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2 May 2008 - ASBPA call for abstracts
The American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) announces a call for presentations for its 2008 National Coastal Conference: "Sustainable Beaches," 15-17 October 2008, at the Chicago Mart-Plaza Hotel, Chicago, Illinois. ASBPA is the nation's oldest organization promoting science-based policies for the protection of beaches and shores. Presentations are invited on topics related to the ASBPA missions, with preference given to presentations and posters that fit within one of the four conference tracks: Global coastal issues; Coastal protection & structures; Federal, state, and local coastal policy; Management, monitoring and mitigation. Submissions may be oral PowerPoint presentations, posters, or panels. One page abstracts are due 9 May 2008. For more information, visit www.asbpa.org.

2 May 2008 - The draft of the California Coastal Impact Assistance Plan (CIAP) is now available for public comment. The draft CIAP assists the state and the state's 17 coastal political subdivisions (CPS) in moderating the impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas production. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, California is one of six coastal states that is eligible to receive funding by the federal Minerals Management Service to support projects and activities focused on conservation, protection, or restoration of coastal areas, including wetlands; mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources; planning assistance and costs of complying with CIAP legislation; implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plans; or mitigation of the impacts of OCS activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects and public service needs. In total, California and its 17 eligible CPSs will be granted approximately $30 million through four federal funding cycles. The draft plan is available here. Comments on the draft CIAP Plan should be sent to: Chris Potter, California Resources Agency, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311, Sacramento CA 95814; Chris.Potter@resources.ca.gov. Comments must be received by May 30, 2008.

7 April 2008 - Making Use of Ocean Observing Systems Workshop Report released
The final report for the September 2007 workshop, Making Use of Ocean Observing Systems: Applications to Marine Protected Areas and Water Quality, was released in March 2008 and is available to download. The workshop was sponsored by the Coastal States Organization, SCCOOS, CeNCOOS, California Ocean Science Trust, and California State Coastal Conservancy and focused on how observing activities conducted by California’s regional coastal observing systems—SCCOOS and CeNCOOS—can address water quality concerns and monitoring needs of California’s newly established network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The State of California is committed to continuing the process initiated at the workshop and will be developing a cohesive plan for how observing systems can meet management needs.

Southern California participants in the workshop included SCCOOS, USC, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), Orange County Sanitation District, California Sea Grant, and UC Santa Barbara, as well as representatives from the State Water Resources Control Board and regional boards, the State of California Resources Agency and Coastal Conservancy, NOAA, other university and research institutions, and regional organizations. To download the report, click here.

26 March 2008 - Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbors theme site
SCCOOS is pleased to annouce the creation of its first "theme site." Using data provided by CDIP, SCCOOS developers have built a web portal that both integrates CDIP's regional wave-model graphics and allows users to gather Southern California wave data directly from regional research buoys. Click here to access the site.

18 March 2008 - HF Radar Best Practices brochure now available
In an effort to bring together the HF Radar technical community from around the nation for discussions on field installations, radar operation, software programming, and site integration, a workshop was convened by the Radiowave Operators Working Group (ROWG) in September 2007 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The main goal of the workshop was to garner input from participants into a "Best Practices" document to highlight the many aspects of HF radar operations. The Best Practices brochure is now available and can be downloaded as a pdf here. The document covers siting requirements, communications, supporting equipment, software settings, data management, and quality assurance/quality control. Development of the document was sponsored by the NOAA IOOS program office and State of California.

17 March 2008 - Comment period open for NOAA's IOOS strategic plan
On behalf of the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology-Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observation's (JSOST-IWGOO), NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System Program (IOOS) Program has announced a 30-day public comment period for the five-year IOOS Strategic Plan. The five year plan will be used by the IWGOO to build an implementation plan that will describe in more detail the roles and responsibilities that will be undertaken by the interagency members. To view the IOOS Strategic Plan, click here.

17 March 2008 - National IOOS legislation passes out of committee
The House Natural Resources Committee passed out of committee H.R. 2342, a bill that would formally authorize the National Integrated Oceans Observing System. The program, designed to continually monitor the global environment and improve environmental forecasts, would provide data from U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes into the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. The bill now awaits a final vote by the full House. To view the legislation, click here.

20 February 2008 - Abstracts are now being accepted for the OCEANS’08 MTS/IEEE Quebec conference, 14 to 18 September 2008. The conference website contains a complete list of technical Areas of Interest for the Conference, as well as an online abstract submission form. The abstract submission deadline is 15 May 2008. For general information or regarding questions about the technical program area, contact the Technical Program Chairs, Joe Czika, jczika@cox.net, or Georges Fournier, georges.fournier@drdc-rddc.gc.ca.

28 January 2008 - SCCOOS has developed a preliminary Conceptual Design for the regional ocean observing system, available for viewing here. The SCCOOS Conceptual Design v1.0 reflects recent assessments of user needs conducted as part of the development of the proposal submitted in December 2007 to NOAA for continued support of SCCOOS as the IOOS ocean observing system for our region. (access the proposal here)

Each of the eleven Regional Associations (RA) has prepared a Conceptual Design for their RCOOS that describes RA priorities, structures and needs for observations, models and data management. Collectively, the Conceptual Designs indicate that common observing system priorities across the regions are safe maritime transportations, mitigation of coastal hazards, and ecosystem health, while the specific issues and the manner in which they are addressed vary from region to region. The RAs will continue to refine and update their Conceptual Designs as development of their RCOOSs.

19 November 2007 - NOAA IOOS Program Office has posted the NOAA IOOS Strategic Plan. NOAA considers the Strategic Plan a living document that it uses to outline FY08 activities and milestones. download as a pdf here

8 November 2007 - Applications are open for the California Sea Grant College State Fellowship Program. The program is an opportunity for a graduate student interested in marine resources and policy to receive a nine-month paid fellowship in the Ocean Resources Management Program of the California Resources Agency located in Sacramento, CA. The fellowship begins in January 2008. The full request for applications and application guidelines are due by 28 November 2007 and are available on California Sea Grant's State Fellows Program website here. Contact Russ Moll at rmoll@ucsd.edu or 858-534-4440 for more information or if you intend to apply. For more information about the Ocean Resources Management Program, click here.

29 October 2007 - West Coast Governors Draft Action Plan Following the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health, the states of Washington, Oregon, and California have released a draft plan containing proposed actions relating to clean water, improved habitat, ecosystem-based management, alternative energy development, research and monitoring, ocean literacy, and sustainable coastal communities. The review and comment period is open until 1 December 2007. California's regional IOOS components, SCCOOS and CeNCOOS are referenced in the draft plan. To view the plan, click here. For additional information about submitting comments, view at here.

24 October 2007 - SCCOOS has created a fire weather support page for Southern California.

8 October 2007 - EPA Region 9 Request for Proposals on West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast. U.S. EPA Region 9 is soliciting proposals for projects that conserve, restore and protect the water quality, habitat and environment of California coastal waters, estuaries, bays and near shore waters through comprehensive approaches to water quality management. The emphasis is on supporting implementation activities based on existing plans, such as Comprehensive Conservation Management Plans (Clean Water Act Section 320), State programs such as the Integrated Regional Water Management Plans, and local watershed plans. States, local governments, public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, U.S. territories or possessions, and interstate agencies are eligible to apply. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 2 to 5 assistance agreements for the California Coast with awards ranging from about $500,000 to no more than $1,000,000 each. The total amount anticipated to be awarded under this announcement is $2.5 million. The West Coast Estuaries Initiative for the California Coast is a focused effort under EPA's Targeted Watersheds Grant Program (TWG). Proposals must be received by November 15, 2007. For more detailed information including eligibility, submittal instructions and selection criteria, please refer to: http://www.epa.gov/region09/funding/wcei.html.

4 October 2007 - SCCOOS participates in Southern California Bight '08 Regional Monitoring Program kick-off meeting The 2008 Bight Regional Monitoring effort kicked-off on 19 September 2007 at a meeting convened by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) in Costa Mesa, California. Over 130 attendees participated in breakout group discussions to identify interested organizations and develop a set of preliminary monitoring questions within the areas of coastal ecology, offshore water quality, beach water quality, areas of special biological significance, rocky habitat, and wetlands. Planning committees will further refine monitoring questions and work to develop the study design for these issue areas. For more information, contact SCCWRP at sccwrp.org or 714-755-3200.

4 October 2007 - Radiowave Operators Working Group (ROWG) meets at Scripps Institution of Oceanography A workshop was conducted 10-13 September 2007 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography for representatives of the HF radar technical community from around the nation. The main goal of the workshop was to garner input from participants into a "Best Practices" document highlighting the many aspects of HF radar operation including siting requirements, communications, supporting equipment, software settings, data management, and quality assurance/quality control. The workshop was supported through IOOS funding as part of an effort to bring the HF Radar technical community together for discussions on field installations, radar operation, software programming, and site integration.

1 October 2007 - West Coast Governors Release draft Action Plan
Following the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health, the states of Washington, Oregon, and California are expected to release a draft action plan the first week of October 2007. The draft plan contains proposed actions relating to clean water, improved habitat, ecosystem-based management, alternative energy development, research and monitoring, ocean literacy, and sustainable coastal communities. The plan will be open for public comment for the month of October. The final plan is anticipated for release in December 2007. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, and NOAA are the Federal co-leads for the action plan, with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center serving as the NOAA lead. NOAAŐs Coastal Services Center and Northwest Fisheries Science Center are providing staff support and technical assistance to both Federal and State efforts. The draft plan will be available online at www.westcoastoceans.gov. For more information, contact Usha.Varanasi@noaa.gov or Rebecca.Smyth@noaa.gov.

11 September 2007 - The Sixth National Monitoring Conference - Monitoring: Key to Understanding our Waters is being held 18-22 May 2008 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Abstracts are due 24 September 2007. To view a flyer of the conference announcement, click here. Information also is available on the website. There is interest in having the IOOS community participate and/or help organize Session 2 on observational systems and measurement technologies. If you are interested in participating, contact Dr. M.J. Hameedi.

11 September 2007 - The Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) Workshop is being held 19-20 October 2007, in Crissy Field, San Francisco, hosted by the the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary. The workshop begins Friday 19 October at 1:00 pm and ends Saturday, 20 October at 4:00. The keynote speaker is Bill Douros, Manager for the Marine Sanctuaries off California. Additional small group meetings are being planned. The MARINe Database meeting will be on Friday morning 8:30-12:30; the Rocky Intertidal Health meeting is planned for Friday evening. For more information about the workshop, contact Mary Elaine Helix, MARINe Program Manager at MaryElaine.Helix@mms.gov or Jack Engle, MARINe Coordinator at j_engle@lifesci.ucsb.edu. For more information about MARINe, click here.

10 September 2007 - The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is soliciting nominations for the new Science Advisory Team (OPC-SAT). The goal of the OPC-SAT is to ensure that the best available science is applied to policy decisions made by the OPC. Members of the OPC-SAT will develop recommendations on scientific issues and facilitate discussion of research priorities. The deadline for submission of nominations is September 14. 2007. More information about the OPC-SAT and the nomination process can be found on the OPC web site here.

12 AUGUST 2007 - Network of Channel Islands federal waters marine zones now in effect. NOAA has completed a network of marine zones in the federal waters of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The zones, designed to protect marine habitats and sensitive species, went into effect 29 July 2007 and complement an existing network of marine zones established in 2003 for the area by the State of California. The federal action adds nine new marine zones, eight of which are no-take marine reserves and one limited take marine conservation area. Marine reserves prohibit all extractive activities and injury to sanctuary resources, and marine conservation areas allow commercial and recreational lobster fishing and recreational fishing for pelagic species. NOAA's action creates a marine protected area (MPA) network of about 318 square miles, the largest network in the continental United States. To read the press release, click here. For more information and to view a map of the marine zones network, click here .

31 JULY 2007 - The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is soliciting nominations for members of the California Ocean Protection Council Science Advisory Team (OPC-SAT). The OPC-SAT provides a unique opportunity for scientists to help incorporate the best available science into statewide decisions made by the OPC. The OPC is a high level council established by the California Ocean Protection Act of 2004 to ensure that California maintains healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and coastal ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations. The council consists of the Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman (Chair); State Lands Commission Chair, Lieutenant Gov. John Garamendi; Secretary for Environmental Protection Linda Adams; two public members, Susan Golding, CEO and president of the Golding Group, and Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles; and two non voting members, Sen. Darrell Steinberg and Assemblyman Pedro Nava.

The OPC’s principal mandates are: (1) to establish policies to coordinate the collection and sharing of scientific data between agencies on coast and ocean resources, and (2) to improve the effectiveness of state efforts to protect ocean resources. In order to carry out these provisions, the OPC developed a Five-Year Strategic Plan that calls for the establishment of a Science Advisory Team. For more information about the nomination process, click here.

9 JULY 2007 - As part of a series of public meetings on the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health, a meeting will be held on 25 July 2007, in conjunction with the Coastal Zone '07 conference in Portland, OR. The meeting will include presentations and question and answer sessions about the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health, as well as opportunities to hear suggestions and priorities for actions to implement the agreement. The WCGA meeting is open to the public; you need not be registered for the conference to attend. A public workshop will be held in California in October 2007.

July 25, 2007, 3:30-5:30pm
Hilton Hotel, 921 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland, OR
For more information, visit westcoastoceans.gov.

27 JUNE 2007 - A special session on ocean observing will be held at the PICES (North Pacific Marine Science Organization) Annual Meeting 26 October - 5 November 2007, in Victoria, BC, Canada. Abstracts are due 1 July 2007. Papers are welcome on: scientific discoveries made possible by ocean observing systems; observed climate impacts on ocean ecosystems and fisheries; advanced ocean sensors; autonomous platforms; data management and exchange; and interoperability among ocean observatories. The intention is to have a mixture of scientific and technical talks on ocean observing systems. For more information, see the PICES web site here.

24 MAY 2007 - The Coastal Response Research Center has released its 2007 Annual Request for Proposals (RFP). Applicants are required to submit a letter of intent as a prerequisite to the proposal submission. Priority topic areas for this year are: Biologically/Ecologically-Driven Spill Response; Habitat Metrics; Submerged Oil; and Human Dimensions. The full RFP is available at the Center's website here.

The Coastal Response Research Center was established as a partnership between the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 2004. The Center is administered by and located at the UNH campus in Durham, NH. The primary purpose of the Center is to bring together the resources of a research-oriented university and the field expertise of OR&R to conduct and oversee basic and applied research, conduct outreach, and encourage strategic partnerships in spill response, assessment and restoration. Contact information and details on the Center's funded research, workshops, and new initiatives can be found on the Center's website here.

18 MAY 2007 - SCCOOS provides rapid response data support for ocean outfall repairs. The Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) requested data and product support from SCCOOS as part of a monitoring contingency plan developed for a facilities maintenance project that was conducted on Friday, May 18, 2007. Repairs took place in the early morning during low flows, and OCSD diverted and stored incoming and treated wastewater within the delivery and treatment systems during the repair. SCCOOS provided local views of modeled surf zone waves and currents, near real-time meteorological observations, and surface currents for use by OCSD and the Orange County Health Care Agency. Programmers also initiated a plume tracking simulation at the inshore location for tracking surfacing discharge in the event a diversion was necessary. For more information, click here.

16 MAY 2007 - Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI), Inc., has selected UC San Diego to design and construct information technology and networking for the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). The initial $29 million Cyberinfrastructure (CI) award is for six years, and total funding may reach more than $42 million over the course of the planned 11-year project. The University of Washington was awarded $2.2 million for the first year planning phase of the Regional Cabled Node of the OOI off the Washington and Oregon coastlines. For more information, click here.

13 APRIL 2007 - Scripps Institution of Oceanography co-hosted a meeting with NOAA on 6 April, to develop recommendations for standard operating practices for surface current mapping HF radar systems. The meeting was attended by HF radar experts from around the country as well as the principal operators of the growing HF radar network which comprises the State of California Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program (COCMP). The operators of the network are the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) and the Central and Northern California California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS). To learn more about COCMP, see www.cocmp.org.

13 APRIL 2007 -The California Coastal Coalition (CalCoast) will conduct its Sacramento Forum: The Coast and California's Watersheds: Investing in our Natural Infrastructure, 24-25 April 2007. The focus of this year's CalCoast/Wetlands Recovery Project Sacramento Forum will be the status of bond proceeds, particularly from Proposition 84, a major coastal, parks and water bond initiative passed by voters in November 2006, and state budget and legislation that could create funding for natural resources. The state's FY 07-08 budget proposes drastic cuts in natural resource funding (the Resources Agency budget was cut by 35%) and overall, natural resource programs only comprise budget roughly 1% of the total budget. For more information, visit CalCoast at www.calcoast.org.

13 APRIL 2007 - Registration is now open for Coastal Zone 07: Brewing Local Solutions to Your Coastal Issues, being held in Portland, Oregon, 22-26 July 2007. The conference will feature oral and poster presentations that use case studies, lessons learned, and success stories about coastal environment issues. To view the conference flyer, click here. Conference information and registration are available here.

9 APRIL 2007 - The next meeting of the Ocean Protection Council will be held 17 April 2007, at 12:00 noon, at the Beach Resort Monterey, in Monterey, California. The meeting agenda and other information are available at http://resources.ca.gov/copc/04-17-07_meeting.

26 MARCH 2007 - Public Workshops on California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative
Public workshops are being held in the North Central Coast on March 26 and March 27 to discuss the second phase of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative. The focus of the workshops is the MLPA North Central Coast Study Region. The study region is bounded in the north at Alder Creek (Mendocino County) and in the south at Pigeon Point (San Mateo County). The MLPA Initiative is a public-private partnership designed to help the State of California implement the Marine Life Protection Act. Each workshop will begin with a brief presentation to describe the second phase of the MLPA Initiative, followed by discussions about the challenges, opportunities, and expectations of the upcoming process. More information and meeting details are available here. Questions may be directed to Melissa Miller-Henson at 916.654.2506 or Melissa@resources.ca.gov.

7 FEBRUARY 2007 - The California Ocean Protection Council's (COPC) next meeting will be held 8 February 2007 in Santa Monica at the Doubletree Guest Suites. The meeting agenda may be accessed here. This meeting may be viewed via live webcast here. Additional information about the meeting may be found on the COPC meeting site here.

Coastal GeoTools ‘07 Conference - The early registration discount deadline is 8 January 2007, for the GeoTools '07 Conference, being held 5-8 March 2007, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Coastal GeoTools ‘07 is a conference for coastal management professionals to share technical knowledge and experiences, discover promising new tools and techniques, and learn about available training, data, and technology resources. Participants in GeoTools ‘07 will share best practices in the areas of geospatial data access, interoperability standards, and application development, all in an inspiring environment that encourages collaboration and partnerships. For registration and important dates, visit: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/geotools.

27 NOVEMBER 2006 - SCCOOS collaborates with City of Los Angeles to provide environmental data support for the Hyperion Discharge SCCOOS was contacted by the City of Los Angeles City of Los Angeles Environmental Monitoring Division to provide ocean data support for a discharge scheduled for 28-30 November 2006 one mile off the coast of Santa Monica Bay. Organizations coordinating the data support for this event include City of Los Angeles Environmental Monitoring Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and University of California, Los Angeles.

Surface current maps, derived from an array of HF radars, are being used to assist in tracking the discharge plume offshore of the beaches. The California State Coastal Conservancy has funded the installation of the HF radars array as part of the statewide ocean currents monitoring program, COCMP, with additional operational support received from NOAA. Wave-driven currents within the surf zone are being forecasted to provide estimates of how far down-coast the sewage may move once it reaches shore. The research vessel R/V Seaworld will conduct boat-based tracking of the discharge plume, in addition to phytoplankton and nutrient sampling. Remote sensing data from satellites (clouds permitting) will be made available to optically track the spatial extent of the discharge's surface plume. Up-to-date wind and rain observations and forecasts also are being conducted. A link to this environmental data support on the SCCOOS web site is available here. To learn more about the Hyperion Treatment Plant, click here.

12 NOVEMBER 2006 - Near-realtime data from the SCCOOS San Diego Buoy, located off-shore of Del Mar, California are now streaming to the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) online archive. Current observations include wind speed, water temperature, and salinity. The data are updated every 20 minutes on the NDBC site and are available here. The data are also available from the SCCOOS website here. NDBC is a program within the National Weather Service (NWS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

7 NOVEMBER 2006 - SCCOOS and CDIP representatives attended the IOOS Regional Coordination Workshop in Chicago, IL, on 7-9 November. The workshop focused on coordination of the efforts of regional ocean observing associations, such as SCCOOS, with the development of the federal Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Among the participants were the eleven Regional Associations, NOAA, Ocean.US, Office of Naval Research, Army Corps of Engineers, NSF, and SAIC. A presentation was provided on SCCOOS's coastal water quality monitoring program to address public health. Check back for workshop notes and publications.

24 OCTOBER 2006 - The next California Ocean Protection Council meeting will be held 28 November at 9:30 a.m. in Room 4203 of the State Capitol, Sacramento, California. The meeting agenda will be available here by November 18 and briefing documents will be posted by the meeting date.

21 OCTOBER 2006 - A SCCOOS presentation was given at the Mutli-Agency Rocky Inter-tidal Network (MARINe) during its two-day workshop conducted at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and attendees explored opportunities to collaborate and exchange data with SCCOOS. MARINe, a network of scientists from 23 public agencies, universities, and private and volunteer organizations, monitors important shoreline resources, provides needed data, and fosters a better understanding of the dynamics of rocky intertidal communities in the Southern California Bight. Sites are monitored from San Luis Obispo County to San Diego County on the mainland and offshore Channel Islands. More information about MARINe can be found here.

19 OCTOBER 2006 - Huntington Beach demonstration underway and online
Huntington Beach 06, a significant nearshore and surfzone demonstration project is underway.  The demonstration is funded principally by the Coastal Conservancy’s Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program, but has grown in scope through sponsored research programs funded by the Orange County Sanitation District, Office of Naval Research, USGS, and California Sea Grant. In addition, NOAA recently conducted a high resolution bathymetry survey to support the efforts in the region.  The San Pedro bay area was selected because of its chronic water quality problems and availability of historic data. The demonstration is looking at factors affecting nearshore transport and mixing of pollutants and test models of simulated pollutant dispersal.

Components of the study include surfzone currents, transport, and modeling, AUV mapping, nearshore drifters, and nearshore moorings. Augmenting components are HF radar, remote sensing, offshelf gliders, pier-based sensors, ROMS modeling, and underway CTDs. Objectives of the demonstration are to improve predictive capability for transport in the nearshore region, improve pollutants management, and foster generation of a variety of products for coastal users.

The Huntington Beach site was visited on 22 September 2006, by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, whose 46th District includes the Pacific coastline of Orange County and Los Angeles from Huntington Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. SCCOOS representatives Dr. Robert Guza, Dr. Burt Jones, Dr. Carter Ohlmann, George Robertson, and SIO Government Relations staff Kathleen Ritzman and Chris Cohen participated in the site visit.

The SCCOOS HB06 group web site is now up and receiving data feed from the demonstration. The site is useful as both a data portal and for an overall descriptor of the activities taking place. The site provides a project description, description of activities, calendar, and an interactive map of deployed assets (subsetted into surfzone, nearshore region, and San Pedro Bay region). Access the Huntington Beach demonstration web site including a description of the program and realtime data displays can be found here.

Data now online at the HB06 site are:

  • nearshore waves, surfzone current predictions, and shoreline bathymetry
  • realtime currents, temperature, and salinity observations from two nearhore ocean moorings
  • coastal meteorological observations in the area
  • high resolution COAMPS and MM5 surface winds and precipitation nowcasts and forecasts for HB and SCB
  • shoreline water quality data from Orange County Department of Environmental Health
  • AUV operations
  • ocean glider operations and near realtime data
  • drifter operations
  • ocean simulations
  • satellite imagery (ocean color, sst, and visible, IR)
  • HF radar surface currents for the HB06 domain at 6km and 2km

20 SEPTEMBER 2006 - SCCOOS at California and the World Ocean ’06 (CWO) Conference
The importance of ocean observing in the state was underscored at the California and the World Conference ’06 held 17-20 September 2006 in Long Beach, California, beginning with the opening plenary featuring remarks by retired Navy Vice Admiral and NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher. SCCOOS was a co-sponsor of the conference, provided numerous oral presentations and posters, and featured a joint exhibit with CeNCOOS highlighting the existing capabilities and applications of California’s ocean observing systems.

John Orcutt chaired a session on California's Ocean Observatories, with talks given by Heather Kerkering and Toby Garfield (CeNCOOS), Stephanie Peck (SCCOOS), John Largier (Bodega Marine Lab), and Jonathan Phinney (PacCOOS). A session on Management Applications of Ocean Infrastructure and Technology was chaired by Margaret Davidson of NOAA and featured several presentations focusing on coastal observations and management issues in Huntington Beach, California’s dispersed oil monitoring plan, efforts of the Central Bight Water Quality Group to integrate data with SCCOOS, and the development of new products to address shoreline water quality issues. To view these presentations, click here. Web casts of several of the conference sessions are available here.

An interactive, joint SCCOOS and CeNCOOS exhibit drew the attention of many conference attendees. The exhibit featured SCCOOS and CeNCOOS activities, research, and data products on a new display system for high resolution scientific visualization. The display consisted of 15 24" panels arranged in a 5 wide and 3 tall grid. The cumulative resolution of the display wall is nearly 30 million pixels and was built by the Scripps Visualization Center with support from the Center for Earth Observations and Applications. For more information and to view photos of the exhibit at the CWO ’06 Conference exhibit, click here.

20 SEPTEMBER 2006 - Senior Advisory Committee holds inaugural meeting
The inaugural meeting of SCCOOS’s Senior Advisory Committee was held during the CWO ‘06 conference in Long Beach. The committee membership includes representatives of 18 local, state, and federal agencies and industry. At the meeting, SAC members received an orientation folder, information about their role and expected activities, and had the opportunity to meet and talk with other members and with the SCCOOS Board of Governors. To view a list of Senior Advisory Committee members, click here.

31 AUGUST 2006 - Two SIO SCCOOS moorings were deployed at Huntington Beach in support of the HB06 field experiment. Data are now flowing from the sensors aboard the two moorings to the SCCOOS data system at SIO via a wireless network link. A public website serving the data will be published in the near future.

16 AUGUST 2006 - Abstracts for the upcoming American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco are due 7 September. We encourage SCCOOS PI's and participants to participate if possible. Some relevant sessions are listed here, although there are many others more discipline specific that can be viewed through the conference website - here.

Abstract submission guidelines can be found here. If you are not an AGU member, you will need a sponsor to submit as first author. Please contact Carolyn Keen at cskeen@ucsd.edu if you need assistance with this.

10 AUGUST 2006 - Draft concurrent sessions are now available for the upcoming California and the World Ocean Conference '06, to be held in Long Beach on 17-20 September. A session on California's Ocean Observatories will provide an overview of the various observatories underway in California. All draft sessions can be viewed here. Oral presentations about and/or related to SCCOOS can be accessed here.

29 JULY 2006 - The National Weather Service is sponsoring a Tsunami Workshop from 9:30 am until 12:30 pm at the Town and Country Convention Center in Mission Valley, San Diego. The workshop is open to the public. For more information, you can view the invitation here.

27 JUNE 2006 - California Ocean Protection Council 8 June meeting highlights are now available here.

21 JUNE 2006 - The Joint Ocean Commission's "From Sea to Shining Sea: Priorities for Ocean Policy Reform," a report to the United States Senate, is now available online here.

16 JUNE 2006 - SCCOOS has compiled post-conference materials for the 24-25 April 2006 Southern California Marine Monitoring Conference IV. Click here to access the event documents.

13 JUNE 2006 - Registration is now open for the California and the World Ocean ‘06 Conference (CWO ‘06). CWO ‘06 will be an opportunity to hear from leaders and innovators working to address ocean and coastal issues in California and around the world. The conference will emphasize the need to move from planning for future actions, to taking action to protect our ocean and coast. Online registration and updates can be found on the CWO ’06 Web site at resources.ca.gov/ocean/cwo06.

8 JUNE 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council's (COPC) next meeting will be held in Monterey at the Hyatt Regency. The meeting agenda can be accessed here [link to attached agenda]. The COPC's Five-Year Strategic Plan and briefing documents are available online at http://resources.ca.gov/copc/6-8-06_meeting/.

25 MAY 2006 - Heal the Bay's Annual California Beach Report Card for 2005-06 has been released, and can be accessed here: http://www.healthebay.org/brc/annual/default.asp. An article by the San Diego Union Tribune on the report's assessment of San Diego beaches is also available here as a pdf.

15 MAY 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has announced the next OPC meeting to be held 8 June 2006, 9a.m., Hyatt Regency Monterey, 1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey, California. The meeting agenda and other information will be available here on May 26.

Power plants' toll on marine life has state panels set to consider legislation
14 April 2006, San Diego Union Tribune
Each day, the 21 power plants along California's coast pull in nearly 17 billion gallons of seawater. The ocean water is used as a kind of radiator fluid to help cool the systems that generate 40 percent of the state's electricity. But the practice has killed billions of fish eggs, larvae and other marine life. Such depletion of the ocean food chain – 80 square miles of coastal habitat are affected daily – has gone on for decades. On Monday, the State Lands Commission will consider a resolution to deny new leases for power plants that use once-through cooling. Three days later, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's year-old Ocean Protection Council will examine the issue and possibly recommend legislation to address environmentalists' concerns.
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5 APRIL 2006 - The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) dedicated a web display program to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point on 25 March 2006. This exhibit (which includes an actual wave buoy) accesses data from the CDIP buoy deployed approximately 4 miles west of Dana Point. The exhibit will be used as an educational tool for all generations to further understanding of the principals of physical oceanography. The web display may be accessed here.

5 APRIL 2006 - The Ocean Observation System Coalition Legislative Update is now available online. The Update includes recent information on the Senate IOOS approps letter and other legislative activity in support of IOOS. Click here to download as a pdf.

4 APRIL 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has announced the next OPC meeting to be held April 20, 2006, 8:30 a.m., Coastal Hearing Room, CalEPA Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, California. The meeting agenda and other information will be available here by 10 April.

3 APRIL 2006 - 53rd annual Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference (EPOC) will held 27-30 Sept 2006 at Timberline Lodge, Oregon. For more information about this event, click here.

3 APRIL 2006 - Time Series of the Northeast Pacific: A symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of Line-P will be held 5-8 July 2006 at the Victoria Conference Centre in Victoria, BC, Canada.For more information about this event, including deadlines, click here.

28 MARCH 2006 - The public comment period on the development of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan (ORPP) is now OPEN. Interested parties are encouraged to review the planning document and provide input (click here to do so). In addition to the public comment period, the National Science and Technology Council Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology is holding a public workshop on April 18-20, 2006 in Denver, CO, to solicit input and guidance from the ocean science communities on the development of the ORPP.

Called for in the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, the ORPP, in conjunction with a follow-on Implementation Strategy, will describe a vision for U.S. ocean science and technology, describe the challenges to be addressed, identify key themes, specify goals for each theme and a time frame for their achievement, and address implications for the use or prioritization of resources. The draft Ocean Research Priorities Plan will be formulated using the input from both the workshop and the public comment period,

Members from the research community, ocean educators, government representatives (federal, state, tribal, and local), industry groups, international representatives, non-governmental organizations, and any individuals interested in helping guide national ocean research are invited to attend the workshop and contribute to the public comment. Contact: Shelby E. Walker (swalker@usgcrp.gov).

27 MARCH 2006 - State health officer advises consumers not to eat some shellfish and viscera of sardines, anchovies, and crab from southern California coast. The official release can be viewed here as a pdf.

23 MARCH 2006 - 17 US Senators send letter supporting the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The letter can be accessed here as a pdf.

23 MARCH 2006 - The UNOLS Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Aircraft Research (SCOAR) is hosting a conference on the use of airborne platforms in oceanographic and marine meteorological research, to held at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories 24-25 May 2006. More information on the meeting can be accessed here.

22 MARCH 2006 - The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) installed a wave buoy SW of the Coronado Islands. This buoy is a great asset to the CDIP program, as it will be an excellent indicator of south swell, resulting in improved nowcasts/forecasts models. The data from this buoy are accessible at cdip.ucsd.edu.

22 MARCH 2006 - Potentially toxic Pseudo-nitzschia bloom off of Scripps Pier on 13 and 16 March 2006. Phytoplankton samples from Scripps Pier showed high numbers of the potentially toxic marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia australis. SIO SCCOOS researchers observed cell numbers of 7.0 x 104 cells l- Pseudo-nitzschia australis. The researchers do not yet have assay results for the toxin domoic acid (DA), which is associated with this species. However, one sea lion with possible domoic acid poisoning was rescued in Encinitas on 18 March 2006 from the Seaworld rescue team. On 9 March 2006, a toxic Pseudo-nitzschia bloom was reported from San Pedro Channel in Los Angeles, with associated poisoning of 18 sea lions (Schnetzer & Caron, USC). Toxic levels for California are~ 5 x 104 cells l-1 Pseudo-nitzschia australis, the concentration at which mussels and fish reach average toxin levels considered unfit for human consumption (Silver, unpubl. data). Click here to download the report as a pdf.

20 MARCH 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council looks forward to public participation in its workshops next week on the OPC’s Draft Five-Year Strategic Plan (online here). To submit written comments on this draft, follow the instructions here to do so by March 29. The Council will be seeking public feedback on the mission and role of the Ocean Protection Council as described in Sections I and II, as well as on the potential goals, objectives, and actions that have been identified in Section III. Tthe workshops have been structured to maximize the opportunity for partcipants to provide their thoughts and recommendations.

2 MARCH 2006 - National Federation of Regional Associations (NFRA) spring meeting will be held Thursday, March 9 and Friday March 10, 2006 at the CORE Offices, 1201 New York Avenue Washington, DC. The NFRA Spring March Meeting Agenda is now available. Click here to download the pdf.

2 MARCH 2006 - Registration is now available for Southern California Marine Monitoring Conference IV to be held 24-25 April 2006 at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Co-hosts for this event include: USC's Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, SCCOOS and Catalina Conservancy Divers. Click here to view the full invitation (as a pdf). Note: Online registration was closed 17 April. Late registration will be permitted on an as available basis the day of the event at a cost of $50. To find out how to register for this event, click here.

28 FEBRUARY 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council invites applications for the position of Executive Policy Officer for the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC). The Executive Policy Officer of the California OPC will report to the Council Chair and will be the primary policy analyst for the OPC. The Executive Policy Officer assumes the lead role for strategic planning and implementation of the OPC’s policies, initiatives, and programs as well as coordination among all State entities associated with the purview. Please view the job announcement pdf on the OPC website for more information: click here.

28 FEBRUARY 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has issued an open invitation to its Science Focus Session on the OPC Strategic Plan on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 from 3-5pm in the auditorium (first floor) of the San Jose State Building (address: 100 Paseo de San Antonio San Jose, California). The OPC staff is soliciting early input on the issues and goals that should drive the OPC’s strategic initiatives for the next five years as well as feedback on the proposed strategic plan framework (pdf). The OPC encourages interested parties—who are unable to participate in the meeting—to submit written comments (see instructions here). This session will focus on the Draft Strategic Plan Outline: Mission and Goals (pdf). The OPC has adopted the California Ocean and Coastal Information, Research, and Outreach Strategy that will be integrated into its strategic plan. For more information, visit http://resources.ca.gov/copc/strategic_plan.html.

22 FEBRUARY 2006 - As co-chairs of California and the World Ocean Conference 2006 (CWO ’06), Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman, State Controller Steve Westly, and Secretary for Environmental Protection Alan Lloyd invite you to submit an abstract for an oral or poster presentation. This international conference, organized by the California Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Coastal Conservancy Association, will be held September 17-20, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency, Long Beach, California, U.S.A. For more information, click here.

13-14 FEBRUARY 2006 - A SCCOOS planning meeting was held at UCLA. Minutes and other meeting materials will soon be made available at this site. The agenda, and other pre-meeting information can be accessed here.

6 FEBRUARY 2006 - The Ocean Observatories Initiative is included as a new start in the President's FY07 budget, with a total of $309.5M over the life of the program. The MRE-FC budget can be accessed here (pdf).

2 FEBRUARY 2006 - SouthEast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS) has announced it will host a Southeast Regional Data Management Workshop, March 9-10, 2006 in Chapel Hill, NC entitled Data Sharing and Data Quality of Ocean Currents and Temperature towards an Operational Data Management System for the Southeast Region.

The main goal for this two-day workshop is to discuss data sharing, translation, and quality assurance of ocean currents and ocean temperature in context of a Regional Assocation (RA). The focus will be on data formats, processes, and tools to share data. This workshop is part of a larger effort to move towards building data management infrastructure for the future Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association ( SECOORA). This event is hosted by the Data Management Coordinating Committee (DMCC) of the SouthEast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System ( SEACOOS). Travel is paid for the first forty registrants. You can register here.

1 FEBRUARY 2006 - In late January of 2006, a potential harmful algal bloom (HAB) was visible in La Jolla and Del Mar coastal waters. The Scripps Pier Chlorophyll Program and Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) researchers have produced a brief report on this  bloom. To access the report, click here: Documenting a dinoflagellate bloom off Scripps pier - a report from the Pier Chlorophyll Program. Chlorophyll and HAB data will soon be available at the SCCOOS web site.

1 FEBRUARY 2006 I.M. Systems Group, Inc. (IMSG) (www.imsg.com) is looking for a motivated individual to join the Coastal Management Services branch of the NOAA Coastal Services Center (Center), a federal facility in Charleston, South Carolina. Click here for the full job description.

30 JANUARY 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council announces initiatives on ecosystem-based management. For more information visit www-csgc.ucsd.edu and www.usc.edu/org/seagrant.

30 JANUARY 2006 - The California Sea Grant College Program is now soliciting preliminary proposals for projects to begin February 1, 2007. Faculty and academic staff members from universities throughout California are invited to apply. For more information, access the California Sea Grant website here.

30 JANUARY 2006 - The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies is hosting its second Forum on Earth Observations 15-16 Feb. 15-16 in La Jolla, California. The Forum is a premier event for networking within a diverse community of Earth observations providers and users. This two-day event will convene business, academic, non-government and government leaders to address key issues in the planning and implementation of a global Earth observation system. For more information, access the Forum website here.

15 DECEMBER 2005 updated 25 JANUARY 2006 - The next SCCOOS planning meeting will be held at UCLA's Institute of the Environment on 13 and 14 February (Monday and Tuesday) 2006. The format and agenda are under development, but please hold the date.

A summary of the draft agenda:

  • Monday: Overview of, discussion and vote on SCCOOS bylaws; Overview of, discussion and vote on appointment of SCCOOS Senior Advisory Committee; Operational update; Federal and state update; SCCOOS Executive Steering Committee update; SCCOOS working group reports; Overview of SCCOOS strategic plan
  • Tuesday: Continued review of strategic plan; Strategic planning for next steps (possibly w/break out groups); Presentations on and discussion of potential future projects; Working lunch

23-25 JANUARY 2006 - Eric Terrill presented at the JOSS sponsored Public Health Risks: Coastal Observations For Decision Making in St. Petersburg, Florida. Attendees at the workshop included a nationwide gathering of health officers and beach managers, representatives from NIH, NIEHS, NSF, NOAA, and USGS, as well as Paul diGiacomo (JPL), Steve Weisberg (SCCWRP), Mark Gold, (Heal the Bay) and Larry Honeybourne (Orange County Department of Environmental Health) from the Southern California region. Eric's presentation can be accessed here (pdf). An agenda can be accessed here (pdf). A poster presented by SCCOOS can be accessed here (pdf).

25 JANUARY 2006 - The NFRA Spring March Meeting will be held 9-10 March 2006 in the Washington DC CORE Offices. It is recommended participants planning to attend the meeting consider making travel reservations as soon as possible. Cick here for a list of area hotels.

Meeting Schedule:

  • Thursday, March 9th 9:00 to 5:00 (NFRA only session)
  • Friday, March 10th 9:00 to 2:00 p.m. (Meeting with Ocean.US and other federal agencies)

Probable agenda items include: Adoption of NFRA by-laws; Communication Plan; Ocean.US Certification Criteria Review (very important! Draft is expected soon); IOOS DMAC and NFRA; Update on the Ad Hoc Ocean Coalition’s Legislative Efforts; and other relevant issues.

24 JANUARY 2006 - The Science Advisor/Executive Director will serve as lead scientific staff to the OPC by coordinating all scientific aspects of the planning and implementation of COPA. The position will also serve as the lead administrator for the CalOST and will provide creative leadership to the trust in its efforts to apply the best science available to California ocean management. The Executive Director/Science Advisor will manage the creation and ongoing activities of the Science Advisory Team to meet the science-based management requirements of COPA.

The OPC Science Advisory Team (SAT) will be established to develop scientific recommendations on issues identified by the OPC through soliciting expert testimony and synthesizing information for the generation of policy by OPC. It will seek to implement the California Ocean and Coastal Information, Research, and Outreach Strategy and to ensure that projects brought before the OPC meet scientific standards and established OPC funding guidelines. The SAT will provide technical advice on applicable agenda items; and perform other duties as requested by the OPC. The OPC Science Advisor will perform the following duties under direction of the OPC Executive Officer and Chair and in conjunction with Council Secretary:

  • Operations: Assume overall responsibility for all operational aspects of the OPC Science Advisory Team.
  • Strategic Planning: Provide technical advice on the development and implementation of a strategic plan for the OPC.
  • Funding: Provide technical advice on OPC funding priorities and projects.
  • CalOST Executive Director Responsibilities
  • The CalOST Executive Director will perform the following duties under direction of the CalOST Board.
  • Operations: Assume overall responsibility for all operational aspects of CalOST.
  • Strategic Planning: Implement the adopted strategic plan for the CalOST.
  • Funding: Seek sources of monies for CalOST projects and activities. Develop priorities for CalOST projects.

Desired Qualifications. M.S. or PhD in ocean/coastal related field. Five years or more experience in managing organizations and applying science to resource management. Experience in fundraising and budget management is desirable.

  • Location: Oakland, California
  • Timing: Position will remain open until filled, but applications will be evaluated on Feb. 15, 2006.
  • Compensation: $100,000 to 120,000 per year contract

Application Instructions. Please mail a cover letter and resume/CV addressed to Brian Baird, Assistant Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311, Sacramento, CA 95814. Email submissions to penny.harding@resources.ca.gov will be accepted, but please follow with hard copy.

24 JANUARY 2006 - A Santa Monica Bay Observatory/San Pedro Channel Data meeting will be held at USC on Wednesday February 15 from 1-6:00 pm. The goal of the meeting is to bring together scientists interested in sharing research and exploring potential collaborations in biogeochemical/ecological timeseries research in the waters off Los Angeles--in particular those involved with the Santa Monica Bay Observatory (SMBO) and the San Pedro Ocean Timeseries (SPOT) programs. For more information, to RSVP (the meeting is open, but RSVP's are requested), or if you are interested in presenting, please contact Niki Gruber at ngruber@ucla.edu.

23 JANUARY 2006 - Dolores Wesson, outreach coordinator for NOAA's Coastal Storms Southern California pilot, and Senior Analyst for PaCOOS, will present an overview of SCCOOS at the The Third Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands held at UNESCO in Paris, France 23-28 January, 2006. The conference aims to mobilize high-level policy attention, topical working groups, analytical papers and other contributions to provide a review of progress achieved and obstacles faced in the implementation of international targets on oceans, coasts, and small island developing States. www.globaloceans.org/paris3/index.html

19 JANUARY 2006 - SCCOOS briefed Katie Whelan, Special Advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Carolyn Henrich,  Legislative Director for Education at UCOP's Office of Federal Government Relations, to discuss the State and Federal partnerships that support the development of ocean observing activities in the State. Of particular interest was leveraging SCCOOS NOAA COTS funding with the State Wide California Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring program that is managed by the State Coastal Conservancy.

12 JANUARY 2006 - The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) will meet 13 January to consider ecosystem protection, invasive species, and coastal ocean floor mapping projects. The meeting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be held at the Administration Building, Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, Santa Barbara, Calif. A live broadcast of the meeting will be shown on the council’s Web site.

“All of these projects and programs are innovative approaches that continue support for ecosystem based management of California’s ocean and coastal resources,” said Secretary for Resources and Council Chair Mike Chrisman. “Both the U.S. and Pew ocean commissions have emphasized that ocean protection must address relationships among all parts of the ecosystem, including humans and their environments. The proposals we’ll be looking at can help California take bold new steps in protecting our spectacular coastline.”

The council will consider four projects and one grant program:

  • Morro Bay Ecosystem Based Management Program
    To establish a better understanding of the ecosystem’s physical, chemical, biological, and socio-economic indicators and develop a model that could be used to monitor other ecosystems in California, the nation, and the world.
  • San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project
    To create a comprehensive, long-term management vision for the protection, restoration, and appropriate use of the subtidal system in the San Francisco Bay.
  • California Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan
    This proposed statewide plan would address the introduction of aquatic invasive species into California waters that threaten the ecological, social, and economic well-being of the state’s water resources.
  • Coastal Seafloor Mapping
    The proposed mapping of the seafloor off the northern Central Coast would be used to support future ecosystem management efforts, including the Marine Life Management and Marine Life Protection acts.
  • Water Quality Management
    The council will consider priorities for $10 million in State Water Resources Control Board funds to help implement ecosystem based water quality