The AOML small boat program maintains four small boats (a 22 foot flats boat, a 24 foot catamaran, a 25 foot dusky cuddy cabin, and a 21 foot center console) that allows AOML to conduct a variety of coastal research.  Research conducted on the small boats allows AOML scientists to investigate coastal ecosystem, chemical, and oceanographic processes, including on Florida Coral Reefs.

The Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) laboratory based out of NOAA/ AOML processes samples from research cruises around the world to determine the CO₂ uptake by the ocean and to monitor the effect of carbon uptake on ocean health. Sampling is performed at sea during open ocean and coastal cruises and processed in the onboard mobile CO₂ laboratory or AOML, depending on the nature of the project. Sampling is done to through the whole water column so we can learn more about how the ocean takes up and stores carbon. This collaborative effort between AOML, universities, and other NOAA organizations provides long-term datasets which can be used to measure the changes in carbon content and its effect on the health of the oceans over time.

The Experimental Reef Lab (ERL) at the University of Miami was designed and built by AOML and CIMAS to precisely manipulate conditions reef organisms will experience in the future. The lab has 16 completely separate aquarium systems which each can be programmed to have different pH, temperature, and light. One of the unique features of the lab is the fully automated control and logging, facilitating real-time manipulation of dynamic treatment levels. Scientists have used the Experimental Reef Lab’s system to study how certain genotypes of corals may be more resilient to temperature stress, how daily pH fluctuations enhance coral growth, and how ocean acidification will lead to accelerated reef erosion, among other things. Visit the Lab Page. 

AOML’s Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division has taken a visionary approach to answering our most pressing questions about coral reef health by stepping outside of science and embracing new technology to engineer in-house solutions for underwater sampling. For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing and Design Laboratory, visit the Lab Page. 

Genome-based techniques improve our ability to characterize and monitor ecosystems. By identifying and studying genomic markers, we can protect fisheries resources and endangered species, locate resources to make advances in pharmaceutical research, and even find natural resources like oil and gas reserves. Genome-based methods include genomics, proteomics, and other “-omics” methods; collectively we call these methods Omics.

One challenge of Omics technologies is that the pace of data generation has outstripped our ability to analyze it. To help address the backlog, AOML has been working to increase bioinformatics capacity, which is critical to the success of all Omics projects. AOML has secured servers dedicated to bioinformatics analysis, hired young scientists to help with analysis, and created user groups (local and NOAA-wide) to provide support.