ASA's Applied Science Weblog

ASA goes Pink: Lee National Denim Day

On Friday October 2, 2009 Applied Science Associates participated in Lee National Denim Day to raise money for Breast Cancer research and awareness.  Donations were made for all employees who wore denim and those who were willing to wear pink contributed twofold. 

A pink pancake breakfast was enjoyed in the spirit of the day.  This year’s Denim day raised $4 to $5 million and had approximately 800,000 participants nationwide.   For more information on Lee National Denim Day visit:   

http://www.denimday.com/

Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Public Meeting, Providence, RI

On June 12, 2009, President Obama sent a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and federal agencies establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force is charged with developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes. It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning. 

 

On 24 September, Lauren Decker, Lee Dooley, Kelly Knee, and Christin Reynolds attended the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Public Meeting held in Providence, RI.  ASA gave specific recommendations to close the gap between science and policy through public private partnerships related to marine spatial planning, eco-system based management, and data integration to the Task Force representatives along with testimony from other private, public, and non-profit organizations.

For more information on the White House Council on Environmental Quality Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/

To submit or view public comments to the Task Force: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/

In Liquid and Air, Scientists Find Order Among the Chaos - NY Times

ASA's CJ Beegle-Krause was interviewed by the New York Times for an interesting article about Lagrangian coherent structures.  She also brought in Search and Rescue expert Art Allen of the U.S. Coast Guard to contribute to the story.  Very interesting piece on front page of the New York Times Science section:

Finding Order in the Apparent Chaos of Currents

 

By BINA VENKATARAMAN

Suppose a blob of dioxin-rich pesticide is spilled into Monterey Bay. It might quickly disperse to the Pacific Ocean. But hours later, a spill of the same size at the same spot could circle near the coastline, posing a greater danger to marine life. The briny surface waters of the bay churn so chaotically that a slight shift in the place or time an oil drop, a buoy — or even a person — falls in can dictate whether it is swept out to the open ocean or swirls near the shore.

But the results are not unpredictable. A team of scientists... [read the full article in NYT.com]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/science/29chaos.html?_r=1&ref=science

Wind Turbines Popping Up Left and Right

Proposal to build wind turbine at N. Kingstown High School, Feasibility Study by ASA

WPRI News Channel 12 visited ASA to speak with Senior Principal and wind energy expert, Daniel Mendelsohn for more details about the growing number of wind energy projects in Rhode Island and ASA's work involving wind energy analysis.  ASA has recently contracted with the North Kingstown School Department to provide a full wind energy feasibility study to assess the possibility of installing a wind turbine to generate power to offset energy costs for the school department, similar to what the town of Portsmouth has done.

News12 Green Team reports with this segment:

Link to full story on WPRI.com - http://www.wpri.com/dpp/on_air/green_team/local_wpri_wind_turbine_proposal_at_north_kingsrtown_high_school_20090916_mds

Rising Sea Levels Putting New York City at Risk

With Ocean Levels Rising, Coastal Cities Assess Computer Forecasts as They Weigh Future Costs, Exposure and Dangers

ASA shared some flooding and inundation models with the Wall Street Journal for their piece, "Rising Sea Levels Putting New York City at Risk", featuring this article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125261934441101047.html

and this video:

Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) Sound Predictions 2009 Experiment Data & Model Visualization Made Public Via Google Earth and Cloud Computing

Applied Science Associates (ASA) has enabled public access to real-time data from the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) Sound Predictions 2009 Prince William Sound (PWS) experiment through Google Earth. ASA is posting ROMS Data (Dr. Yi Chao), WRF Data (Dr. Peter Olsson), and HFRadar (Dr. Mark Johnson) plus ASA drifter simulations using these model data (sources: http://ak.aoos.org/aoos/fieldexp/data_by_pi-researcher.html).  ASA has integrated data from PWS experiment's ocean observing systems and models to create Google Earth KML files which are hosted using Amazon cloud computing. Amazon S3 storage enables efficient distribution of large datasets by dividing the work among computers based in data centers around the globe.

The Google Earth link:
http://asascience_pws.s3.amazonaws.com/PWS_DATA.kml

From July 19-Aug 3, the experimental scientific collaborative will be evaluating regional forecast models for their effectiveness in predicting wind, waves, and ocean circulation in Prince William Sound. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), gliders, and drifters will be used to roam Prince William Sound in an effort to collect scientific data in the 2-week field test called Sound Predictions 2009 (www.aoos.org). Prince William Sound, the site of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, draws a variety of activities including sport and commercial fishermen, cruise ships, recreational boaters and oil tankers on their way to and from the Valdez oil terminal. To enhance navigation safety and gain a better understanding of ocean circulation and ecosystem processes, researchers are deploying scientific technologies into the Sound to test the accuracy of ocean observation models and their ability to effectively predict weather, wind, currents, and waves.

New data sets are being added and improvements are being made during the two-week experiment so be sure to check back regularly. Let us know if you have comments or suggestions.

For more information about the Sound Predictions 2009 experiment: http://www.aoos.org/fieldexp/index.html

ASA Celebrates World Oceans Day

ASA has acknowledged World Oceans Day on June 8 and will celebrate all this week. 

The United Nations General Assembly decided that, as from 2009, 8 June would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day” (resolution 63/111, paragraph 171). 

The concept for World Oceans Day was proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then. Official designation by the U.N. is a significant step in conserving and protecting our world's ocean.

World Oceans Day provides an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. The Ocean Project, working closely with the World Ocean Network each year, helps to coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, businesses.

Learn more at:

 http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/worldoceansday.htm

1st Annual Matunuck Eco Concert to benefit Save the Bay

The 1st Annual Matunuck Eco Concert was held on May 20, 2009 at Theater by the Sea with live musical performances by the Matunuck Elementary School Chorus to benefit Save the Bay (Narragansett Bay). The environmentally conscious fundraiser was the brainchild of 5th grader Cameron Burke and featured the music of Jack Johnson. The event was sponsored by Applied Science Associates (ASA).

ASA was very proud to sponsor the local Matunuck Eco Concert and is also proud to be a longtime, dedicated supporter of Save the Bay. ASA’s company mission has much in common with Save the Bay initiatives and is honored to have the opportunity to support this special evening of music and fundraising.

Watch the news clip:

 

While Oil Gently Seeps from the Seafloor

Interesting article on oil naturally leaking into the ocean offering a 'laboratory' to study accidential spills by Christopher Reddy
Director of Coastal Ocean Institute
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Read the full article - http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=57272

OSSE: Observing System Simulation Experiment

ASA represented the Integrated Ocean Observing System, Data Management and Communications(IOOS DMAC) steering team, at the OSSE meeting held at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The meeting focused integrating cutting edge real time observation technology from remotely controlled ocean gliders (a type of autonomous underwater vehicle) with numerical ocean model predictions. The experiment’s goal was to use the model predictions to better steer the gliders though the ocean based on the model forecast, while using the real time data to improve the model predictions.  

This ambitious project brought together a wide range of scientists and engineers from NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and MIT where they are working to optimize the glider navigation based on available data using methods developed for deep space exploration. On the ocean model side, teams from Rutgers University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Stevens Institute of Technology, and NASA's ocean model team presented their modeling efforts. ASA along with experts from the USGS and the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observing Institute Cyber Infrastructure team worked to provide the technological glue that will allow this integration and improve critical aspects of ocean forecasting.

 

More Info/Related Links:

http://www.i-cool.org/?p=1533

http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/

http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/