2nd AtlantOS progress report plus International Scientific and Technical Advisory Board minutes and AtlantOS Legacy document

Prior to the 3rd annual meeting in month 32 a project progress report for the external project boards will be prepared to enable them to as good as possible prepared for the meeting and to ensure consequently that AtlantOS receives as constructive as possible recommendations from the board. The report together with the external summary board meeting report will be part of D11.

Surveying a Floating Iceberg With the USV SEADRAGON

The calving, drifting, and melting of icebergs has local, regional, and global implications. Besides the impacts to local ecosystems due to changes in seawater salinity and temperature, the freshwater influx and transport can have significant regional effects related to the ocean circulation. The increased influx of freshwater ice due to increase calving from ice shelves and the destabilization of the continental ice sheet will affect sea levels globally. In addition, drifting icebergs pose threats to offshore operations because they could damage offshore installations, e.g., pipelines and subsea manifolds, and interrupt marine transportation. Iceberg drift and deterioration models have been developed to better predict climate change and protect offshore operations. Iceberg shape is one of the most critical parameters in these models, but it is challenging to obtain because of iceberg movement caused by winds, waves, and currents. In this paper, we present an algorithm for iceberg motion estimation and shape reconstruction based on in-situ point cloud measurements. The algorithm is developed based on point cloud matching strategies, policy-based optimization, and Kalman filtering. A down-sampling method is also integrated to reduce the processing time for possible real-time applications. The motion estimation algorithm is applied to a simulated data set and field measurements collected by an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) on a free-floating, translating, and rotating, iceberg. In the field data, the above-water iceberg surface was measured with a scanning LIDAR, while the below-water portion (0–50 m) was profiled using a side-looking multi-beam sonar. When applying the motion estimation algorithm to these two independent point cloud measurements collected by the two sensing modalities, consistent iceberg motion estimates are obtained. The resulting motion estimates are then used to reconstruct the iceberg shape. During the field experiment, additional oceanographic measurements, such as temperature, ocean current, and wind, were collected simultaneously by the USV. We have observed water upwelling and a colder and fresher water plume at the sea surface downstream the iceberg. Combining the iceberg shape rendering and the surrounding environmental measurements, we estimated the iceberg melting parameters due to the sensible heat flux and surface wave erosion at different iceberg sections

3rd AtlantOS progress report plus summary of external board meetings

Prior to the 4th annual AtlantOS meeting in month 48 a project progress report for the external project boards (EB and ISTAB) will be prepared to enable them to be as good as possible prepared for the meeting and to ensure consequently that AtlantOS receives as constructive as possible recommendations from the boards. This report, together with the two external summary board meeting reports, which will be requested from the EB and ISTAB, will represent D11.7

Technicalities: Exploring the Labrador sea with autonomous vehicles

The Labrador Sea is a fascinating and difficult environment in which to work. In the winter, wind speeds can gust upwards of 200 km/hr, while 10-m wave heights and below freezing temperatures (-20°C) are not unheard off, making it an inhospitable area for field work. Indeed, few ships are present in the Labrador Sea during the winter. However, the same harsh conditions have made the Labrador Sea a key region for Earth’s climate, with the wintertime conditions resulting in localized deep mixing of waters and carbon to great depths (2 km) in the ocean [Lazier, 1980; Pickart, 1997]. As a consequence, in-situ observations in the Labrador Sea are critical to advancing scientific knowledge on past and future climate change scenarios. Previous attempts to use ships for wintertime work required long expeditions at sea, but often with little data collected due to unworkable conditions. Autonomous marine vehicles provide an obvious solution to collecting in-situ data in the wintertime, as they can operate in extreme conditions yet still give us the flexibility to adapt our sampling during the mission [deYoung et al., 2018; Testor et al., 2019]

Models : tools for synthesis in international oceanographic research programs

Author Posting. © Oceanography Society, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 23, no. 3 (2010): 126-139, doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2010.28Through its promotion of coordinated international research programs, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) has facilitated major progress on some of the most challenging problems in oceanography. Issues of global significance—such as general ocean circulation, the carbon cycle, the structure and dynamics of ecosystems, and harmful algal blooms—are so large in scope that they require international collaboration to be addressed systematically. International collaborations are even more important when these issues are affected by anthropogenic processes— such as climate change, CO2 enhancement, ocean acidification, pollution, and eutrophication—whose impacts may differ greatly throughout the global ocean. These problems require an entire portfolio of research activities, including global surveys, regional process studies, time-series observations, laboratorybased investigations, and satellite remote sensing. Synthesis of this vast array of results presents its own set of challenges (Hofmann et al., 2010), and models offer an explicit framework for integration of the knowledge gained as well as detailed investigation of the underlying dynamics. Models help us to understand what happened in the past, and to make predictions of future changes—both of which support the development of sound policy and decision making. We review examples of how models have been used for this suite of purposes, focusing on areas where IOC played a key role in organizing and coordinating the research activities.Support from the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. DS acknowledges CLISAP (Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction) at the KlimaCampus of the University of Hamburg. PG acknowledges SCOR/ LOICZ Working Group 132

Fine-scale genetic and social structuring in a central Appalachian white-tailed deer herd

Spatial genetic structure in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has been examined at regional scales, but genetic markers with the resolution to detect fine-scale patterns have appeared only recently. We used a panel of microsatellite DNA markers, radiotelemetry data, and visual observations of marked deer to study fine-scale social and genetic structure in a high-density population of white-tailed deer (12-20 deer/km 2 ). We collected genetic data on 229 adult females, 102 of which were assigned to 28 social groups. Our results were consistent with the conceptual model of white-tailed deer social structure, where philopatric females form social groups composed of related individuals. Within-group relatedness values approached the expected value for 1st cousins (R 5 0.103, SE 5 0.033), but individuals among groups (R 5 20.014, SE 5 0.003) and overall (R 5 20.009, SE 5 0.003) were unrelated. Fixation indices revealed a significant departure from equilibrium values among social groups (F ST 5 0.076, SE 5 0.007) and an excess of heterozygotes within groups (F IS 5 20.050, SE 5 0.018), consistent with theoretical expectations for mammal populations characterized by female philopatry and a polygynous mating system. Analyses of spatial autocorrelation indicated genetic structuring occurred at a very fine spatial scale, where pairs of adult females within 1 km were genetically nonindependent. The occurrence of fine-scale genetic and social structure has implications for the ecology and management of white-tailed deer, including habitat use and resource competition, offspring sex allocation theories, disease transmission, and the consideration of social behaviors in management

What we have learned from the framework for ocean observing: evolution of the global ocean observing system

The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and its partners have worked together over the past decade to break down barriers between open-ocean and coastal observing, between scientific disciplines, and between operational and research institutions. Here we discuss some GOOS successes and challenges from the past decade, and present ideas for moving forward, including highlights of the GOOS 2030 Strategy, published in 2019. The OceanObs’09 meeting in Venice in 2009 resulted in a remarkable consensus on the need for a common set of guidelines for the global ocean observing community. Work following the meeting led to development of the Framework for Ocean Observing (FOO) published in 2012 and adopted by GOOS as a foundational document that same year. The FOO provides guidelines for the setting of requirements, assessing technology readiness, and assessing the usefulness of data and products for users. Here we evaluate successes and challenges in FOO implementation and consider ways to ensure broader use of the FOO principles. The proliferation of ocean observing activities around the world is extremely diverse and not managed, or even overseen by, any one entity. The lack of coherent governance has resulted in duplication and varying degrees of clarity, responsibility, coordination and data sharing. GOOS has had considerable success over the past decade in encouraging voluntary collaboration across much of this broad community, including increased use of the FOO guidelines and partly effective governance, but much remains to be done. Here we outline and discuss several approaches for GOOS to deliver more effective governance to achieve our collective vision of fully meeting society’s needs. What would a more effective and well-structured governance arrangement look like? Can the existing system be modified? Do we need to rebuild it from scratch? We consider the case for evolution versus revolution. Community-wide consideration of these governance issues will be timely and important before, during and following the OceanObs’19 meeting in September 2019

Global perspectives on observing ocean boundary current systems

Ocean boundary current systems are key components of the climate system, are home to highly productive ecosystems, and have numerous societal impacts. Establishment of a global network of boundary current observing systems is a critical part of ongoing development of the Global Ocean Observing System. The characteristics of boundary current systems are reviewed, focusing on scientific and societal motivations for sustained observing. Techniques currently used to observe boundary current systems are reviewed, followed by a census of the current state of boundary current observing systems globally. The next steps in the development of boundary current observing systems are considered, leading to several specific recommendations.Fil: Todd, Robert E.. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Estados UnidosFil: Chavez, Francisco. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Clayton, Sophie. Old Dominion University; Estados UnidosFil: Cravatte, Sophie E.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement; Francia. Universite de Toulouse; FranciaFil: Goes, Marlos P.. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Graco, Michelle I.. Instituto del Mar del Peru; PerúFil: Lin, Xiaopei. Ocean University of China; ChinaFil: Sprintall, Janet. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Zilberman, Nathalie V.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Archer, Matthew. California Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Arístegui, Javier. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; EspañaFil: Balmaseda, Magdalena A.. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts; Reino UnidoFil: Bane, John M.. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Baringer, Molly O.. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory ; Estados UnidosFil: Barth, John A.. State University of Oregon; Estados UnidosFil: Beal, Lisa M.. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Brandt, Peter. Geomar-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel; AlemaniaFil: Calil, Paulo H.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Campos, Edmo. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Centurioni, Luca R.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Chidichimo, María Paz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Ministerio de Defensa. Armada Argentina. Servicio de Hidrografía Naval; ArgentinaFil: Cirano, Mauro. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Cronin, Meghan F.. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Curchitser, Enrique N.. Rutgers University; Estados UnidosFil: Davis, Russ E.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Dengler, Marcus. Geomar-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel; AlemaniaFil: DeYoung, Brad. Memorial University of Newfoundland; CanadáFil: Dong, Shenfu. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Escribano, Ruben. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Fassbender, Andrea J.. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; Estados Unido

Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program: A New International Ocean Observing System

For decades oceanographers have understood the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to be primarily driven by changes in the production of deep-water formation in the subpolar and subarctic North Atlantic. Indeed, current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of an AMOC slowdown in the twenty-first century based on climate models are attributed to the inhibition of deep convection in the North Atlantic. However, observational evidence for this linkage has been elusive: there has been no clear demonstration of AMOC variability in response to changes in deep-water formation. The motivation for understanding this linkage is compelling, since the overturning circulation has been shown to sequester heat and anthropogenic carbon in the deep ocean. Furthermore, AMOC variability is expected to impact this sequestration as well as have consequences for regional and global climates through its effect on the poleward transport of warm water. Motivated by the need for a mechanistic understanding of the AMOC, an international community has assembled an observing system, Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP), to provide a continuous record of the transbasin fluxes of heat, mass, and freshwater, and to link that record to convective activity and water mass transformation at high latitudes. OSNAP, in conjunction with the Rapid Climate Change–Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (RAPID–MOCHA) at 26°N and other observational elements, will provide a comprehensive measure of the three-dimensional AMOC and an understanding of what drives its variability. The OSNAP observing system was fully deployed in the summer of 2014, and the first OSNAP data products are expected in the fall of 2017

European Strategy for Atlantic Ocean Observing

A report on sustainability issues and long-term implementation plan for IAOOS. National and European plans for long-term implementation (organization, funding, role of the different nations, EU, role and international partners) of the Atlantic observing system will be prepared