data portal in transition
The AOOS Data Portal and web cams are down, pending transfer of our data system to a new contractor. Please contact the AOOS office at 907-644-6718 if you have questions or comments.
We hope to have a new contractor in place and the website up and running as soon as possible, and we appreciate your patience.
Prince William Sound Webcams: For interim access, try visiting:
- Cordova
- Esther Island, Nuchek, Port San Juan, and Tatitlek
- FAA statewide weathercams (includes Middleton Island and Johnstone Point)
recently featured
- (May 2010) Marine Policy Forum summary
- (January 2010) AOOS Winter 2010 Newsletter
- (January 2010) Marine Spatial Planning Workshop
Brought to you by NOAA National Ocean Service
Newsletter features AOOS highlights for summer 2010
The latest issue of the AOOS Update (PDF) is now available. It features some big developments for the Alaska Ocean Observing System, including:
- the Arctic Research Assets Map, co-developed with Axiom Consulting and Design and other partners;
- selection of a new AOOS Data Management Team;
- next steps for ocean observations and forecast models in Cook Inlet after a productive workshop; and
- Thematic workshops on marine operations, coastal hazards, and climate change trends
Alaska Marine Policy Forum
AOOS and Alaska Sea Grant host a bimonthly marine policy teleconference, open to the public. The forum includes updates on marine affairs from the Alaska congressional offices, the Governor's office in Washington D.C., state and federal agencies, the University of Alaska, and other entities.
Join and hear the latest on national and state legislation, budgets and policy, as well as upcoming events and initiatives and to query policy makers and staff.
Fall 2010 forum calls are scheduled for September 29, and December 1 at 1 pm Alaska time. For call-in information or to add items to the agenda, contact AOOS Program Manager Darcy Dugan, 907-644-6718.
New Energy Device to Power Oceanographic Equipment
After two years of design and development, oceanographers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are installing a new energy device along the Arctic coast of Alaska.
Right: The new device. (photo courtesy SeaDiscovery)
The device will use a combination of wind, solar, and biodiesel energy to power scientific instruments in remote areas, where sources of electricity are often scarce. "In principle, the device means that we can deploy the radar systems anywhere along Alaska's coast," said Tom Weingartner, professor of physical oceanography and the principal investigator for the project.
The device will power high-frequency radars that map sea surface currents along the coast of the Beaufort Sea, and is also equipped to collect meteorological and oceanographic data and houses communications equipment that allows researchers in Fairbanks to configure the device via satellite.
Find more information about this device at SeaDiscovery, a website devoted disseminating information on ocean science.
AOOS Launches Online Tool: Arctic Research Assets Map
AOOS announces the launch of a new tool for Alaska called the Arctic Research Assets Map. This web-based, interactive map shows the location and metadata for moorings, buoys, transects, and other instrumentation in Arctic waters during the 2010 field season. It is designed to assist with planning, collaboration, and conflict avoidance.
Our next goal will be to provide links to actual data. If you have any comments or suggestions for this tool, please email dugan@aoos.org.
Prince William Sound Field Experiment on YouTube
The 2009 Prince William Sound Field Experiment lives on! See live footage, interviews with scientists, and introductions to some of the equipment that was deployed out in the Sound. Visit the Field Experiment page for more information and data from last summer's event.
You Tube Videos
- Field Experiment Overview - Interview with Dr. Scott Pegau
- Interview with Captain Jim Pettigrew - drifters and currents
- Interview with Dr. Mark Halverson - circulation and biota
- Intro to AUVs - the Slocum and Remus gliders
- Slocum glider - highlights of an autonomous underwater vehicle
- Interview with Rebekka Federer - marine mammal observations in PWS
- Interview with Leslie Abramson - outlook on oceanography & career paths
- Interview with Kersten Cullen - perspectives from a field crew intern
- Interview with Megan Cimino - perspectives from a graduate student
Regional Planning Document describes contributions to ocean observing
As the uses of our coastal and Great Lakes waters increase and become more diverse, and as we face the unknown consequences of a changing climate, so the need for accurate and timely information intensifies.
Providing Coastal Information in a Changing Climate describes the contributions being made to the national program by AOOS and the other ten regional systems. It also includes plans for budgeting for observing capacity, product services, system management, and outreach. Download the Regional Planning Document (PDF)
The Alaska Ocean Observing System is building a network of observation platforms and forecast models. The goal of this network is to provide information products and tools to improve our understanding of Alaska’s ocean ecosystem. These products will help us to make better decisions about our use of the marine environment.