GCOOS and SECOORA have teamed up for a Spring Webinar Series focused on establishing collaborative opportunities among the U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) and the Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network (SOCAN).

The goal is to build synergy across the networks to advance science in support of resource management and the Blue Economy. Series objectives include:

• Advancing understanding of the state of MBON and OA science, with emphasis on the southeast Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico;
• Identifying opportunities to bridge MBON and the OA fields of science;
• Synthesizing lessons learned across MBON and OA activities to develop new partnerships and identify collaborative research opportunities.

Organizing panel members are Dr. Chris Simoniello, GCOOS; Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, GCOOS/GCAN; Dr. Kim Yates, USGS/GCAN; Dr. Emily Hall, MML/SOCAN; Jennifer Dorton, SECOORA; Emily Noakes, SECOORA.

Webinar 1 — April 11, 2024

Dr. Kim Yates, GCAN Steering Committee Chair, will provide the opening overview, followed by OA speakers Dr. Leticia Barbero, chemical oceanographer, and Dr. Ana Palacio, biologist, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and MBON speaker, Gabrielle Canonico, NOAA IOOS.

• When: Noon to 1:10 p.m. ET April 11
• Where: GoTo Meeting (download the app here)
• Registration: Please register here to receive the webinar

Webinar 2 — April 30, 2024

This webinar will focus on techniques that help us monitor ocean animals. Speakers will explore everything from acoustics to eDNA. Speakers include Drs. Luke Thompson, NOAA AOML, Neil Hammerschlag, Atlantic Shark Expeditions, and Jennifer Miksis-Olds, University of New Hampshire.

• When: Noon to 1 p.m. ET April 30
• Where: GoTo Meeting (download the app here)
• Registration: Click here to register

Webinar 3 — May 30, 2024

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary: Identifying areas of data gaps, data needs and collaborations.

Speakers:

• OA: Dr. Xingping Hu, Texas A&M University (TAMU-CC) Corpus-Christi/ Harte Research Institute
• MBON: Dr. Marissa Nuttall, Research Specialist, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

• When: Noon to 1 p.m. ET May 30
• Where: GoTo Meeting (download the app here)
• Registration: opening soon

Webinar 4 — June 27, 2024

International GeoBON needs and efforts.

Speakers:

• OA: Dr. Martin Hernandez Ayon, Investigador del Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanologicas Universidad Autonoma de Baja California
• MBON: TBD

• When: Noon to 1 p.m. ET June 27
• Where: GoTo Meeting (download the app here)
• Registration: opening in June

Webinar 5 — late July (Date TBD)

Communication: Ecosystem services and communities

• When: Noon to 1 p.m. ET late July (Date TBD)
• Where: GoTo Meeting (download the app here)
• Registration: opening in early July