Today I interviewed Chris Sabine and Richard Feely both from NOAA PMEL.
Both work in the field of chemical oceanography and have made major contributions to the field of oceanography. Chris Sabine is well known for his work in ocean acidification carbon biogeochemistry. He has also played a leading role in promoting the sharing of data among scientists by his involvement in large science projects, including WOCE, the World Ocean Circulation Experiment.
I also had the opportunity to talk to Tim Cowles, project manager for the Ocean Observatories Initiative, the largest project of its kind for ocean research ever, and which will bring researchers and interested people all over the world unprecedented amounts and types of information about the ocean and the life within it.
Another interview I'll post is one with Gary Lagerloef, president of Earth and Space Research in Seattle who uses satellite data to study the ocean.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ocean Obs 09: Day 2
The theme today: Scientific results and potential based on global observations.
The entire conference schedule is packed with presentations, side meetings and poster sessions. Three main topics on which brief overviews were given on sub-categories include:
*Large scale ocean properties science, observations and impacts
*Large-scale ocean circulation and fluxes
*Biogeochemistry and ecosystems
The conference proceedings will be published, so coverage of the topics in full is not my goal with this blog. Rather, my purpose here is to provide a few notes on a specific topic.
In order to focus my time here and share what I'm learning in a direct way I'll be interviewing participants from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. My first interview was with Diane Stanitski, atmospheric scientist from the Climate Program Office at NOAA. Diane also teaches climatology at the Naval Academy and writes children's books about science. Diane has been involved with a number of cruises as part of the NOAA Teacher At Sea program and co-authored, Teacher At Sea: Miss Cook's Voyage on the Ronald H. Brown, which can be ordered from NOAA or downloaded on line.
The entire conference schedule is packed with presentations, side meetings and poster sessions. Three main topics on which brief overviews were given on sub-categories include:
*Large scale ocean properties science, observations and impacts
*Large-scale ocean circulation and fluxes
*Biogeochemistry and ecosystems
The conference proceedings will be published, so coverage of the topics in full is not my goal with this blog. Rather, my purpose here is to provide a few notes on a specific topic.
In order to focus my time here and share what I'm learning in a direct way I'll be interviewing participants from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. My first interview was with Diane Stanitski, atmospheric scientist from the Climate Program Office at NOAA. Diane also teaches climatology at the Naval Academy and writes children's books about science. Diane has been involved with a number of cruises as part of the NOAA Teacher At Sea program and co-authored, Teacher At Sea: Miss Cook's Voyage on the Ronald H. Brown, which can be ordered from NOAA or downloaded on line.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Ocean Obs 09: Day 1.
Ocean Obs '09 had its official kick off today with a collection of presentations that gave a broad view of the successes of ocean obs over the last ten years since the last Ocean Obs conference ten years ago. The conference is taking place at Palazzo del Casino on the Lido, one of Venice's one hundred islands. (Yes, 100 islands...that's what I heard today - I had no idea!)
To put the progress in context, there are twice as many people attending this conference as the last one that took place in France in 1999. The day included presentations by representatives from many of the sponsors of the event including:
ESA: European Space Agency
CNES: Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
EUMETSAT: European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
NSF: National Science Foundation
WMO: World Meteorological Organization
NOAA: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
NASA: National
The take home message from the day for me: There has been a lot of work over the last ten years that has moved ocean obs forward, but there is still much to be done including assuring the continuity and sustained support for long-term observing programs because the models and climate services the public and policy makers want are based on such observations.
Over the past ten years the community of scientists have combined a wide range of satellite, ocean floats, XBT lines and in situ observing systems to give us unprecedented information on the ocean and its processes. In the past, the conference has appeared to have focussed on physical oceanographic data, but this year there is a strong cohort of chemical and biological oceanographers as well as satellite specialists as well. More on all of these and the need to integrate the data over the coming days.
To put the progress in context, there are twice as many people attending this conference as the last one that took place in France in 1999. The day included presentations by representatives from many of the sponsors of the event including:
ESA: European Space Agency
CNES: Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
EUMETSAT: European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
NSF: National Science Foundation
WMO: World Meteorological Organization
NOAA: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
NASA: National
The take home message from the day for me: There has been a lot of work over the last ten years that has moved ocean obs forward, but there is still much to be done including assuring the continuity and sustained support for long-term observing programs because the models and climate services the public and policy makers want are based on such observations.
Over the past ten years the community of scientists have combined a wide range of satellite, ocean floats, XBT lines and in situ observing systems to give us unprecedented information on the ocean and its processes. In the past, the conference has appeared to have focussed on physical oceanographic data, but this year there is a strong cohort of chemical and biological oceanographers as well as satellite specialists as well. More on all of these and the need to integrate the data over the coming days.
Ocean Obs 09: Opening Reception
Last night Ocean Obs had an informal beginning with registration and light refreshments outside on the patio along one of the internal canals here on the Lido.
Venice is a fascinating place to hold a meeting on ocean observations - with water ways instead of roads covering much of the city the interconnection to the ocean is inescapable.
Over 600 people are expected to attend the conference - and I've decided to help focus my efforts with this blog to make a general post each day as well as at least one interview with one of the participants. There are so many fascinating people here who dedicate much of their lives to ocean observations in one form or another.
I left the registration session with a number of good ideas for interviews including an agreement from Walter Monk, who is a giant in the field. With a careers spanning over 70 years he's a living history book of how ocean observations have changed over the years. Apparently, he was involved with providing the US military with tidal forecasting for the invasion at Normandy. All in a life time. Check back again for more on Dr. Monk and Ocean Obs 09.
Ciao!
Venice is a fascinating place to hold a meeting on ocean observations - with water ways instead of roads covering much of the city the interconnection to the ocean is inescapable.
Over 600 people are expected to attend the conference - and I've decided to help focus my efforts with this blog to make a general post each day as well as at least one interview with one of the participants. There are so many fascinating people here who dedicate much of their lives to ocean observations in one form or another.
I left the registration session with a number of good ideas for interviews including an agreement from Walter Monk, who is a giant in the field. With a careers spanning over 70 years he's a living history book of how ocean observations have changed over the years. Apparently, he was involved with providing the US military with tidal forecasting for the invasion at Normandy. All in a life time. Check back again for more on Dr. Monk and Ocean Obs 09.
Ciao!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Ocean Obs Blog #1
Greetings to a new blog set up for the purpose of sharing reflections and information gleaned from the Ocean Obs '09 conference that begins on Monday Sept. 21 in Venice, Italy.
Check it out the conference at: http://www.oceanobs09.net/
Interest in ocean research, policy and general ocean and environmental awareness is growing fast. In addition to the Ocean Obs '09 conference, this month is a banner month for ocean science, policy and general public awareness with the publication of the interim report on new national ocean policy released yesterday 9/17/09: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interimreport/
The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by White House Council on Environmental Quality is hosting a series of public meetings around the country to solicit input on ocean policy toward what is likely to be the first ever national ocean policy. The next one is going to be in Providence, RI next week on September 24. Too bad it conflicts with the Ocean Obs conference...but with a little help from modern technology, we'll keep a pulse on those proceedings as well.
Also, check out Guy Laliberté’s Poetic Social Mission in Space. The Founder of Cirque du Soleil and the ONE DROP Foundation will become Canada’s first private explorer in space and the first to engage in a Poetic Social Mission in Space. His goal is to share information about water-related issues with the world. His messages will spread ONE DROP’s dream of "Water for all, all for water." He takes off from earth on September 30 of this year.
This blog was created for NOAA Teacher At Sea participants on any of the past ten years of cruises to the Stratus Ocean Reference Station off the coast of Chile. Why a station off Chile you may ask? Well, what happens under the stratus cloud deck there, (which satellites can't see), effects El Nino and Nina patterns that can effect events in places far away, like droughts in North America for example. The ocean and atmosphere link us all in powerful ways yet there are relatively few long-term time-series observations to help unravel the puzzle of the interaction between them.
Check it out the conference at: http://www.oceanobs09.net/
Interest in ocean research, policy and general ocean and environmental awareness is growing fast. In addition to the Ocean Obs '09 conference, this month is a banner month for ocean science, policy and general public awareness with the publication of the interim report on new national ocean policy released yesterday 9/17/09: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interimreport/
The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by White House Council on Environmental Quality is hosting a series of public meetings around the country to solicit input on ocean policy toward what is likely to be the first ever national ocean policy. The next one is going to be in Providence, RI next week on September 24. Too bad it conflicts with the Ocean Obs conference...but with a little help from modern technology, we'll keep a pulse on those proceedings as well.
Also, check out Guy Laliberté’s Poetic Social Mission in Space. The Founder of Cirque du Soleil and the ONE DROP Foundation will become Canada’s first private explorer in space and the first to engage in a Poetic Social Mission in Space. His goal is to share information about water-related issues with the world. His messages will spread ONE DROP’s dream of "Water for all, all for water." He takes off from earth on September 30 of this year.
This blog was created for NOAA Teacher At Sea participants on any of the past ten years of cruises to the Stratus Ocean Reference Station off the coast of Chile. Why a station off Chile you may ask? Well, what happens under the stratus cloud deck there, (which satellites can't see), effects El Nino and Nina patterns that can effect events in places far away, like droughts in North America for example. The ocean and atmosphere link us all in powerful ways yet there are relatively few long-term time-series observations to help unravel the puzzle of the interaction between them.
What's going on in ocean science, policy and art these days may be complicated, but not nearly as complicated as the physical, biological and chemical processes at work in the ocean that some of the world's leading scientists are working diligently to understand. I'll post here a combination of facts and links to what I think may be of interest to teachers and students. If there are questions you would like me to try to find the answer to while here, let me know at pwhite(at)whoi(dot)edu.
Ciao for now.
Ciao for now.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
