Amateur radio volunteer registration for the annual Boston Marathon has again been extended until Friday, August 6, at 5 PM EDT. This year will mark the 125th anniversary of the Boston Marathon. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) Amateur Radio Communications Committee oversees marathon volunteers. New volunteers should visit the Volunteer Registration Page and follow the instructions. Return...

Faith Hannah Lea, KD3Z, of Palm Coast, Florida, has been selected as the 2021 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year. Faith Hannah comes from an all-ham family. She is the daughter of James Lea, WX4TV, and Michelle Lea, N8ZQZ. Her brother and two sisters are also hams. She credited her parents with being the biggest influences in her entry into amateur radio...

Oyster Ninja introduces new audiences­­ to shellfish The Oyster Ninja, Gardner Douglas, carefully trims a raw oyster from its shell. (Gardner Douglas) August 4, 2021 Fisheries seafood 0

The Intrepid-DX Group’s plans for a 2023 DXpedition to Bouvet Island are back on the front burner. In a brief announcement to the “global DX community,” DXpedition co-leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE, said a new charter vessel contract is in the offing. The 3Y0J DXpedition has refunded all donations to its earlier announced plan, advanced before losing its contract with the charter vessel Braveheart, a...

The new book More Arduino for Ham Radio by popular author and experimenter Glen Popiel, KW5GP, builds on the success of his two previous titles, Arduino for Ham Radio and More Arduino Projects for Ham Radio.

More Arduino for Ham Radio introduces many of the new Arduino boards and add-on modules, followed by an overview of the software, tools, and techniques needed to bring projects to life. Thes...

Massachusetts Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship August 3, 2021 Woods Hole Sea Grant & MIT Sea Grant logos (Sea Grant) Download Image

Woods Hole Sea Grant (WHSG) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant (MITSG) are pleased to jointly invite qualified individuals to submit applications for the Massachusetts Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship.

The purpose of this fellowship is to support exceptional prospective graduate students who are engaged in coastal and marine research that furthers the goals of the Woods Hole Sea Grant and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant programs. Two (2) two-year Graduate Student Fellowships will be awarded, with a maximum Sea Grant support of $40,000/year for a total of $80,000 for stipend and tuition costs for each Fellow over the two-year period. Fellowships will require a match of $1 of non-federal funds for every $2 of federal Sea Grant funds requested.

Contact: Jennie Rheuban, Research Coordinator, WHSG: seagrant-research@whoi.edu

Important date: Applications close 4:30 pm Eastern Time, Friday, October 1, 2021

Eligibility: Eligible applicants include students that a) are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or joint bachelor’s/master’s program, or b) are not currently enrolled in any graduate program and plan to attend a graduate program in Fall 2022 in Massachusetts.

Sea Grant Education

Deodorant smells nice, but it's making cities smoggy A hazy smog settles over the Hudson River in New York City. Undated photo. (iStock) Download Image August 3, 2021 Research ozone research atmosphere 0

Relatives of former IARU Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM (SK), received the Michael J. Owen, VK3KI, Memorial Award on his behalf on July 17. Making the presentation was current IARU Region 2 president Ramón Santoyo, XE1KK.

The award is granted by the IARU Administrative Council as the highest distinction at the world level to acknowledge decades of service to IARU and to amateur radio...

Atlantic hurricane season shows no signs of slowing August 4, 2021 NOAA GOES-East satellite image of Hurricane Elsa as it moves up Florida’s west coast on July 6, 2021. (NOAA) Download Image

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is well underway, and atmospheric and oceanic conditions remain conducive for an above-average hurricane season, according to the annual mid-season update issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. 

The latest outlook reflects that the number of expected named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater) is 15-21, including 7-10 hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater), of which 3-5 could become major hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5 with winds 111 mph or greater). This updated outlook includes the 5 named storms that have formed so far, with Hurricane Elsa becoming the earliest 5th named storm on record.

The updated 2021 Atlantic hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms. (NOAA)Download Image

“After a record-setting start, the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season does not show any signs of relenting as it enters the peak months ahead,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “NOAA will continue to provide the science and services that are foundational to keeping communities prepared for any threatening storm.”

NOAA scientists predict that the likelihood of an above-normal 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is 65%. There is a 25% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.

“A mix of competing oceanic and atmospheric conditions generally favor above-average activity for the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season, including the potential return of La Nina in the months ahead,” said Matthew Rosencrans, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. 

Atlantic sea surface temperatures are not expected to be as warm as they were during the record-breaking 2020 season; however, reduced vertical wind shear and an enhanced west Africa monsoon all contribute to the current conditions that can increase seasonal hurricane activity. These conditions are set against the backdrop of the ongoing warm phase of the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation, which has been favoring more active hurricane seasons since 1995. 

The 2021 Atlantic tropical cyclone names selected by the World Meteorological Organization. (NOAA)Download Image

“Now is the time for families and communities to ensure their preparations are in place,” said National Weather Service Director Louis W. Uccellini, Ph.D. “These storms can be devastating, so be prepared for all possible outcomes by staying tuned to the forecast and following safety information and possible evacuation notifications issued by emergency officials.” 

NOAA’s update to the 2021 outlook covers the entire six-month hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30. Throughout the hurricane season, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) provides the hurricane track and intensity forecasts that emergency managers and communities rely on across areas at risk during a landfalling storm. NHC is the source for all watches and warnings for tropical storms, hurricanes, and related storm surge. The seasonal outlook from NOAA is not a landfall forecast as landfalls are typically only predictable within about a week of a storm potentially reaching a coastline. 

Learn more about NOAA’s comprehensive expertise across all aspects of hurricane science and forecasting with our Hurricane Resource Guide on NOAA.gov. Visit FEMA’s Ready.gov for the latest information about hurricane preparedness and evacuation safety. 
 

Media Contact

Lauren Gaches, Lauren.Gaches@noaa.gov, 202-740-8314

Weather Climate hurricanes 0

Larger-than-average Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’ measured River discharge and nutrient loads contribute to size August 3, 2021 Scientists prepare to collect near-bottom water aboard the R/V Pelican to verify oxygen measurements used to determine the size of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. (LUMCON/LSU) Download Image

Today, NOAA-supported scientists announced that this year’s Gulf of Mexico “dead zone”— an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life — is approximately 6,334 square miles, or equivalent to more than four million acres of habitat potentially unavailable to fish and bottom species.

The average hypoxic zone over the past five years is 5,380 square miles, which is 2.8 times larger than the 2035 target set by the Hypoxia Task Force. Since records began in 1985, the largest hypoxic zone measured was 8,776 square miles in 2017.

Long-term measured size of the hypoxic zone (green bars) measured during the ship surveys since 1985, including the target goal established by the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force and the 5-year average measured size (black dashed lines). (LUMCON/NOAA)Download Image

Scientists at Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium led the annual dead zone survey during a research cruise offsite link from July 25 to August 1 aboard the R/V Pelican offsite link.

“The distribution of the low dissolved oxygen was unusual this summer,” said Nancy Rabalais, Ph.D. offsite link, professor at Louisiana State University and LUMCON offsite link who is the principal investigator. “The area from the Mississippi River to the Atchafalaya River, which is usually larger than the area to the west of the Atchafalaya, was smaller. The area to the west of the Atchafalaya River was much larger. The low oxygen conditions were very close to shore with many observations showing an almost complete lack of oxygen.” 

Map of measured Gulf hypoxia zone, July 25-31, 2021. (LUMCON/NOAA)Download Image

Surface waters were low in salinity across most of the study area, indicating that high freshwater runoff from the Mississippi River watershed affected the area. River discharge measured above normal for the three weeks prior to the research cruise.   

The role of chief scientist was shared by Rabalais, Cassandra Glaspie, Ph.D., of LSU, and Gina Woods, LUMCON research associate. The 2021 shelf wide cruise had a full complement of scientists, which was curtailed in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.

In June, NOAA forecasted an average-sized hypoxic zone of 4,880 square miles, based primarily on the Mississippi River discharge and nutrient runoff data from the U.S. Geological Survey. With average- to below-average discharge and nutrient loading this spring, the models predicted an average hypoxic zone to form during the time of the cruise. The forecast models assume typical weather conditions and do not have capacity to factor in storms or other wind events, which can disrupt the hypoxia zone around the time of the cruise. While the model results underestimated the measured size of the zone this year, they were within the expected margin of uncertainty for the forecast and provide further evidence of the robustness of the models to relate nutrient inputs to observed hypoxia size in the summer. 

Excess nutrients stimulate algae growth

Each year, excess nutrients from cities, farms and other sources in upland watersheds drain into the Gulf and stimulate algal growth during the spring and summer. The algae eventually die, sink and decompose. Throughout this process, oxygen-consuming bacteria decay the algae. The resulting low oxygen levels near the bottom are insufficient to support most marine life, rendering the habitat unusable and forcing species to move to other areas to survive. Exposure to hypoxic waters has been found to alter fish diets, growth rates, reproduction offsite link, habitat use, and availability of commercially harvested species like offsite linkshrimp.

“NOAA and its partners use data from this cruise to help refine models and more accurately simulate how river discharge, nutrient loads, and oceanographic conditions influence hypoxic conditions in the Gulf and affect living resources,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, Assistant Administrator for NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “By understanding the scale and effects of these hypoxia events, we can better inform the best strategies to reduce its size and minimize impacts to our coastal resources and economy.”

The R/V Pelican at dock before heading out to sample the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. The annual survey cruise has been performed since 1985, creating an important long-term data set for scientists. (LUMCON/LSU)Download Image

Working together

The annual hypoxic zone size determination is a key metric used by the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force to measure progress toward achieving the five-year average target of 1,900-square-miles or smaller by 2035. As the survey cruise is only a snapshot of the hypoxic zone, calculating a five-year average captures the true dynamic nature of the zone more than a single annual measurement.

“This year, we have seen again and again the profound effect that climate change has on our communities — from historic drought in the west to flooding events. Climate is directly linked to water, including the flow of nutrient pollution into the Gulf of Mexico,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “As we work to address the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, we must consider climate change and we must strengthen our collaboration and partnerships to make needed progress.”

The Hypoxia Task Force is accelerating progress in reducing excess nutrients in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin by promoting collaboration among federal partners, states, farmers and other stakeholders. Federal agencies are supporting efforts to reduce excess nutrients, including by making $17.5 million available in 2020 to support conservation investments by agriculture producers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative. USDA is also providing more than $38 million to support producers in 300 small watersheds across the nation, including many watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin. 

Additionally, initiatives such as NOAA’s Runoff Risk Forecast, designed to help farmers apply fertilizer at optimum times to ensure it stays on fields, are reaching more states and help limit nutrient runoff to the Gulf. The Hypoxia Task Force also empowers state programs by sharing successful strategies, as well as providing funding to states to support program development and implementation efforts that are tailored to finding local solutions. 

“Each of the Hypoxia Task Force states are committed to showing continuous improvement towards the goals outlined in our state-level Nutrient Reduction Strategies. We have technical experts who are working alongside public and private partners, farmers and landowners, and municipalities to implement locally-led water quality projects,” said Mike Naig, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture and co-chair of the Hypoxia Task Force. “We know that changes on the land lead to positive changes in the water, and these investments benefit our local communities and our neighbors downstream. We are grateful to EPA and our other federal and private partners who provide support for these community-led projects. This funding allows us to scale-up our work in priority watersheds across the Mississippi River basin.” 

NOAA continues to fund monitoring and research efforts to understand the dead zone as well as to study the impacts of hypoxia on fish and fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico through its Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Hypoxia Assessment program, known as NGOMEX. LUMCON’s Gulf Hypoxia website offsite link has additional graphics and information about this summer’s research mission as well as missions in previous years.

 

Media contacts

Jennie Lyons, jennie.lyons@noaa.gov, 202-603-9372

Sierra Sarkis, sierra.sarkis@noaa.gov

Ocean & Coasts nutrient pollution and hypoxia 0

NOAA holds inaugural We Are NOAA Week First-of-its-kind week examined progress and opportunities to advance agency priorities We are NOAA banner. (NOAA) Download Image July 30, 2021

This week’s We Are NOAA Week recognized the challenges of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) at NOAA; the progress made; and the outstanding opportunities ahead. 

Dr. Rick Spinrad, NOAA Administrator, kicked off the tremendously successful We Are NOAA week, stating, “I believe firmly that DEIA is the right thing to do as a key part of my leadership philosophy and also hold that DEIA is doing things right in how we manage the organization and engage with our partners and customers.” 

In underscoring the importance of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Orders on DEIA and environmental justice, the week featured a conversation between NOAA leadership and Employee Resource Group members about how to move the needle on DEIA and create culture change in NOAA. Both an internal webpage about DEIA efforts and the first We Are NOAA DEIA newsletter were launched. 

Dr. Spinrad and Ben Friedman, NOAA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Operations, provided updates on the progress of implementing NOAA’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, and affirmed their commitments to the following:

• Workforce Diversity: Recruit, attract, and retain a diverse, highly capable workforce;
• Workplace Inclusion: Build a work environment that promotes inclusion; and
• Sustainability: Build sustained and adaptive leadership committed to a diverse and inclusive NOAA through accountability, data, and education.

During the week, NOAA hosted the “Turning the Tide” Summit on DEIA/Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment (SASH), which focused on NOAA’s efforts to foster and sustain a culture of respect in which everyone in the NOAA community feels safe, valued, and included. The Summit featured panels and other events with talented DEIA professionals, all sharing valuable insights, educational materials, and best practices on improving DEIA and reducing SASH in our workplace.

To ensure NOAA continues its efforts against SASH, Dr. Spinrad affirmed his commitment to the following:

• Creating a work environment free from SASH, where the entire NOAA workforce can thrive to their full potential;
• Providing evidence-based, trauma-informed response services for all NOAA employees impacted by SASH in the workplace; and
• Educating our workforce on resources and strategies to recognize and intervene when observing SASH-related incidents and bolstering safety for all in our NOAA community.

NOAA’s Diversity and Professional Advancement’s “20% Podcast” (named for the portion of NOAA staff who represent racial minorities) released a new episode each day of We Are NOAA Week with interviews with NOAA employees from diverse backgrounds and skill sets. In addition, NOAA released a behavioral health resources fact sheet as well as a podcast on workforce burnout. This short podcast covered stress and burnout in the context of the pandemic and diversity and inclusion.

Congratulations for a successful week to NOAA leadership, panelists, and podcast hosts and their guests. A special shout-out goes to the many NOAA employees who participated not just in We Are NOAA Week, but who are constantly pushing the NOAA community to be a better, more inclusive place to work. The week emphasized the need to keep pushing, to continue to ensure that NOAA is a diverse, equitable, inclusive, accessible, and safe place to work. The voices, issues and feedback heard during the week will remain priorities as NOAA steadfastly tackles the challenges and optimizes the opportunities of advancing DEIA and environmental justice, both within NOAA and in our work in communities across America.

Across NOAA Across NOAA 0

Sharks, seagrass and corals, oh my! Attend a live NOAA Sanctuaries webinar The Point Arena lighthouse watches over the northern part of Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Greater Farallones expanded in 2015 to encompass more than 3,000 square miles off the coast of California, including the rich upwelling zone that originates off of Point Arena and flows south. (NOAA/Matt McIntosh) Download Image July 30, 2021 Sanctuaries sanctuaries coral reefs coasts ocean marine protected areas 0

WL2XUP is an FCC Part 5 Experimental station operated by Lin Holcomb, NI4Y, in Georgia. It’s licensed to operate with up to 400 W effective radiated power (ERP) between 40.660 MHz to 40.700 MHz.

John Desmond, EI7GL, reports that as of mid-July, WL2XUP was intermittently transmitting on Weak-Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) on 40.662 MHz (1500 Hz) for 2 minutes out of every 10, with an output p...

On July 6, an evening Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) HF practice net in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 2 (New York and New Jersey) was interrupted by several “mayday” distress calls on the channel, which is shared with the maritime service. Net control station Ron Tomo, KE2UK, immediately halted training and attempted (without success) to establish radio communic...

4 NOAA research reserves produce $165 million in economic benefits each year The Apalachicola Research Reserve supports a culturally and historically important fishery that generates $14 million to $16 million annually and provides direct support to up to 85 percent of the local population. (Apalachicola Research Reserve) Download Image July 29, 2021 Sanctuaries estuaries National Estuarine Research Reserves coastal economies 0

Hello to all...

As Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net, I am pleased to announce that WX9VOR-Debby Gray, has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net. Debby will take the place of N0UAM, Jim Sellars, who became a silent key in May of this year. She joins K2DCD-Dennis Dura as a second assistant within the VoIP Hurricane Net Management team.

Debby joined the VoIP Hurricane Net as a net control operator in 2016. In 2017, not only did she do multiple long net control shifts during that historic Atlantic hurricane season, she also recruited several new and experienced net controls from within her local area that supported the net tirelessly during both Hurricane Irma and Maria.

Debby worked professionally for 22 years as an IT Consultant, Educator and Mission Critical Support Specialist. It was during this time that she was involved in disaster planning and recovery through many natural and man-made disasters. Debby has been involved in recent years with amateur radio as the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) Emergency Coordinator (EC) for Kane County Illinois (IL) and the ARES DEC for Districts 3 & 4 in Northeast IL. She also volunteers as a Sergeant for the Naperville EMA Communications and Weather units, and is one of the senior members of the WX9LOT Ham Team supporting NWS Chicago and the NWS Chicago SKYWARN program.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team is proud to have Debby within our team. She brings additional valuable experience into our team from a different part of the United States and has brought a set of resources to the net and will continue to support recruitment. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

FLUS44 KFWD 261958 HWOFWD HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 258 PM CDT MON SEP 26 2016 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-271200- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 258 PM CDT MON SEP 26 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. $$ JLDUNN