Ocean Observation
AAM Launches 50’ Research Vessel for NOAA
Boatbuilder All American Marine (AAM) said it has launched a new 50-foot research vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), designated for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington State.The twin-engine Teknicraft Design vessel was constructed by AAM to USCG Subchapter T standards.
Richard W. Spinrad Confirmed to Lead NOAA
Richard “Rick” W. Spinrad, Ph.D., an internationally renowned scientist with four decades of ocean, atmosphere, and climate science and policy expertise, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and the 11th NOAA administrator.“As an accomplished and respected scientist,
Threatened Caribbean Coral Reefs Get a New Ally: Insurance
As climate change threatens coral reefs around the world, conservation experts in Latin America have enlisted an unlikely ally to try to preserve them: the insurance industry.The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System - the world’s second largest which runs from southern Mexico to Honduras - will soon
KIGAM Orders New Research Vessel
South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co will build a new research vessel for Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM).The ULSTEIN SX134 design vessel will be 92 meters long and 21 meters wide and fulfil the general demands of the seismic and oceanographic
Long Island Sound Water Quality Improving
As summer approaches, EPA officials are highlighting water quality improvements in Long Island Sound resulting from almost 50 million pounds of nitrogen pollution kept out of the Sound each year. A peer-reviewed study from the University of Connecticut published earlier this year showed that improved
Coral Reef Restorations Can Be Optimized to Reduce Flood Risk
New practical guidelines for reef restoration will benefit coral ecosystems while also providing coastal communities with effective protection from flood riskA new study by the open access publisher Frontiers sets out guidelines to maximize the benefits of reef restoration, not only for the coral ecosystem,
Researchers to Launch 500 Floating Robots to Monitor Ocean Health
After years studying the icy waters of the Southern Ocean with floating robotic monitors, a consortium of oceanographers and other researchers is deploying them across the planet, from the north Pacific to the Indian Ocean.The project known as the Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Array, or GO-BGC, started
David Kennedy Designated as Chair of US Arctic Research Commission
On March 3, 2021, President Joe Biden designated David Kennedy as Chair of the United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC), an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress on Arctic Research. Kennedy succeeds former Chairman Jon Harrison, who continues to serve as a commissioner on the USARC.
Clark Named Chair of the Australian Antarctic Science Council
The Australian Antarctic Science Council has a new Chair, with the appointment of Philip Clark AO to lead the organization. The Council was established in 2019 to provide independent advice to Government on the priorities of the Australian Antarctic Science Program.Director of the Australian Antarctic Division,
NOAA Adjusts Hurricane Season Outlook Averages
NOAA is updating its baseline numbers used for gauging hurricane season activity using more recent storm data.Once every decade, the agency revises its set of statistics used to determine when hurricane seasons are above-, near- or below-average relative to the climate record. Beginning with this year’s hurricane season outlooks,
Shrinking Sea Meadows Store More Carbon Than Forests. Scientists Race to Track What’s Left
Hundreds of miles from the nearest shore, ribbon-like fronds flutter in the ocean currents sweeping across an underwater mountain plateau the size of Switzerland.A remote-powered camera glides through the sunlit, turquoise waters of this corner of the western Indian Ocean, capturing rare footage of
Consortium for Ocean Leadership Names Leonardi as President and CEO
Today, the Board of Trustees of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership announced the appointment of Dr. Alan Leonardi as president and CEO, effective May 24, 2021.As the president and CEO of COL, Dr. Leonardi will lead the consortium, which represents the leading ocean science, research and technology organizations from academia,
