CoastWatch Annual Science Meeting - May 2022

From May 9 - May 12, 2022, CoastWatch hosted their hybrid Annual Science Meeting, the first since the onset of the pandemic. 91 participants registered to attend, with most participating virtually and up to 25 attendees in person at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) Building on the University of Maryland Campus in College Park, Maryland. The majority of attendees were NOAA affiliates or federal employees, though members of academia, representatives of non-government organizations, and state/local government workers also participated.

Over 4 days, the meeting agenda featured 32 presentations from a variety of CoastWatch team members, key users, and internal and external subject matter experts. Most speakers fielded questions after presenting, which sparked valuable discussions. These conversations continued in technical working sessions and sub team meetings. 

The highlight of the week was a panel moderated by Michael Ford (NESDIS) which featured 10 science leaders representing 5 line offices:  

Mitch Goldberg (NESDIS) 

Joe Sinckiewicz (NCEP/NWS) 

Avichal Mehra (NCEP/NWS) 

Bob Foy (NMFS) 

Lonnie Gonsalves (NCCOS/NOS) 

Kristen Koch (NMFS) 

John Cortinas (OAR/AOML) 

Ian Zelo (NESDIS STAR) 

Evan Howell (NMFS) 

Michelle McClure (OAR/PMEL) 

These distinguished decision-makers discussed in length the value of CoastWatch to NOAA and the marine science community as a whole, stemming from these questions: 

1. What are the current observation data gaps for line office missions that might conceivably be filled or complemented with satellite remote sensing?  

2. Are there any unmet requirements for time series from the line office perspective and how can NESDIS support these needs?  

3. What barriers are perceived by the line offices to using satellite data, and is CoastWatch effectively responding to these needs? 

Meeting Agenda