Marine scientists use gliders—one of several types of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)—to gather data across vast stretches of open ocean. Gliders collect precise measurements of ocean properties with a few “pilots” who work from their offices and need only go into the field for deployment and retrieval—instead of requiring many scientists, engineers and crew, plus chartered time on expensive ships.

Gliders are especially handy in northern seas, where remote locations, harsh weather, and difficult logistics are commonplace.

A glider operates by changing its buoyancy and center of gravity to “fly” through the ocean.

Little glider sets big record

For more than nine weeks in summer 2011, an AOOS-funded glider traveled 1,000 miles in the Chukchi Sea, collecting and transmitting more than 11,000 vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, and salinity data—a new record for this type of operation in Arctic waters.

Dr. Peter Winsor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) led the mission, part of the second year of research on the hydrographic properties of Arctic waters. This work is co-funded by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, ConocoPhillips Alaska, and Shell Oil.

Screen shot of glider deployments for 2011 from the ARTLab website.

The glider program is part of a larger remote sensing effort led by UAF’s Tom Weingartner that includes high frequency (HF) radars, drifters and moorings. Learn more about the other projects and get the latest updates from the UAF Autonomous Remote Technology Lab.

Glider data provide detailed biochemical and physical ocean data that previously have been unavailable to us … when we combine the HF radar and AUV glider data, a unique view of the ocean emerges, and with features and complexity that are changing our ideas of how this area is functioning. —Peter Winsor, UAF

The glider program is unique to the Arctic. Its success has been due to the hard work of UAF oceanographers Rachel Potter and Hank Statscewich along with residents of Barrow, Wainwright, and Point Lay, who provide invaluable assistance by deploying, monitoring and servicing these complex systems in challenging conditions.

The UAF glider team. From top, Peter Winsor, Tom Weingartner, Hank Statscewich, Rachel Potter.

Next steps: under the ice

Because the Beaufort and Chukchi seas are covered by ice for much of the year, the team plans to expand glider operations beyond the summer months by developing AUV under-ice capabilities to further understanding of hydrography and circulation in these waters, as well as to detect and map sources of oil.

In addition to the weather instruments, this site also provides three web cameras at Kodiak Harbor Channel, Pier Two and St. Herman Harbor’s South Entrance. The station is powered by renewable solar and wind energy. This spring, wave and tide measurements will be added to the Gull Island sensor station. Kodiak joins Seward in becoming the first nodes of a growing network of weather and ocean sensors at harbors in Alaska.

The Alaska Harbor Observation Network is a partnership between AOOS, the Alaska Sea Life Center, and UAA’s School of Engineering.

The Alaska Ocean Observing System is seeking a part-time paid intern to assist with the development of its Arctic Research Assets map and expansion of it southward along Alaska’s west coast.  In this role, the intern will identify and contact Arctic scientists, request information on their research efforts, and ensure the information is accurately entered into the AOOS data system and reflected on the web. The work will involve careful attention to detail, timely follow-up, and clear communication with scientists and the AOOS staff.  This position will allow the intern to interact and learn about a state of the art data management system, as well as interface with scientists in the field of marine research. Basic understanding of the marine research terms will be learned on the job.

The position requires keen attention to detail, excellent communication and people skills, problem solving, and experience with Microsoft Excel.  Applicants must have a high school degree and at least 2 years of college.  Skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and understanding of database concepts are desired but not required.

 Terms of Employment

The intern will be based at the offices of Axiom Consulting and Design, a local consulting firm that provides data management services for AOOS, and work 20 hrs per week on a flexible schedule.  The position could potentially be full-time during the summer months.  Pay is $14/hour. We are looking for at least a one-year commitment.

Alaska Ocean Observing System

The mission of AOOS is to address regional and national needs for ocean information, gather specific data on key coastal and ocean variables, and ensure timely and sustained dissemination and availability of these data.  AOOS is based in Anchorage, funded by NOAA, and serves as one of 11 regional ocean observing systems in the U.S.

Contact

For more information about this position, please contact Molly McCammon (mccammon@aoos.org) or Darcy Dugan (dugan@aoos.org).

• AOOS glider setting records in the Arctic
• New Cook Inlet Spill Response Tool
• Kodiak Harbor Observing Station deployment
• Project for data tools to support future Arctic fisheries decisions
• AOOS 10-year build-out plan, and AK Regional Observing Round-Up

Download the Newsletter

• Next Call: Tuesday, Feb 14th at 11am AK time
• Topic: Round Robin updates from modeling projects
• Call-In Number: 1-866-779-5968

If you would like to be added to this list serve for announcements about meeting, please email dugan@aoos.org.

1) How much debris is there?

The Japanese government estimated that the tsunami created a total of 25 million tons of debris, but there is no confirmed estimate of how much of that went into the water. Of the amount that washed out to sea, data and experience from similar events shows that much of the heavier debris is likely to have sunk in the nearshore area. The remaining debris began to disperse with ocean currents and weather, generally moving east.

Right after the event, tsunami debris concentrations or bands could be seen by satellite sensors, but by a few weeks after the event the debris had spread out to the point where sensors could no longer pick up the more dispersed objects. NOAA is working to get access to higher resolution satellite data and targeted as well as opportunistic overflight inputs to search for debris at-sea.

2) What type of debris is out there?
The tsunami impacted an area with varied infrastructure, so what was washed to sea is expected to be a wide range of items – household and consumer goods, construction and industrial materials, fishing and maritime equipment, etc.  The exact composition is unknown, and likely to vary over time and distance as the debris weathers. This makes it difficult to differentiate “tsunami debris” from the debris that unfortunately hits Alaskan (and other) shorelines all the time.

3) Is the debris radioactive?
Consensus of scientists across the agencies NOAA has consulted with is that debris contamination is HIGHLY unlikely. This is based on several reasons, primarily that the debris would have been too far from the Fukushima reactor to have been in contact with radiation, both because the radiation leaks began after debris would have begun moving off the coast, and because the tsunami impact area included areas far from the reactor site.

4) What to do if I see potential tsunami-related debris?
NOAA is asking that people report significant sightings of debris that could be linked to the Japan tsunami to an email address created for the purpose – disasterdebris@noaa.gov, including as accurate a description as possible of what you saw, and where you saw it, as well as the potential linkage to the tsunami.  NOAA is also working with partners to put together a set of general basic guidance for handling of potential tsunami debris, which will be posted on the website soon.

Next Call: Jan 26th, 1pm AK time

• Call in number: 1-800-893-8850 PIN 7572160
• Agenda: TBA

Scope of the Conference: Presentations on research, citizen science, and Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTEK) projects on some aspect of the Kachemak Bay ecosystem.  Presentations can also include research being conducted elsewhere that has strong linkages to the dynamics of the bay and our communities.  

Audience: The conference will provide an opportunity for researchers to present their findings to each other and to the Kachemak Bay communities who depend upon the region’s diversity of resources.  There are two workshops in conjunction with the conference that focus on enhancing science communication within our communities.  The March 8^th workshop, instructed by Nancy Baron (COMPASS), targets scientists, media outlets, and decision-makers and the March 9^th workshop, instructed by Marilyn Sigman (COSEE), targets scientists and teachers.  Stay tuned for specific workshop details.

Sessions:

• Observing the Kachemak Bay Ecosystem (Friday afternoon, March 9^th)

)Presentations or posters that highlight the results of long-term monitoring programs, recent directed research, and/or inter-related dynamics of the bay ecology and Kachemak Bay communities are invited.

• Managing the Kachemak Bay Ecosystem (Saturday morning, March 10^th)

Presentations and posters that provide evidence of trends (and/or the various magnitudes of change within the system) and policy transitions by agencies in the region are invited.

• Sustaining the Kachemak Bay Ecosystem (Saturday afternoon, March 10^th)

Presentations and posters that highlight social implications to environmental change are invited. We have a particular interest in research related to the social-ecological system dynamics of climate science, coastal and watershed issues, and public health.

Conference Coordinators:  Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game/Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Kenai Peninsula College Kachemak Bay Campus, and the NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory.

The AOOS build out plan was drafted in response to the needs of Alaskan stakeholders and partners.  Three thematic workshops hosted by AOOS in 2010 provided the basis of the plan.  The plan represents an “idealized” system at the end of ten years.  It is not a description of present capabilities, nor is it based on a specific funding limit.  The AOOS Board conceptually approved the plan on Sept 23rd.  It will be further refined with stakeholder and scientist input in the next six months.

The final product will be a national synthesis of the 11 regional build out plans and gap analyses.  The synthesis will reflect the regional differences in building a national system that fulfills national objectives in the diverse regions of the country.

Read the draft AOOS Build Out plan

 Symposium Website

AOOS highlights:

Monday 8am-12pm: Communicating Ocean Sciences Workshop

Mon/Tues 5:30-9pm: AOOS demo of new Cook Inlet Spill Response tool (location: Denaina Center)

Thursday 4:45pm: AOOS presents its 10-year build-out plan

Communicating Ocean Sciences Workshop

The 2012 Communicating Ocean Science Workshop will provide a special opportunity for ocean scientists, graduate students and outreach specialists to consider how they tell the story of their scientific research in a manner that is compelling and informative. Randy Olson, author of Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style will lead a two-hour session on communicating through story. You will learn the keys to capturing audience attention and creating a compelling story based on the scientific work you do every day. Participants will be invited to present a short story of their work to the audience and Randy will use these examples to bring to light key aspects of powerful communication.

The second section of the workshop will be dedicated to practical applications of effective storytelling to bring your science to broader audiences. These sessions include how to use basic video that you can take yourself to reach the masses; how to create powerful radio pieces; and how to develop virtual field trips as a way to reach thousands of students. Presenters include Molly McCammon and Darcy Dugan (AOOS), Elizabeth Arnold (Journalism Professor @ UAA and Senior Reporter for Encounters with Richard Nelson) and Darin Trobaugh (Alaska SeaLife Center).

Finally, participants will have another opportunity to share their work with each other through short storytelling that will provide a great kick off to networking opportunities at the AMSS.

Registration required (email Robin Dublin)