Ocean Leadership News
FIRST PHASE OF THE NOSB OCEAN SCIENCES QUIZ NOW AVAILABLE
Are you smarter than a National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) student? Test your knowledge of ocean sciences by playing the new Ocean Sciences Quiz (QSQ) here.
The NOSB has been working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sea Grant College Program to develop an online game to promote ocean literacy and engage students, teachers and teams. The first phase (single-player) of this game is now available to play. The multi-player mode, as well as other exciting features, will be available later this spring with the release of phase two.
To promote NOSB student involvement with the QSQ, as well as any other interested high school student, we are holding a contest during the month of February to encourage quality question writing. We want students to populate this new online game with their own questions. All questions will be vetted by a team of marine science professionals. To learn more about the contest and prizes, please click here or click the floating “message in a bottle” on the QSQ homepage. While this contest is open only to high school students, anyone can submit questions to the QSQ. Contest winners will be notified in May 2012.
For more information on the QSQ release, click here.
OCEAN OBSERVATORIES INITIATIVE CONDUCTS COASTAL GLIDER SEA TRIALS
The sea trials phase of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) coastal gliders took place off the Oregon Coast in January 2012 to verify the design and performance of this key component of the OOI.
The glider tests, called product verification tests, initiated on the east coast with the successful launch of Teledyne Webb Research’s SG-2 Slocum glider on November 3, 2011. That test glider, deployed by the OOI’s Coastal and Global Scales Node (CGSN) team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s R/V Tioga, conducted a 15-day deployment off the New England coast near Martha’s Vineyard, with recovery on November 18. While in the water, the glider performed a set of missions to verify design specifications.
The glider was next deployed in January 2012 off the Oregon coast for a second set of missions. The CGSN team located at Oregon State University is conducting that set of ongoing tests.
The OOI coastal gliders will gather ocean data, including temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter fluorescence, optical backscatter, light levels, dissolved oxygen and water velocity. The CGSN team is testing the first glider acquired by OOI to verify that the design meets specifications, such as proper functioning of all instruments, expected battery usage and flight characteristics. Click here to see a video and read more about the Coastal Glider Sea Trials.
The CGSN component of the OOI is being developed and constructed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Oregon State University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
U.S. ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR SCIENTIFIC OCEAN DRILLING MEETS IN SANTA CRUZ
This week, the U.S. Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling (USAC) held its winter 2012 meeting in Santa Cruz, California. During the three-day meeting, USAC discussed U.S. participation in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and provided Ocean Leadership staff with fresh perspectives on education and communication opportunities. USAC also reviewed U.S. applications to sail on upcoming IODP expeditions, recent workshop proposals and Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship applications. USAC’s summer 2012 meeting will be in Washington, D.C.
OCEAN LEADERSHIP PRESENCE AT 2012 OCEAN SCIENCES MEETING
The Consortium for Ocean Leadership will be participating in the 2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting, occurring February 20-24, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Salt Palace Convention Center. During the meeting, Ocean Leadership is holding or contributing to a number of sessions, workshops, town hall meetings and supplemental activities. For details, click here.
NATIONAL OCEAN SCIENCES BOWL REGIONAL COMPETITIONS APPROACHING
The 2012 regional competitions of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl are quickly approaching. During these 25 competitions, which will take place on February 4 (this Saturday) and March 3, 2012, teams of 4-5 students are tested on their knowledge of scientific and technical disciplines through quick-answer, buzzer questions and more complex team challenge questions (TCQs). To find a regional bowl in your area, click here.
JOIDES RESOLUTION UNDERGOES MAINTENANCE IN LISBON, RETURNS WITH EXPEDITION 340T NEXT MONTH
The JOIDES Resolution is currently undergoing a brief period of unscheduled maintenance in Lisbon following the conclusion of Expedition 339 (Mediterranean Outflow). The revised expedition schedule allows for this unexpected contingency. While some dates have shifted, there has been no change in total operational days, and the science objectives of each upcoming expedition will remain uncompromised. The ship will return to service on February 15, 2012, with the beginning of Expedition 340T (Atlantis Massif Oceanic Core Complex). For more on Expedition 340T, please see the expedition website.
OCEAN OBSERVATORIES INITIATIVE TO PARTICIPATE IN 2012 OCEAN SCIENCES MEETING
The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) program will participate in February’s 2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting with a variety of sessions, posters and information sharing opportunities throughout the show.
In addition to scheduled scientific sessions, the OOI Team will hold a special discussion on three days to provide interested attendees with an update on the OOI and how they can become involved. That informational talk, Ocean Observatories Initiative: Information and Community Opportunities, will be offered from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., on Tuesday, Feb. 21 and Thursday, Feb. 23 in Ballroom D and on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at that same time in Ballroom J. In addition to the scheduled sessions, members of the OOI Team will be available throughout the week at the OOI Booth (#59) in the exhibit area to discuss aspects of the program.
Please find a more detailed listing of all OOI events at Ocean Sciences here. Also, continue to visit the OOI Website and OOI Facebook and Twitter accounts for event coverage prior to and during the show.
↑ Table of Contents
