Oct 4 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting applications for membership on the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee (the Committee), which is a Federal advisory committee. Members of the Committee will fulfill the requirements of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (the Act). The Committee provides advice to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and to the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee on the planning, integrated design, operation, maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS). U.S. IOOS promotes research to develop, test, and deploy innovations and improvements in coastal and ocean observation technologies and modeling systems, addresses regional and national needs for ocean information, gathers data on key coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes variables and ensures timely and sustained dissemination and availability of these data for societal benefits. U.S. IOOS benefits national safety, the economy, and the environment through support for national defense, marine commerce and forecasting, navigation safety, weather, climate, energy siting and production, economic development, ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal areas, conservation of ocean and coastal resources and public safety.
Nominations should be submitted no later than January 2, 2024.
NOAA will hereby accept applications for membership on the Committee to fill ten vacancies that will occur on September 14, 2024. These appointments shall serve for a three-year term, which will end September 13, 2027. An individual so appointed may subsequently be appointed for an additional three-year term. The Act states: “Members shall be qualified by education, training, and experience to evaluate scientific and technical information related to the design, operation, maintenance, or use of the [Integrated Ocean Observing] System, or use of data products provided through the System.” NOAA encourages individuals with expertise in Great Lakes; philanthropy; NGO; scientific institutions (Academic); IOOS regional interests; state, local and tribal interests; renewable energy, including offshore wind; blue economy; social science; public-private partnerships; marine technologies industries; data management and architecture; ocean and coastal leadership; and other science-related fields to submit applications for Committee membership.
The United States Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee will provide advice on:
(a) administration, operation, management, and maintenance of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (the System);
(b) expansion and periodic modernization and upgrade of technology components of the System;
(c) identification of end-user communities, their needs for information provided by the System, and the System's effectiveness in disseminating information to end-user communities and to the general public; and
(d) additional priorities, including—
(1) a national surface current mapping network designed to improve fine scale sea surface mapping using high frequency radar technology and other emerging technologies to address national priorities, including Coast Guard search and rescue operation planning and harmful algal bloom forecasting and detection that—
(i) is comprised of existing high frequency radar and other sea surface current mapping infrastructure operated by national programs and regional coastal observing systems;
(ii) incorporates new high frequency radar assets or other fine scale sea surface mapping technology assets, and other assets needed to fill gaps in coverage on United States coastlines; and
(iii) follows a deployment plan that prioritizes closing gaps in high frequency radar infrastructure in the United States, starting with areas demonstrating significant sea surface current data needs, especially in areas where additional data will improve Coast Guard search and rescue models;
(2) fleet acquisition for unmanned maritime systems for deployment and data integration to fulfill the purposes of this subtitle;
(3) an integrative survey program for application of unmanned maritime systems to the real-time or near real-time collection and transmission of sea floor, water column, and sea surface data on biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and hydrography;
(4) remote sensing and data assimilation to develop new analytical methodologies to assimilate data from the System into hydrodynamic models;
(5) integrated, multi-State monitoring to assess sources, movement, and fate of sediments in coastal regions;
(6) a multi-region marine sound monitoring system to be—
(i) planned in consultation with the IOOC, NOAA, the Department of the Navy, and academic research institutions; and
(ii) developed, installed, and operated in coordination with NOAA, the Department of the Navy, and academic research institutions; and
(e) any other purpose identified by the Administrator or the Council.
The Committee's voting members will be appointed by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. Members shall be qualified by education, training, and experience to evaluate scientific and technical information related to the design, operation, maintenance, or use of the System, or the use of data products provided through the System.
US IOOS Advisory Committee
https://ioos.noaa.gov/community/u-s-ioos-advisory-committee
FACAdatabase:
https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/FACACommittee/a10t0000001gzkDAAQ/com000057
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-22090