D model developed by Casulli, University of Trento, Italy. Despite ingenuous use of semi-implicit, semi-Lagrangian finite difference techniques, only near-real-time simulation speeds could be achieved. Game programmers have succeeded in obtaining real-time simulation speeds by simplifying and/or linearizing governing shallow water equations. Unfortunately, although visually plausible, the results produced by these overly simplified models cannot be used for engineering purposes. More recently, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Lattice Boltzman method (LBM) have been proposed to achieve higher computational speeds. However, these methods constitute approximations to real flow phenomena and defining certain physical parameters, such as viscosity, may be a problem. Parallel computing on mainframe supercomputers can offer significant increase in computing speeds, but remain outside of the reach of ordinary users. The recent developments in programmable graphics cards commonly present in desktop and laptop computers now bring parallel computing power to the realm of personal computers. The seminar will present a two-dimensional numerical model, which can perform faster-than-real-time flood simulation and visualization by exploiting these developments and the emerging GPGPU (General-Purpose computation on GPUs) techniques. The numerical model uses the second-order accurate central-upwind scheme of Kurganov-Petrova to solve shallow water equations over a complex topography. The model offers both Euler and 2nd order Runge Kutta time integration. It can handle wetting and drying, disconnected flow domains, and mixed flow regimes. A slope limiter is used to capture sharp interfaces without spurious oscillations. This numerical model is incorporated into a computer-game like environment with simultaneous visualization and interactive user functions to zoom in and out, pan, and rotate the computational domain. The user is also given the possibility to reel back the solution to a specified time, modify the terrain and continue the simulation to see the effects of the changes. Developed with funding from the Department of Homeland Security-sponsored Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI) at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA, this tool currently focuses primarily on dam-break modeling. However, it can be cost-effectively modified to suit the needs of NWS as an operational forecasting tool. The numerical model and its implementation on GPGPU using CUDA language will be presented and several examples will be shown. The computational speed of the model will be demonstrated by running some test cases on a laptop and by visualizing the results.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Wednesday, April 14, 2010 9:20 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Several of NOAA’s Fisheries Science Centers and Regional Offices have been working on a broad suite of seabird issues since the early 1980’s. This work involves seabird bycatch monitoring and reporting, coordination with other Federal Agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Geological Survey), addressing Endangered Species Act issues, and collaborative work (with industry and academia) to develop seabird bycatch reduction approaches. Some work also explored or described the role of seabirds in marine ecosystems and how they quickly respond to changes in the ocean environment. Seabird work was being developed independently at several sites and with few resources. The need for coordination, continued international work, and development of funding sources led to the establishment of a National Seabird Program in 2001. With very limited resources, the program supports studies on fisheries bycatch of seabirds and the development of solutions to mitigate and reduce fishing gear impacts on seabirds both domestically and internationally. The program is also expanding its scope to provide better support to Regions and Centers in their work to understand seabirds exclusive of bycatch issues. We know that seabirds are important indicators of marine ecosystem health. Seabird distribution and abundance can reflect physical and biological oceanography, abundance and distribution of mid trophic-level organisms, and the effects of climate change on apex predators. Contaminant levels in seabirds can provide insight into the health of a particular ecosystem. And, unlike so many marine organisms, seabirds are relatively easy and cost-effective to sample. With the ever increasing recognition of the vital role seabirds have within the marine ecosystem, and the continued importance of bycatch monitoring and mitigation, NOAA scientists and managers acknowledge the need for continued support of seabird studies. This seminar will offer highlights of some of the key activities of the NOAA Fisheries’ Seabird Program, including describing some of its projects, as well as touching on other seabird work within NOAA.

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, March 4, 2010 2:23 PM / Last updated Wednesday, April 21, 2010 6:52 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Tuesday, 20 April 2010; 10:00-11:00 Alaska Local Time [Check U.S. Time clock for your local time] (Seminar location: University of Alaska, Faibanks, Alaska; OneNOAA Science Seminar sponsored by: ACCAP Alaska Climate Teleconferences)

Over the past 12 million years, a diversity of mammals evolved specializations for exploiting Arctic sea ice. Other marine mammals—lacking adaptations to ice—have been isolated from one another by sea ice and have evolved along separate paths in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. For the past 10,000 years, Arctic people have developed cultures around the seasonal availability of Arctic marine mammals. Today, 11 ice-associated marine mammal species face unprecedented rapid loss of a continent-sized habitat as Arctic sea ice diminishes. A skeptical analysis (a first principal of science) of ecological and evolutionary data indicate that rapid changes in food resources, predation, competition, and interbreeding threaten many species as well as traditional ways of life among Arctic people. Responding to these changes will require sound analyses, mitigation, and adaptation.

How to Participate / Log-In to the Alaska Climate Webinar: 1) 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 and disrupt the presentation. Toview the presentation: 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 . If you do not see anything on your screen, click on the refresh button on the top bar. For Macintosh computer users: A copy of the presentation will also be available on the ACCAP website: www.uaf.edu/accap. See the right-hand column under "Highlights." For further information please contact Brook Gamble, Outreach and Education Specialist, (907) 474-7812, accap@uaf.edu.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Thursday, April 8, 2010 6:57 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Remote seminar access (webex): Meeting Number: 577 582 667; Meeting Password: seminar. To join the online meeting (Now from iPhones too!): 1. Go to https://akfsc.webex.com/akfsc/j.php?ED=143431177&UID=1130813967&PW=NYjkxYTVmZmVk&RT=MiM0; 2. Enter your name and email address; 3. Enter the meeting password: seminar; 4. Click "Join Now". To view in time zones other than Pacific or languages, please click the link: https://akfsc.webex.com/akfsc/j.php?ED=143431177&UID=1130813967&PW=NYjkxYTVmZmVk&ORT=MiM0. To join the audio conference only: 1-866-762-1812 code = 5367175 (member). For assistance: 1. Go to https://akfsc.webex.com/akfsc/mc; 2. On the left navigation bar, click "Support" or contact
mike.a.brown@noaa.gov. For information about this seminar please contact Rebecca.Reuter@noaa.gov. For information about the AFSC seminar series see http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/seminarseries/seminarseries.htm.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Friday, March 26, 2010 10:30 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Oceanic and coastal waters are known to harbor and transport microorganisms that cause disease in humans and other animals. While certain pathogenic microorganisms, including Vibrio spp., occur naturally in marine and estuarine waters, anthropogenic contaminants including enteric bacteria, protozoa and viruses may be introduced to coastal waters as sewage pollution. Despite the relatively unfavorable environment, these introduced organisms may survive for prolonged periods in the marine environment; and, it remains unclear how human pathogenic microbes interact in the complex estuarine environment and how those interactions ultimately affect their fate. We are exploring the role of plankton as a defined niche for a suite of microbial pathogens, both native and sewage-associated. We hypothesize that the high level of surface area represented by plankton would present a natural zone for microbial accumulation, in general, and that the specific composition of the plankton community would influence population dynamics in Vibrio spp. in particular. We examined the interactions between plankton, Vibrio spp., human enteric viruses and traditional fecal indicator bacteria in estuaries of coastal Georgia. Consistent with previous findings, Vibrio spp. were highly concentrated in the plankton fractions relative to the water column. Vibrio concentrations were also positively associated with copepod abundance in the small plankton fraction, when temperature and salinity were controlled. Both enterococci and fecal coliform bacteria were also found in higher concentrations in plankton fractions but varied in magnitude of enrichment over the study period; however, plankton-associated enterococci contributed up to 95% of the total enterococci load during summer months. Additionally, the human enteric noroviruses were found at their highest concentrations in the plankton, at up to 1014 genomes g-1. While this project started with the aim of expanding our understanding of the known relationship between Vibrio spp. and plankton our results suggest that microbial association among these phytoplankton and zooplankton groups may be a general phenomenon. It also suggests that plankton may provide critical refuge for many enteric microbes in an estuarine setting and thus enhance persistence and increase chances for human exposure.

Erin Lipp is an associate professor in environmental health science at the University of Georga Dr. Lipp’s research focus is the ecology of human pathogens in ambient waters and the role of environmental exposures in disease transmission. Her research incorporates molecular biology, microbial ecology, epidemiology and climate research to better understand the fate of bacteria and viruses introduced from wastewater to aquatic environments and their potential for transmission to humans and other hosts.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, April 5, 2010 6:32 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

A half-century of overfishing, trophic cascades, eutrophication, and consequent potential transition from benign, fish-killing Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB)s of the brevetoxin source of Karenia brevis to malign, people-killing HABs of the saxitoxin source of Pyrodinium bahamense on the West Florida shelf: Pressing needs for bottom-up, model-guided, ecosystem-based management of biotic resources within coastal waters of the physically teleconnected eastern Gulf of Mexico and the downstream South Atlantic Bight.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Wednesday, April 14, 2010 10:41 AM / Last edited Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:48 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science has completed a collaborative project titled “Assessment of Existing Information on Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitats: Development of a web-based spatial bibliography, query tools, and data summaries”, and published the results in a Technical Memorandum. The Assessment includes three components: 1) a representative bibliographic and assessment database, 2) a Geographical Information System (GIS) spatial framework, and 3) a published summary report with description of methods, analyses of habitat assessment information, and recommendations for further work. The spatial bibliography was created by linking the bibliographic table developed in Microsoft Excel and exported to SQL Server, with the spatial framework developed in ArcGIS and exported to GoogleMaps. Information on habitat condition indicators, threats, and conservation recommendations are extracted from each entry and recorded in a separate linked table. Together, the bibliography and assessment tables and their spatial framework provide a powerful tool to query and assess available information through a publicly available web interface. The project is a cooperative effort of NOAA/NOS Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) Biogeography Branch and Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP). The results are assisting conservation planning by the Partnership, and the general approach is being applied towards the coastal component of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) 2010 Assessment. A PDF version of the report, along with additional information, is available at: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/estuaries/coastalfish.html, and the web-based query tools are accessible at: http://www8.nos.noaa.gov/bhv/spatbibindex.html.

Presentations are available remotely via a combination of phone & webcast. Please be aware that remote access is limited to 50 connections on a first-come-first served basis, so we cannot guarantee participation. For phone access: dial 877-708-1667, passcode 7028688. For webcast access: 1. Go to the My Meetings website. 2. Select "Join an event" and enter the required fields. (Meeting Number: 744925153; no passcode required) 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy. 4. Click on Proceed. 5. Dial into the phone so you can hear too!. For questions: contact Tracy Gill (Tracy.Gill@noaa.gov).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, March 15, 2010 2:29 PM / Last edited Wednesday, April 21, 2010 2:55 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Remote seminar access (webex): Meeting Number: 574 443 466; Meeting Password: seminar. To join the online meeting (Now from iPhones too!): 1. Go to https://akfsc.webex.com/akfsc/j.php?ED=143431527&UID=1130814237&PW=NNDY5YTc1ZTdm&RT=MiM0; 2. Enter your name and email address; 3. Enter the meeting password: seminar; 4. Click "Join Now". To view in time zones other than Pacific or languages, please click the link: https://akfsc.webex.com/akfsc/j.php?ED=143431527&UID=1130814237&PW=NNDY5YTc1ZTdm&ORT=MiM0. To join the audio conference only: 1-866-762-1812 code = 5367175 (member). For assistance: 1. Go to https://akfsc.webex.com/akfsc/mc; 2. On the left navigation bar, click "Support" or contact
mike.a.brown@noaa.gov. For information about this seminar please contact Rebecca.Reuter@noaa.gov. For information about the AFSC seminar series see http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/seminarseries/seminarseries.htm.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Friday, March 26, 2010 10:30 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

This seminar will describe the Alaska ShoreZone coastal habitat imaging and mapping project: what it is, how to access it, and what practical applications it serves. This seminar will also present the Nearshore Fish Atlas database and demonstrate the integrated ShoreZone/Fish Atlas web site.

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115).

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, April 5, 2010 8:03 AM / last edited Thursday, April 29, 2010 2:16 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Human-mediated hybridization is a leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide. How hybridization affects ecological adaptations and what level of hybridization is permissible pose difficult conservation questions with little empirical information to guide policy and management decisions. This is particularly true for salmonids, where widespread introgression among nonnative and native taxa has often created hybrid swarms over extensive geographic areas resulting in genomic extinction. Interbreeding between westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) with nonnative rainbow trout (O. mykiss) exemplifies the conservation challenges of interspecific hybridization. Clint will present over 10 years of research in Montana that has investigated the behavioral, ecological, and fitness consequences of hybridization and the factors influencing the spread of hybridization between native westslope cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout. The combined results suggest that hybrids are not only genetically different than westslope cutthroat trout but also have reduced fitness and are ecologically different, and that hybridization is likely to continue to spread if hybrid populations with high amounts of rainbow trout admixture are not reduced or eliminated. Results indicate that extant aboriginal cutthroat trout are at greater conservation risk due to hybridization than previously thought and policies that protect hybridized populations need reconsideration.

Clint Muhlfeld is a Research Aquatic Ecologist for the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey. He is stationed at Glacier National Park, Montana and is a faculty affiliate at the University of Montana and Montana State University. Clint’s research has focused on various aspects of aquatic ecology, fisheries biology, and conservation of native aquatic biota. His published research spans a range of research questions and conservation issues from examining the impacts of hybridization and competition between native and non-native salmonids, to assessing life history diversity and genetic structure of native fishes, to investigating the impacts of hydroelectric dams on aquatic ecosystems, and to developing quantitative bioenergetics and population viability models for fish populations and aquatic communities. He received a Ph.D. in Fish and Wildlife Biology from Montana State University in 2008, M.S. degree in Fishery Resources from the University of Idaho in 1999, and B.S. in Aquatic Biology from the University of Montana in 1994. Clint mentors and teaches undergraduate and graduate students interested in aquatic ecology and biology, and advises graduate students working on his aquatics research program. He is the former President of the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, former Chair of the Resident Fish Committee of the Columbia River drainage, and currently serves on the Montana governor’s advisory board for invasive species. Clint has held several research positions with state and federal agencies in Montana and Oregon, and is currently active in several regional, national, and international science teams that address native fish conservation and aquatic resource issues.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, April 5, 2010 6:32 AM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Thursday, 29 April 2010; 14:00-15:00 [Check U.S. Time clock for your local time] (Seminar location: Dolphin Conference Room, NOAA/NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; OneNOAA Science Seminar sponsored by: NOAA/NMFS/SERO). This seminar was originally scheduled for 22 April 2010.

A half-century of overfishing, trophic cascades, eutrophication, and consequent potential transition from benign, fish-killing Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB)s of the brevetoxin source of Karenia brevis to malign, people-killing HABs of the saxitoxin source of Pyrodinium bahamense on the West Florida shelf: Pressing needs for bottom-up, model-guided, ecosystem-based management of biotic resources within coastal waters of the physically teleconnected eastern Gulf of Mexico and the downstream South Atlantic Bight.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Wednesday, April 14, 2010 10:41 AM / Last edited Wednesday, April 28, 2010 12:50 PM. To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].

Wednesday, 12 May 2010; 12:00-12:30 ETZ [Check U.S. Time clock for your local time] (Seminar location: SSMC-3 (1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910), 2nd Floor; OneNOAA Science Seminar sponsored by: Sea Grant Knauss Fellows Brown Bag Series).

The largest volume fishery in the Western Hemisphere, Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) has collapsed and rebounded to levels now considered well-managed utilizing sustainable fishing practices. Recent scientific egg surveys suggest the fishery is entering another decline while fishermen report large schools of sardines in higher latitudes. The sardine industry is primarily a high-volume, low-value export industry with low domestic food value. Declining quotas and increased competition are putting pressure on the viability of high volume sardine fishermen and bulk export processors. Four alternatives are explored in the paper: #1 Status Quo – continue with Harvest Guideline rule and tri-annual percentages with quotas closures. #2 Short-Term – initiate permit equity between the regions, add a domestic catch allowance, #3 Catch Shares - Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQ) and #4 Catch Shares - Community Property Rights (CPR). Regulations are needed which reduce regional rivalry and encourage industry innovations to adjust to lower volume catch.

Remote access via webinar: 1. Go to http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=742656968&=brownbag&t=c; 2. Enter the required fields; 3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy; 4. Click on Proceed. 5. passcode: brownbag. Audio: Dial 866-833-7307; participant passcode: 8986360. Please note: remote access is limited to first 50 participants. For further information about this seminar please contact Mary.Lou.Cumberpatch@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 129) or Albert.E.Theberge.Jr@noaa.gov (301-713-2600 Ext. 115). For information about the Sea Grant Knauss Fellows Brown Bag Series please contact Wendy.Morrison@noaa.gov.

OneNOAA Science Seminars added Monday, May 3, 2010 11:09 AM / Last updated Tuesday, May 11, 2010 1:14 PM . To hear about upcoming OneNOAA Science seminars you can subscribe to the weekly email of OneNOAA Science Seminars by visiting https://list.woc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onenoaascienceseminars and filling in your email address or by sending an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes). You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time from the list. For information about the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series please contact Hernan.Garcia@noaa.gov. Links to resources outside the Federal Government are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only [NOAA Disclaimer].