Coast Survey Biweekly Newsletter

Saeed Moghimi (UCAR Visiting Scientist) and Wei Wu of the Coast Survey Development Laboratory recently participated in the Columbia University workshop on "Future Directions for Enabling Coastal Storm Flooding Prediction for High-Resolution Forecasts and Climate Scenarios." At the workshop, Saeed gave an invited talk on wave modeling and total water modeling. Both Wei and Saeed were actively involved in discussions on major challenges in storm flooding forecast, total water forecast, ensemble forecast, wind-wave modeling, coupling techniques, and computational efficiency as well as future directions for model improvement. This workshop is useful to further our efforts of storm surge modeling, coupling hydrodynamic models with the National Water Model, and for developing a new 3-dimensional NY/NJ coastal ocean operational forecast system. For more information contact Wei.Wu@noaa.gov.

Recently, NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson demonstrated a DriX unmanned surface vehicle to NOAA leadership and VIP visitors including Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet (USN, ret.), assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator; Rear Adm. Shep Smith, acting deputy assistant administrator of the National Ocean Service; Larry Mayer, director of UNH Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping; Tony Wilhelm, director of the Performance, Risk, and Social Science Office; Dana Laster, NOS deputy CFO; and Marine Slingue and Guillaume Eudeline from iXblue. During the month of October, Thomas Jefferson integrated a DriX into their operations with the goal of testing its unique deployment and recovery solution designed for the ship’s launch davit. Coast Survey seeks to utilize USVs such as these to increase efficiency of hydrographic survey operations. Learn more about this project in our recent blog story authored by Ens. Taylor Krabiel. For more information contact co.thomasjefferson@noaa.gov.

Coast Survey, alongside NOAA Corps, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), and Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), attended the Oceans Conference and Expo 2019 in Seattle from October 27-31. The Pacific Hydrographic Branch (PHB) highlighted Coast Survey's internships, career paths, and job opportunities at the NOAA booth. The branch's recently acquired Looking Glass holographic display featured 3D multibeam data from a wreck in Elliott Bay. In addition to interacting with conference attendees from the NOAA booth, Coast Survey's Meredith Westington presented the paper, Creating a Seafloor Mapping Plan to Fill U.S. Gaps by 2030. For more information contact Olivia.Hauser@noaa.gov .

Coast Survey and CO-OPS hosted a navigation services booth at the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Convention in Norfolk from October 13-16. Many attendees stopped by to voice their support for what NOAA does while others had technical interests and questions. AAPA attendees represent a wide range of global points, federal agencies, and private industry. The convention was jointly hosted by AAPA and the Port of Virginia, which is one of America’s oldest ports. Ed Owens, acting Mid-Atlantic navigation manager, represented Coast Survey while Chris DiVeglio, CO-OPS maritime services program manager represented CO-OPS. For more information contact Edward.Owens@noaa.gov.

On October 22, Rear Adm. Shep Smith gave the keynote address at the Seabed 2030 Summit at the Royal Society, London. The summit provided updates on the progress and achievements of Seabed 2030 and discussed global collaboration on this project. Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). It aims to bring together all available bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030 and make it available to all. For more information contact Jonathan.Justi@noaa.gov.

On October 29, Hydrographic Surveys Division (HSD) hosted the West Coast pre-Field Procedures Workshop (FPW) (the East Coast pre-FPW was held earlier in the month). The purpose of these workshops is to discuss issues encountered during the field season and to identify topics for the upcoming Field Procedures Workshop (January 27-31, Virginia Beach). This year, pre-FPW West was held simultaneously in two locations (Seattle and Oakland, California) to allow representatives from PHB and NOAA Ship Rainier to participate. For more information contact Corey.Allen@noaa.gov.

On Friday, November 1, Marilyn Schluter retired from her position as cartographer at HSD's Atlantic Hydrographic Branch. Marilyn retires with 42 years of service in the federal government, including a lifetime of support for NOAA. She was originally involved with the National Geodetic Survey and airport surveys, moved to AHB as data manager (magnetic tapes and Harris computer), to cartographic tech, to cartographer, transitioned to data management again, and finally to survey review. Marilyn will be greatly missed by her colleagues and we all wish her luck and happiness in her retirement.

On November 4, Cmdr. Meghan McGovern returned to Coast Survey to take over as Chief of the Atlantic Hydrographic Branch (AHB). Cmdr. McGovern is coming to us fresh off of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, where she was serving as executive officer. HSD would like to thank Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Wartick and Gene Parker, who both served as acting AHB Chief over the past few months. Also, good luck to Lt. Cmdr. Wartick, as he begins his tour as exectuive officer on Thomas Jefferson.

Congratulations to Dylan Kosten, for his promotion to lieutenant. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center held a pinning on ceremony and presented Kosten with a USCG Commandant's Letter of Commendation for augmenting on USCG Cutter Spar. Kosten provided real-time hydrography to support their maintenance of buoys in very shallow waters in Alaska.

Congratulations to the Coast Survey winners of the 2019 National Ocean Service Awards!

Kristen Crossett was selected for the NOS Employee of the year - This award recognizes an employee's significant contributions to NOS programs and demonstrated exceptional and sustained effort toward the accomplishment of the NOS mission. She is being recognized for catalyzing a new international communications strategy that generated excitement and energized interactions with hydrographic offices around the world.

Saeed Moghimi was selected as a NOS Team member of the year - The Team Member of the Year award is presented to members of the workforce who are not NOAA Federal employees. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions to NOS programs and your demonstrated exceptional and sustained effort toward accomplishment of the NOS mission. He is being recognized for his exceptional leadership and skill in developing collaborative strategies for coupling NOS’ coastal ocean models with NWS’ hydrologic National Water Model system and WaveWatchIII model

Meredith Payne was selected for the EEO and Diversity Award - This award recognizes employees who have made exemplary contributions to the NOS EEO and Diversity program and who have displayed exceptional advances toward the improvement and development of the NOS EEO and Diversity program's mission. Meredith is being honored for her exceptional leadership, inspiration, and dedication with respect to developing and executing several IDP training opportunities here in Coast Survey.

Starla Robinson was selected for the Rafting Award- This award recognizes coordination among NOS offices and provides NOS employees the opportunity to express their appreciation to another NOS or NOAA colleague who has helped them in some unique way. Starla was nominated by the National Geodetic Survey and selected for the Peer Recognition “Rafting” Award. She is being honored for elevating women’s issues and providing avenues to support women better in hydrography, as well as overall in the workforce in NOS.

Stacy Dohse (NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office) was nominated by Coast Survey and selected for the Rafting Award. She is being honored for her outstanding support and leadership in completing the 2019 Hydrographic Surveying Services contract selection, the largest single procurement in the National Ocean Service.