6-10 December 2010

DataStreme Ocean will return for Spring 2011 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 17 January 2011. All the current online website products, including updated issues of Weekly Ocean News, will continue to be available throughout the winter break period.

Ocean in the News:

• Eye on the tropics --
No tropical cyclone activity was found across the North Atlantic or in the eastern North Pacific at the close of the official hurricane seasons in both basins this past week.
In the South Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Cyclone Abele formed west of Cocos Island early last week and moved to the south-southeast, briefly becoming a category-1 tropical cyclone. By late in the week, this system weakened. For satellite images and additional information on Abele, check the NASA Hurricane Page.
• Mapping rainfall from 2010 Atlantic hurricane season from space --
Scientists from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have produced a season ending analysis of the rainfall that fell across the North Atlantic basin during the hurricane season based on satellite derived precipitation estimates. The maps were generated by the Center's Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis, which was based on data collected by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Review of Atlantic and eastern North Pacific hurricane seasons --
With the end of the official 2010 hurricane seasons in the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins, NOAA forecasters assessed the season and the forecasts that they had made earlier. They noted that the 2010 Atlantic season was one of the most active over the last 150 years, but the lack of landfalling hurricanes in the US made the season appear as a "gentle giant." In view of the numbers of named tropical cyclones and hurricanes, they noted that their prediction for an active season was realized. The forecasters felt that several large-scale climate features, namely record warm Atlantic waters, combined with favorable prevailing winds and weak wind shear aided by La Niña contributed to an extremely active season. However, the position of the jet stream, together with short-term weather patterns helped keep the tropical cyclone tracks away from the United States. On the other hand, the forecasters noted that the 2010 eastern North Pacific season had the fewest named tropical cyclones since the satellite era began nearly 50 years ago. [NOAA News]
• Regional efforts to fight aquatic invasive species receive awards --
NOAA recently announced that $2 million in grants have been awarded from its National Sea Grant College Program to five regional Sea Grant programs and their partners across the nation to fight aquatic invasive species. [NOAA News]
• Sea Grant/Fisheries Service fellowships awarded -
During the last week the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program announced the selection of seven graduate students will become Sea Grant/NOAA’s Fisheries Service Fellows who will be earning doctoral degrees in either marine resource economics or population dynamics. [NOAA News]
• Cooperative arrangement reached with Spain on preservation of marine underwater heritage --
Last week, officials with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Spain’s Ministry of Culture signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a framework to jointly identify, protect, manage and preserve underwater cultural resources of mutual interest within their respective areas of responsibility. [NOAA News]
• A fee set for the National Saltwater Angler Registry --
Last week, NOAA announced that a fee of $15 has been set for registering with the National Saltwater Angler Registry. This fee, which commences at the start of 2011, will affect fishers in Hawaii, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. [NOAA News]
• Outreach positions created to in help in fisheries compliance --
Two Gloucester (MA) area residents have been hired by NOAA to improve communication with the New England fishing industry and help fishers understand and comply with fisheries regulations. [NOAA News]
• Sewage discharge prohibited from vessels into waters of Florida Keys sanctuary--
NOAA has established a new rule that will go into effect in three weeks prohibiting boaters from discharging sewage into all waters within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. [NOAA News]
• Stronger measures to protect sharks and sea turtles have been advocated --
At the 17th special meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas that ended one week ago, the United States urged for the adoption of strong measures designed to protect sharks and sea turtles. However, the ICCAT took more steps to provide for bluefin tuna conservation. [NOAA News]
• Hurricane researcher receives a prestigious award --
The American Meteorological Society recently announced that Frank Marks, Ph.D., director of hurricane research at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, FL will receive the Society's prestigious Verner E. Suomi Award at its annual meeting in January. Marks will receive the award for his creative use of airborne Doppler radar and other technologies designed to advance understanding of the dynamics of tropical cyclones. The award is named for the Verner E. Suomi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison who was often called the "father of satellite meteorology." [NOAA News]
• Call made to add rare Hawaiian coral species to endangered list --
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is currently reviewing the status of 83 rare coral species following petitions submitted within the last two years calling for the listing of these species under the United States Endangered Species Act. Nine of these species are in the waters off the Hawaiian Islands. [University of Hawaii Manoa]
• New way to desalinate water has additional advantages --
Researchers from the University of Colorado Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science claim that they have discovered an economical low-energy water treatment technology in microbial fuel cells that not only desalinates water but also produces electricity simultaneously. [University of Colorado Denver Newsroom]
• Global maps of mangroves obtained from satellites --
Maps of the global distribution of mangroves have been made available from a study led by a US Geological Survey scientist in which more than 1000 images from NASA's Landsat satellites were analyzed. The mangroves are biologically important ecosystems that are common feature of tropical and sub-tropical coastlines. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Numerous coastal wetlands could disappear worldwide this century —
An international team of scientists including those from the US Geological Survey recently released a report entitled "Limits on the Adaptability of Coastal Marshes to Rising Sea-Level," warning that many coastal wetlands around the world appear to be more sensitive to climate change than previously thought. Some of these coastal wetlands are along the US Atlantic coast. In addition, the possibility of a rapid global sea-level rise by the end of the 21st century would inundate these wetlands. [USGS Newsroom]
• Combating climate change by financially rewarding farmers --
In a study conducted by the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research, rewarding farmers financially for using the best available fertilizer management practices can simultaneously reduce fertilizer runoff benefiting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay basin and help combat climate change by capturing carbon dioxide destined for the atmosphere. [University of Maryland]
• Global sea-level rose as last Ice Age ended --
Researchers at the United Kingdom’s National Oceanography Centre using about 400 high-quality sea-level markers from study sites around the globe have determined that sea-level rose by an average of approximately one meter per century at the end of the last Ice Age. This rise in sea level was interrupted by several rapid "jumps" when the level rose at rates that reached 2.5 meters per century. [National Oceanography Centre]
• El Niño events affect South Pacific reef fish --
Aided by satellite and oceanographic data, an international team of biologists who studied the arrival of young fish to an atoll in French Polynesia for four years have found that the intense 13-month El Niño event of 1997-8 caused a sudden collapse in the plankton community in the waters surrounding the atoll. This collapse in the plankton population led to a near absence of the young fish that are needed to replenish adult stocks. [EurekAlert!]
• An All-Hazards Monitor --
This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, marine weather, tsunamis, rip currents, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and coral bleaching. [NOAAWatch]
• Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes --
A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
• Earthweek --
Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

• 6 December 1830...The US Naval Observatory, the first U.S. national observatory, established as the Depot of Charts and Instruments in Washington, DC, under commander of Lieutenant Louis Malesherbes Goldsborough. Its primary mission was to care for the U.S. Navy's chronometers, charts and other navigational equipment. (Naval Historical Center)
• 7-8 December 1703...A monstrous storm raked southern England and adjacent waters with winds in excess of 100 mph. Approximately 8000 deaths were the result of this storm, mostly at sea. Many naval and supply ships were anchored in harbors or in the English Channel. The Eddystone Lighthouse disappeared. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 7 December 1872...An expedition put to sea from Sheerness aboard the corvette H.M.S. Challenger under the command of Captain George Nares on a 3 1/2-year world oceanographic cruise. During the 68,890 nautical mile cruise that ended on 24 May 1876, the ship traversed the North and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, traveled north of the limits of drift ice in the North Atlantic polar seas and south of the Antarctic Circle. The scientists onboard the Challenger sounded the ocean bottom to a depth of 26,850-ft, found many new species, and provided collections for scores of biologists. (Today in Science History)
• 7 December 1932...The first gyro-stabilized vessel to cross the Atlantic, the Conte di Savoia of the Italian Line, arrived in New York City. The ship had 48,502 gross tons, an overall length 814.6 ft by beam 96.1 ft, two funnels, two masts, four screws and a speed of 27 knots. As one of the first ships to be fitted with gyrostabilizers, it was claimed that rolling was limited to a maximum of three degrees. The maiden voyage began from Genoa to Villefranche and New York on 30 November 1932. (Today in Science History)
• 8 December 1777...Captain James Cook left the Society Islands (French Polynesia).
• 8 December 1866...The first transpacific side-wheeler steamship launched in the U.S. was the Celestial Empire (later named China) with capacity for 1,300 passengers. The builder, William H. Webb of New York, introduced many features of naval architecture in this liner, since in common use. (Today in Science History)
• 8 December 1993...The U.S. Secretary of Defense declared that the Global Positioning System (GPS), accurate within 100 meters, had 24 GPS satellites operating in their assigned orbits, available for navigation use at Standard Positioning Service (SPS) levels for civil users. This worldwide satellite-based radionavigation system used as the Defense Department's primary radionavigation system provided authorized users encrypted Precise Positioning Service accurate to at least 22 meters. (Today in Science History)
• 8 December 2002...Super-typhoon Pongsona hit Guam with sustained winds of 144 mph and gusts to 173 mph, along with a storm surge to 20 feet. The 40-mile wide diameter eye was over Anderson AFB for 2 hours. One indirect death and 193 injuries were attributed to the typhoon. Some bridge pavement was "scrapped off" by wind and wave action. Damage was estimated at $700 million. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 9 December1938...A prototype shipboard radar designed and built by the Naval Research Laboratory was installed on the battleship, USS New York (BB-34). (Naval Historian Center)
• 9 December 2003...A subtropical storm became Tropical Storm Peter approximately 700 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. With Tropical Storm Odette having formed in the Caribbean on the 4th, the development of Peter marked the first time since 1887 that two tropical storms formed in the Atlantic Basin in December. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 10 December 1582...France began use of the Gregorian calendar.
• 10 December 1799...The metric system was made compulsory by law in France. (Today in Science History)
• 10 December 1922...Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian oceanographer explorer, author, athlete and statesman in recognition of his work for refugees and the famine-stricken. Other prize winners that year were Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein.
• 10 December 1978 (date approximate)...A 90-foot research ship chartered by the University of Hawaii left Honolulu on the 9th, but failed to arrive in Kawaihae on the 11th. Except for an empty box, no trace of the ship, crew or scientists was found by an extensive air and sea search operation. Gusty trade winds prevailed over the area. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
• 11 December 1901...Italian physicist and radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean, covering over 2000 miles from Cornwall in England to Newfoundland, Canada. (The History Channel)
• 12 December 1966...A Greek passenger ferry foundered in heavy seas near Heraklion, Crete with the loss of 241 lives.

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Prepared by AMS DS Ocean Central Staff and Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2010, The American Meteorological Society.