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The article presents an overview of a Summer/Fall 2014 100-day deployment of Wave Glider® (WG) platforms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico to measure surface weather, water temperature, wave and ocean current profile data. The WGs give dynamic environmental monitoring in the maritime environment deployments of real-time meteorological and oceanographic data collection.

Sustained observations of oceanographic and atmospheric boundary layer conditions are imperative for the investigation of tropical cyclone genesis, for numerical model input to predict track and intensity, and in general, for many environmental monitoring needs. We present preliminary results of a Fall 2014 100-day deployment of Wave Glider platforms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico designed to dynamically collect surface weather, water temperature, wave, and ocean current profile data within tropical cyclones. Data were collected and retransmitted near real time through a Liquid Robotics interface to regional and national data portals such as the National Data Buoy Center, and secondarily also used by the private sector. Accomplishments include buoy loitering for validation exercises, data gap filling, platform redeployments, and an interception of the fringes of Tropical Storm Hanna. Preliminary buoy loitering assessments using bias and absolute error metrics showed reasonable agreement with buoys for atmospheric pressure, wave, and height-adjusted wind data but that the temperature hardware requires an improved sensor. A full assessment of the potential for the sustained collection and real-time dissemination of environmental data for Wave Glider platforms is presented including lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interannual variability in the eastern subtropical North Pacific Ocean is investigated using the Naval Research Laboratory Layered Ocean Model (NLOM). Emphasis is placed on examining the nature of westward propagating Rossby waves and their interaction with the overlying atmosphere. Singular value decomposition (SVD), complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF), and multichannel singular spectrum (M-SSA) analyses are used to isolate the standing and propagating response due to modeled Rossby waves and observed wind stress curt (WSC) anomalies as well as their dominant frequencies of oscillation, respectively. In addition to a large-scale interdecadal fluctuation, two distinct forms of Rossby waves are found to exist, one wind forced and the other freely propagating. SVD and CEOF analyses of NLOM upper layer thickness anomalies suggest a leading order source of variability stemming from a large-scale interdecadal fluctuation. M-SSA analysis also depicts this low frequency mode, but to a lesser extent and at higher order. The modeled temporal coverage limits the extent to which this feature can be studied further. Of primary interest in the eastern subtropical North Pacific Ocean are large-scale interannual wind-forced Rossby wave variations. Independent M-SSA analysis of modeled ULT and observed WSC anomalies suggests a low frequency (∼51 month period) atmospherically forced ocean response in which westward atmospheric propagation leads forced oceanic Rossby wave propagation by roughly 3 months. In addition to this low frequency forced oceanic wave response with a phase speed of c[sub r] ∼ 12 cm s[sup -1], a distinct freely propagating biennial oceanic Rossby wave is also found to exist, with a phase speed of c[sub r] ∼ 8 cm s[sup -1], emanating from El NiñoSouthern Oscillation related coastally trapped Kelvin waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the key roles played by the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in advancing a national ocean exploration program in the U.S. as of early 2016. The agencies use the ships, the exploration vessel (E/V) Nautilus and the ship Okeanos Explorer in their exploration activities. It claims that the vessels will focus in the Pacific Ocean in the 2016-2017 field seasons.