GCOOS Welcomes New Industry Members at Annual Meeting

Newswise — The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) welcomed four new voting members representing marine-related industries during the organization's Annual Meeting in New Orleans. GCOOS staff and grantees also provided activity highlights from the last year.

 

GCOOS is the Gulf of Mexico regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and the heart of data collection for the ocean and coastal waters of the Gulf. The organization collects thousands of data points from sensors and ensures they are reliable, timely and accurate before disseminating the information to users (gcoos.org/products) and is the only comprehensive data collection and dissemination center for coastal and ocean data in the Gulf.

 

"We've had an extremely busy and successful year," said William Lingsch, Chairman of the GCOOS Board of Directors. "The data GCOOS and its partners provide supports the tools and technology that help protect public health, ensure emergency preparedness, safe and efficient navigation and jobs tied to the blue economy. For instance, this year, our members provided critical data during record rainfall that led to major Louisiana flooding and investigated the unusual die-off in bottom-dwelling organisms in the Flower Garden Banks off the Texas coast. GCOOS also plays a critical role in gathering and disseminating data about ocean weather conditions and monitoring things like the annual hypoxic zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The positive outcomes and impacts from the information that GCOOS provides and how the data improves lives on the Gulf coast are numerous."

 

Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, GCOOS Executive Director, outlined highlights of organization's activities in 2016-2017, which included:

Members who attended the meeting also heard updates from Carl Gouldman, new IOOS office Program Director, Josie Quintrell, Director of the IOOS Association Program, Dr. William Burnett, Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's Gulf Research Program. Other updates were provided by representatives of the University of South Florida, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Mote Marine Laboratory.

 

GCOOS leverages a small budget -- just $2 million -- into big results by coordinating information gathered by federal, state and private partners running nearly 2,000 sensors in coastal waters to the deep ocean. The organization ensures that all data is timely, reliable, accurate and available to everyone -- from weather forecasters to Coast Guard first responders -- to ensure a healthy, productive ocean and resilient coastal communities for the Gulf's 14 million residents and the $234 billion annual economic benefit it provides to the U.S. economy.

 

GCOOS has 146 voting and non-voting members that come from industry, academia, state and federal government agencies as well as non-governmental organizations. During the March 23 meeting, the organization welcomed these four new industry members: