During the month of July, the NOPP office provided support to the Interagency Working Group on Facilities and Infrastructure (IWG-FI) as they focused on maximizing efficiency of the oceanographic fleet, and the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Partnerships (IWG-OP) as they worked to develop partnership opportunities. The NOPP Office also supported the Federal Renewable Ocean Energy Working Group (FROEWG) as they discussed progress with offshore wind energy development and marine hydrokinetic projects.
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- Time series model of vertical pH profiles in a region south of Iceland.
Image credit: http://neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov/osb/index.php?section=116
This month the NOPP was excited to celebrate two NOPP research projects taking home top prizes in theWendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE competition. Sunburst Sensors, a NOPP grant recipient in 2005 and 2008, was awarded the $750,000 for first place in both accuracy and affordability in their pCO2 and pH sensors, which will be used by the Ocean Observatories Initiative in its effort to monitor chemical, physical, geological and biological variables in our oceans. Team DuraFET, the NOPP 2014 Excellence in Partnering Award recipient, earned $250,000 for second place in accuracy for their development of a pH sensor that will serve as a core tool for the new Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling Program. To learn more about the competition and the teams go here.
The NOPP attended several ocean policy events in the Washington D.C. region.
- Briefing: “Making a Difference: Why Ocean Observing Matters” hosted by the Senate Ocean Caucus and U.S. IOOS Association
- Conference: 6th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations hosted by the U.S. National Ice Center and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission
- Hearing: Federal Radionavigation Plan, H.R. 1684, the Foreign Spill Protection Act, and H.R. —-, the National Icebreaker Fund Act of 2015
- Oversight Hearing: Federal Implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Act
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