Category Archives: Research Partnerships

NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) participated in Ocean Sampling Day on June 21, the first global simultaneous sampling for microbes in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes waters. Over time, sampling will support international and NOAA missions to provide a snapshot of the diversity of microbes, their functions, and their potential economic benefits. Among other economic applications, microbes have been used for novel medicines, as biofuels, and to consume spilled oil. Organized and led by the European Union’s MicroB3 organization, NOAA coordinated twelve sampling sites for Ocean Sampling Day 2014 within U.S. coastal waters.

AOML scientists Kelly Goodwin enters data from water samples from La Jolla, CA.

“Small organisms make up the majority of the ocean’s biomass and drive the cycles that sustain life on earth, but not until recently have we had the tools to reveal their diversity and function,” said Kelly Goodwin, a microbiologist at AOML. “Ocean Sampling Day and future efforts in Genomic Observatories will employ state-of-the art ‘omic technologies to uncover how the oceans are adapting to a multitude of stressors and how those changes translate up to ecosystem services – including seafood supply and healthy swimming waters and coastal habitats.”

NOAA’s Marine Microbes Working Group coordinated 12 sampling locations, part of more than 150 international sites, and supported cross-line NOAA efforts to include NOAA Research centers, including AOML, NOAA Fisheries centers, and NOAA’s National Ocean Service Sanctuary locations (Grays Reef and Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuaries). NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research coordinated the broader NOAA science and outreach/education aspects. Sampling sites are expected to be monitored long-term as part of the international ocean Genomic Observatories Network and the database will serve as a baseline, accessible to the research community, industry, policy makers and the public. The Smithsonian’s Global Genome Initiative will archive samples.

AOML staff, with support from a cadre of summer interns, coordinated five locations in south Florida and in California. Sites included Port Everglades, Tennessee Reef offshore of Long Key in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and near the mouth of Tampa Bay at Fort DeSoto in Saint Petersburg. AOML collaborators from the University of Southern Mississippi conducted sampling at Horn Island offshore of the Mississippi Coast. AOML scientists also coordinated the sampling the OSD site at the Scripps Institute Pier in La Jolla, California.

AOML student interns collect samples from the Florida Keys

Citizen Scientists all over the world also collected environmental data (water and air temperature, salinity, oxygen, etc.) to support the microbial sampling collected globally on the summer solstice. In La Jolla, CA, one of AOML’s remote employees worked with a local scout troop to guide them in collecting similar environmental data. These local efforts were designed to raise general awareness about Ocean Sampling Day.

In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook issued today, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting an active or extremely active season this year.

For the six-month hurricane season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook says there is a 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 7 to 11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).

These ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.

“With the devastation of Sandy fresh in our minds, and another active season predicted, everyone at NOAA is committed to providing life-saving forecasts in the face of these storms and ensuring that Americans are prepared and ready ahead of time.” said Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D., NOAA acting administrator. “As we saw first-hand with Sandy, it’s important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall.”

Three climate factors that strongly control Atlantic hurricane activity are expected to come together to produce an active or extremely active 2013 hurricane season. These are:

• A continuation of the atmospheric climate pattern, which includes a strong west African monsoon, that is responsible for the ongoing era of high activity for Atlantic hurricanes that began in 1995;
• Warmer-than-average water temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea; and
• El Niño is not expected to develop and suppress hurricane formation.

“This year, oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic basin are expected to produce more and stronger hurricanes, said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “These conditions include weaker wind shear, warmer Atlantic waters and conducive winds patterns coming from Africa.”

NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlook is not a hurricane landfall forecast; it does not predict how many storms will hit land or where a storm will strike. Forecasts for individual storms and their impacts will be provided throughout the season by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.

New for this hurricane season are improvements to forecast models, data gathering, and the National Hurricane Center communication procedure for post-tropical cyclones. In July, NOAA plans to bring online a new supercomputer that will run an upgraded Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) model that provides significantly enhanced depiction of storm structure and improved storm intensity forecast guidance.

Also this year, Doppler radar data will be transmitted in real time from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft. This will help forecasters better analyze rapidly evolving storm conditions, and these data could further improve the HWRF model forecasts by 10 to 15 percent.

The National Weather Service has also made changes to allow for hurricane warnings to remain in effect, or to be newly issued, for storms like Sandy that have become post-tropical. This flexibility allows forecasters to provide a continuous flow of forecast and warning information for evolving or continuing threats.

“The start of hurricane season is a reminder that our families, businesses and communities need to be ready for the next big storm,” said Joe Nimmich, FEMA associate administrator for Response and Recovery. “Preparedness today can make a big difference down the line, so update your family emergency plan and make sure your emergency kit is stocked. Learn more about how you can prepare for hurricane season at www.ready.gov/hurricanes.“