Category Archives: oa.usa.noaa

The NOAA NCEI marine microplastics database | Scientific Data

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Abstract:  Microplastics (<5?mm) pollution is a growing problem affecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, aquatic life, and human health. The widespread occurrence of marine microplastics, and the need to curb its threats, require expansive, and continuous monitoring. While microplastic research has increased in recent years and generated significant volumes of data, there is a lack of a robust, open access, and long-term aggregation of this data. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) now provides a global open access to marine microplastics data on an easily discoverable and accessible GIS web map and data portal (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/microplastics). The objective of this data portal is to develop a repository where microplastics data are aggregated, archived, and served in a user friendly, consistent, and reliable manner. This work contributes to NCEI’s efforts towards data standardization, integration, harmonization, and interoperability among national and international collaborators for monitoring global marine microplastics. This paper describes the NOAA NCEI global marine microplastics database, its creation, quality control procedures, and future directions.

 

NOAA Open Data Dissemination: Petabyte-scale Earth system data in the cloud | Science Advances

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Abstract:  NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) makes NOAA environmental data publicly and freely available on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure (Azure), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). These data can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection and span key datasets across the Earth system including satellite imagery, radar, weather models and observations, ocean databases, and climate data records. Since its inception, NODD has grown to provide public access to more than 24 PB of NOAA data and can support billions of requests and petabytes of access daily. Stakeholders routinely access more than 5 PB of NODD data every month. NODD continues to grow to support open petabyte-scale Earth system data science in the cloud by onboarding additional NOAA data and exploring performant data formats. Here, we document how this program works with a focus on provenance, key datasets, and use. We also highlight how to access these data with the goal of accelerating use of NOAA resources in the cloud.

National Weather Service faces internet bandwidth shortage, proposes access limits – The Washington Post

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“Now, during a year that featured record California wildfires and the busiest Atlantic hurricane season on record, the Weather Service says it has an Internet bandwidth problem and is seeking to throttle back the amount of data its most demanding users can access. The Weather Service, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced the proposed limits in a memo dated Nov. 18….

“It is not clear why the NWS is considering these harmful bandwidth restrictions given the massive scalability of content delivery network (CDN) technology, cloud infrastructure and other technology solutions that are currently available,” AccuWeather’s Porter said. “It’s truly unfortunate that the NWS apparently does not recognize that this proposal is 100 percent contrary to its mission and its obligation to the American people.” …

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee “is aware of the proposal” and monitoring its potential impacts, according to the committee’s staff. “We are looking into how these proposed restrictions could impact NOAA’s ability to ensure free and open public access to the Agency’s data and models,” a spokesperson said. …

 

National Weather Service faces internet bandwidth shortage, proposes access limits – The Washington Post

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“Now, during a year that featured record California wildfires and the busiest Atlantic hurricane season on record, the Weather Service says it has an Internet bandwidth problem and is seeking to throttle back the amount of data its most demanding users can access. The Weather Service, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced the proposed limits in a memo dated Nov. 18….

“It is not clear why the NWS is considering these harmful bandwidth restrictions given the massive scalability of content delivery network (CDN) technology, cloud infrastructure and other technology solutions that are currently available,” AccuWeather’s Porter said. “It’s truly unfortunate that the NWS apparently does not recognize that this proposal is 100 percent contrary to its mission and its obligation to the American people.” …

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee “is aware of the proposal” and monitoring its potential impacts, according to the committee’s staff. “We are looking into how these proposed restrictions could impact NOAA’s ability to ensure free and open public access to the Agency’s data and models,” a spokesperson said. …

 

Data Sharing RFP 17Dec2019 – Google Docs

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“U.S. fisheries rely on data generated by fishing activities to manage fish populations and meet sustainability mandates. This includes selectively sharing data across many users and communities – scientists, managers, industry, and law enforcement – as well as among states, federal agencies, inter-state fishery commissions, and international management bodies.  As digital tools increase the volume, submission frequency, and complexity of fisheries data, data sharing agreements among NOAA Fisheries and its many partners need to consistently reflect best practices for data security and access, while still adapting to specific use cases. Intertidal Agency is seeking an expert individual, firm, or organization to: conduct a review of existing data sharing agreements, recommend approaches to continue and areas for improvement, provide guidance on when and why to have an agreement or not, and develop a library of language that is usable by both regulatory and technical staff. 

Applicants need not have prior experience with fisheries but should be knowledgeable about the structure and impacts of legal agreements concerning data sharing and management in other sectors. Specific experience with data sharing programs that satisfy state, federal, and international requirements is preferred. Intertidal Agency can provide content expertise as needed and NOAA Fisheries staff will serve as project advisors….”

Data Sharing RFP 17Dec2019 – Google Docs

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“U.S. fisheries rely on data generated by fishing activities to manage fish populations and meet sustainability mandates. This includes selectively sharing data across many users and communities – scientists, managers, industry, and law enforcement – as well as among states, federal agencies, inter-state fishery commissions, and international management bodies.  As digital tools increase the volume, submission frequency, and complexity of fisheries data, data sharing agreements among NOAA Fisheries and its many partners need to consistently reflect best practices for data security and access, while still adapting to specific use cases. Intertidal Agency is seeking an expert individual, firm, or organization to: conduct a review of existing data sharing agreements, recommend approaches to continue and areas for improvement, provide guidance on when and why to have an agreement or not, and develop a library of language that is usable by both regulatory and technical staff. 

Applicants need not have prior experience with fisheries but should be knowledgeable about the structure and impacts of legal agreements concerning data sharing and management in other sectors. Specific experience with data sharing programs that satisfy state, federal, and international requirements is preferred. Intertidal Agency can provide content expertise as needed and NOAA Fisheries staff will serve as project advisors….”

Opinion | The Senate Should Reject Trump’s NOAA Nominee – The New York Times

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“The safety and economic well-being of Americans will be put at risk if the Senate confirms Barry Lee Myers as the next administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As a nonscientist, Mr. Myers lacks the professional credentials to lead a science-centric agency responsible for daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, climate monitoring, fisheries management, coastal restoration and support for marine commerce.

As the former chief executive of the private weather-forecasting company AccuWeather, which relies on data from NOAA’s National Weather Service, he spent years trying to privatize NOAA’s public weather information so his company could profit from it. His family continues to run the family-owned company, raising concerns that they could benefit from decisions he might make as NOAA’s administrator….”