Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological LaboratoryNovember-December 2004 Volume 8, Number 6

K e y n o t e sK e y n o t e sAOMLAOML Miami, F lor idaMiami, F lor ida

AOML is a research laboratory of NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Researchlocated on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida

Hurricane Research Division’s Efforts Vital to Success ofNOAA’s 2004 Hurricane Field ProgramErica Rule, Office of the Director

Scientists and staff with AOML’s Hurricane Research Division (HRD) made a concertedeffort this past hurricane season to support their operational partners within NOAA andother Federal agencies, in addition to supporting their ongoing hurricane intensity researchprojects. HRD had many notable successes this year due to the dedication of its employeesand similar efforts from colleagues with NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center (AOC), NationalHurricane Center (NHC), and the U.S. AirForce’s 53rd Weather ReconnaissanceSquadron.

Overall, HRD provided hundreds of hoursof manpower support for NOAA’s operationaland research missions into HurricanesCharley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. A total of54 flight missions were accomplished foroperational NOAA aircraft missions, transferof SFMR (Stepped Frequency MicrowaveRadiometer) technology to operations, andCBLAST (Coupled Boundary Layer Air-SeaTransfer) hurricane intensity and oceanwinds research. HRD also provided support for 125 operational surface wind analyses toNHC, as well as wind swath and landfall post analyses of each hurricane for the Departmentof Homeland Security’s HAZUS model for damage estimates.

Wind Speed Estimates: The ability of AOC to provide reliable, frequent surface winddata to NHC in an operational mode was a phenomenal success made possible by theoutstanding efforts of HRD and the AOC electronic technicians and engineering staff.Data were collected with a SFMR, which uses remote sensing technology to collect andreport wind speeds at the surface level on a continual basis. The SFMR instruments wereused on both of NOAA’s WP-3D Orion aircraft this season. HRD scientists also providedonboard data screening of the SFMR data. Further quality control efforts were completedat NHC using surface wind analyses made possible by HRD employees who investedcountless hours as each storm approached landfall.

The collective ability to check the SFMR data against surface wind estimates from theGlobal Positioning System (GPS) dropsondes and to co-locate the instrument’s location instorm relative coordinates was crucial in establishing its credibility. More than 150 realtime GPS surface wind observations were gathered by HRD scientists and compared withSFMR surface wind observations to show a mean error of only 2.5 knots. This analysisfurther enhanced the credibility of the SFMR as an operational tool in hurricane windobservation. Wind speed data were invaluable to NHC in providing (continued on page 2)

Here are a few holiday eventsHere are a few holiday eventsHere are a few holiday eventsHere are a few holiday eventsHere are a few holiday eventshappening at AOML:happening at AOML:happening at AOML:happening at AOML:happening at AOML:

Tree Trimming,Lobby Decorating,& Holiday Dessert

ContestDecember 3rdDecember 3rdDecember 3rdDecember 3rdDecember 3rd

Join coworkers in the lobbyJoin coworkers in the lobbyJoin coworkers in the lobbyJoin coworkers in the lobbyJoin coworkers in the lobbybetween 10:30 a.m. and noonbetween 10:30 a.m. and noonbetween 10:30 a.m. and noonbetween 10:30 a.m. and noonbetween 10:30 a.m. and noon

to decorate AOML for theto decorate AOML for theto decorate AOML for theto decorate AOML for theto decorate AOML for theholidays and trim a treeholidays and trim a treeholidays and trim a treeholidays and trim a treeholidays and trim a tree

Bring your favoriteBring your favoriteBring your favoriteBring your favoriteBring your favoriteholiday dessert for theholiday dessert for theholiday dessert for theholiday dessert for theholiday dessert for the

judges to samplejudges to samplejudges to samplejudges to samplejudges to sample

Holiday PartyDecember 10thDecember 10thDecember 10thDecember 10thDecember 10th

SSSSSing, dance, eat, and be merrying, dance, eat, and be merrying, dance, eat, and be merrying, dance, eat, and be merrying, dance, eat, and be merryat AOML’s annual holiday partyat AOML’s annual holiday partyat AOML’s annual holiday partyat AOML’s annual holiday partyat AOML’s annual holiday party

(((((more details on last pagemore details on last pagemore details on last pagemore details on last pagemore details on last page)))))

AOML’s Holiday EnsembleAOML’s Holiday EnsembleAOML’s Holiday EnsembleAOML’s Holiday EnsembleAOML’s Holiday Ensemblewill perform in the lobbywill perform in the lobbywill perform in the lobbywill perform in the lobbywill perform in the lobby

at 11:30 a.m.at 11:30 a.m.at 11:30 a.m.at 11:30 a.m.at 11:30 a.m.

HolidayHolidayHolidayHolidayHolidayHappeningsHappeningsHappeningsHappeningsHappenings

HolidayHolidayHolidayHolidayHolidayHappeningsHappeningsHappeningsHappeningsHappenings

NOAA’s WP-3D Orion aircraft wereequipped with Stepped Frequency MicrowaveRadiometers during the 2004 hurricaneseason to obtain observations of oceansurface winds.

AOML Keynotes November-December 2004

better estimates than ever before of peak surfacewinds and wind radii. The SFMR data also di-rectly affected the timing and extent of warningsissued by NHC.

Hurricane Surface Wind Analysis (H*Wind)Maps: The H*Wind project integrates wind datain and around a hurricane from a variety ofplatforms into a single wind analysis that repre-sents surface wind speeds. This analysis pro-vides guidance on the observed extent andstrength of the wind field. Over 120 H*Windanalyses were generated this season, one for al-most every mission that included SFMRobservations, and all landfall periods. TheseH*Wind analyses generated objective estimatesof surface wind radii that were included inadvisories from NHC forecasters. H*Windanalyses and the HRD inland hurricane decaymodel were also used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to estimateinland damage by generating wind swath products. Members of FEMA’s Risk Assess-ment Branch found the H*Wind products critical as input to their HAZUS model for allfour of the Florida hurricanes. The HAZUS model is used by FEMA to provide criticalinformation to key decision makers both in FEMA and the White House.

Intensity Research: Coupled Boundary Layer Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) Experimentand Ocean Winds Experiment: The season’s priority intensity research project, CBLAST,required the deployment of multiple ocean buoys and floats ahead of Hurricane Francesby two aircraft from the U.S. Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. Thestrategic placement of these probes allowed a subsequent bull’s eye hit by HurricaneFrances directly over the instrument array and corresponding flights directly overhead byNOAA WP-3D aircraft. The success of such coordination and timing was made possibleby the extraordinarily accurate 48-hour track forecast by NHC. The observational data setfrom these buoys and floats was more than doubled when Hurricane Jeanne passed overthe array during her slow, looping turn towards the Bahamas and Florida just 10-15 daysafter the Frances deployment.

GPS dropsondes and the University of Massachusetts’ Imaging Wind and Rain AirborneProfiler (IWRAP), the principal instrument used for NOAA’s National EnvironmentalSatellite, Data and information Service (NESDIS) sponsored Ocean Winds experiment,provided vertical wind profiles below the aircraft that documented the atmospheric boundarylayer near the ocean and surface observations, revealing fine scale boundary layer structurenever before seen in such detail. IWRAP, GPS dropsondes, and the SFMR data are beingused together to characterize the impacts of precipitation and high wind speeds on oceansurface wind estimates. This knowledge will help improve the understanding of satellite-based ocean surface wind estimates in limiting environmental conditions.

Additionally, HRD was able to make crucial ocean thermal profile observations inHurricanes Ivan and Jeanne which, together with the CBLAST observations, provided anexcellent picture of the upper ocean and surface conditions as the storms passed.

Gulfstream-IV Surveillance Missions: Continued support was given to the operationalGulfstream-IV flights. HRD employees drew flight tracks for optimal observations,participated in all 31 missions, and provided quality control and transmission of alldropsondes to the National Weather Service’s Environmental Modeling Center (EMC).The often two flights per day tested the resolve of NOAA’s hurricane hunters and couldnot have been accomplished without the combined efforts of AOC crew and HRD scientists.

HRD’s 2004 field program director, Peter Black, summarized the successes of one of themost intense hurricane field programs conducted by NOAA: “I think each and every oneof us has to know in his or her gut that we have done a fantastic job this season in supportof NHC’s forecasts and warnings, the National Weather Service EMC numerical modelguidance, and for hurricane research. This has been an extraordinary year for our ability tosupport operations and for our research efforts.”

(continued from page 1)Deadly 2004 HurricaneSeason Finally Ends

The six-month long 2004 Atlantichurricane season officially came to an endon November 30th, just as a new tropicalstorm, Otto, was emerging in the centralAtlantic Ocean. While not a threat to land,Otto nevertheless served as an uneasyreminder of a stressful, hectic season thatbrought record amounts of destruction andflooding to the United States.

A region of strong high pressurestationed over the western Atlantic Oceanthroughout the summer served as theprimary steering current that propelledstorms towards the U.S. rather than out tosea. As a result, instead of the average twoto three hurricane landfalls experiencedduring an above-normal hurricane season,five landfalling hurricanes–Charley,Frances, Gaston, Ivan, and Jeanne–impacted the U.S. Hurricane Alex alsoimpacted coastal North Carolina but nevermade landfall. Additionally, Tropical StormsBonnie, Hermine, and Matthew broughtsoggy weather and flooding to coastalFlorida, Massachusetts, and Louisiana,respectively.

Florida was particularly hard hit duringthe 2004 season with four hurricane strikesin the mere span of six weeks. HurricanesCharley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanneprompted massive evacuation efforts toremove millions of citizens from harm. Thestorms caused extensive property damage,beach erosion, flooding, and poweroutages. Close to 65,000 homes were eitherdestroyed or suffered major damage, andtens of thousands of people were lefthomeless.

Deaths attributed to the four Floridahurricane strikes totaled 117. Throughoutthe Caribbean, however, the number ofhurricane-related fatalities was estimatedas being close to 3,000, with more than two-thirds of these deaths occurring in Haiti.

According to the Departmentof Commerce’s OccupationalSafety and Health Report,slips, trips, falls, and struck-by incidents made up 54% ofall injuries and illnesses

reported in FY-04. Almost all of theseaccidents were preventable. Please becareful and watch your step!

AOML Safety Committee

Surface wind analysis map thatdepicts the extent of Hurricane Ivan’smaximum–minimum winds onSeptember 16, 2004.

AOML Keynotes November-December 2004

Western Hemisphere Warm Pool Key to Improved ClimatePredictions

Researchers with AOML’sPhysical Oceanography Divisionare studying the atmosphericand oceanic mechanismsinvolved in the annual growthand decay of a large area of warmocean water that lies in thetropics between North and SouthAmerica, the Western Hemi-sphere Warm Pool (WHWP).Drs. Sang-ki Lee, David Enfield,and Chunzai Wang are using theMiami hybrid ocean circulationmodel (HYCOM) to simulatewarm pool behavior and its linksto climate variables. They havefound that two major globalclimate phenomena, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation,account for virtually all of the extraordinarily large warm pools that have occurred in thelast half century.

Scientists have become adept at detecting El Niño-Southern Oscillation events andchanges in the North Atlantic Oscillation in their early stages. Lee, Enfield, and Wanghope to make use of the relationship between the Western Hemisphere Warm Pool and theEl Niño-North Atlantic Oscillation to predict months in advance significant summer warmpool anomalies and their associated climate impacts. They are currently investigating thepredictive power of their procedure.

The climate of North America is strongly influenced by the presence of the WesternHemisphere Warm Pool, which heats the overlying atmosphere and supplies moisture to it.Much of the moisture affecting summer rainfall in the central and eastern United Statesoriginates over the warm pool, whose size and intensity varies greatly from year to year.The frequency of Atlantic hurricanes is also related to changes in the warm pool. Increasedaccuracy in predicting warm pool anomalies should result in improved predictions ofsummer rainfall rates and hurricane occurrence.

Interannual variability in the size of the Western Hemi-sphere Warm Pool (WHWP). Shown are the distributionsof sea surface temperatures in the western hemispheretropics for July (upper panels) and September (lowerpanels). The dark contour outlines the WHWP as definedby water warmer than 28.5°C. The left-side panels show theaverage size of the one-third smallest warm pools of thelast half-century. The right side panels show the averagesize of the one-third largest warm pools.

In Memory Of . . .AOML was recently

saddened by theuntimely death ofMelvin Edward “Ed”Rahn, a computer spe-cialist and long-timeemployee with theHurricane ResearchDivision. Ed passed away on November17th at Parkway Hospital from complica-tions that developed after havingundergone heart surgery a few monthsago. Because Ed was a very private person,many at AOML were unaware of howserious his health problems had become.He is survived by his sister, Abby Rahn, ofKalamazoo, Michigan. Ed was 53 yearsold.

Ed was a military veteran and a graduateof the University of Miami. He joined thestaff of the Hurricane Research Division in1985. Over the years, he was a respectedand dedicated employee. He carried outhis duties quietly and efficiently with a“can-do” attitude. Among other tasks, hewas responsible for processing HRD’sflight-level data, an important componentof the Division’s data archival products.

Ed was extremely knowledgable aboutpolitics and had very strong politicalopinions. He was active in several localpolitical organizations including the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, theNorth Dade Republican Club, and BiscayneBay Young Republicans, Inc. He was alsoa co-founder of the South FloridaRepublican Liberty Caucus. Many atAOML will miss the back hallway debatesand discussions with Ed, as well as hiscandor and honesty.

In addition to a passion for politics, Edwas also an avid supporter of the arts, acollector, and a philanthropist. He couldalways be counted on for a generousdonation to AOML’s annual CombinedFederal Campaign program of volunteeremployee contributions in support ofnon-profit organizations and groups. Edalways looked out for others and wantedthe best for his family, his community, andhis country.

Ed will be missed not only as a valuedemployee but also as a unique individual.He was a good friend and long-timecolleague for many at AOML.

Recent AOML Publications*Chenoweth, M., and C.W. LANDSEA, 2004: The San Diego hurricane of 2 October 1858. Bulletin of the

American Meteorological Society, 85(11):1689-1697.

FONSECA, C.A., G.J. GONI, W. Johns, and E. Campos, 2004: Investigation of the North Brazil Currentretroflection and North Equatorial Countercurrent variability. Geophysical Research Letters,31(21):L21304, doi:10.1029/2004GL020054.

Grigorieva, N.G., G.M. Fridman, and D.R. PALMER, 2004: Investigation of near-axial interference effectsfor propagation in a ducted waveguide. Proceedings, 6th International Conference on Theoreticaland Computational Acoustics, Honolulu, HI, August 11-15, 2003. World Scientific Publishing, 129-134.

LANDSEA, C.W., J.L. Franklin, C.J. McAdie, J.L. Beven, J.M. Gross, B.R. Jarvinen, R.J. Pasch, E.N. Rappaport,J.P. DUNION, and P.P. DODGE, 2004: A reanalysis of Hurricane Andrew’s intensity. Bulletin of theAmerican Meteorological Society, 85(11):1699-1712.

STABENAU, E.R., R.G. Zepp, E. Bartels, and R.G. Zika, 2004: Role of seagrass Thalassia testudinum as asource of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in coastal south Florida. Marine Ecology ProgressSeries, 282:59-72.

Strong, A.E., G. Liu, J. Meyer, J.C. HENDEE, and D. Sasko, 2004: Coral Reef Watch 2002. Bulletin ofMarine Science, 75(2):259-268.

WANG, C., 2004: ENSO, Atlantic climate variability, and the Walker and Hadley circulations. In TheHadley Circulation: Present, Past, and Future, H.F. Diaz and R.S. Bradley (eds.). Cambridge UniversityPress, Volume 21 (ISBN 1-4020-2943-8).

*Names of AOML authors appear in capital letters.

AOML Keynotes November-December 2004

A milestone in internationalcooperation and implementation of aglobal ocean observing system wasreached this December as the 1,500thArgo float was deployed and begangathering data. The Argo project hasa goal of placing 3,000 profiling floatsthroughout the world’s oceans by2006. Deployment of the floats hasbeen ongoing since 2000.

NOAA (AOML and the Pacific MarineEnvironmental Laboratory) is one ofthe chief participants in implementingthe ocean-sensing Argo array. Thearray is part of the Global ClimateObserving System/Global OceanObserving System (GCOS/GOOS)housed at AOML within the PhysicalOceanography Division.

Argo floats are now operating in allparts of the world’s ice-free oceans.They collect and distribute data onthe temperature and salinity of theupper 2,000 meters of the ocean. Thedata are available without restrictionto everyone and support scientificresearch on a wide range of oceano-graphic and climate issues.

Regional Center to Manage South Atlantic Argo DataScientists with AOML’s Physical Oceanography Division (PhOD) helped to organize

the first meeting of the South Atlantic Argo Regional Center (SAARC) in Buenos Aires,Argentina on November 15-16, 2004. The SAARC was established following the fourthArgo Science Team Meeting held in March 2002. At that time it was determined thatregional data centers should be created to support Argo data requirements and to facilitatedata access among regional Argo participants. The SAARC is responsible for Argo datacollected primarily in the South Atlantic Ocean between 20°S and 50°S. Current SAARCmembers include scientists from institutions and Argo data centers in the United States,Brazil, South Africa, and Argentina.

The meeting in Buenos Aires outlined how SAARC participants will make availablehydrographic and oceanographic data that they regularly collect, as well as methods foruniform quality control of the data to prevent inaccuracies and false climate signals. PhODscientists, as managers of the current U.S. Argo Data Center, will assist this process bycontributing training and quality control technology to SAARC partners.

During the meeting, it was proposed that the SAARC coordinate Argo float deploymentsin the region, as well as provide guidance on regional deployment needs. Once there isenough data coverage, the SAARC will develop climatologies that contribute to continentalclimate forecasts. These climatologies will also be made available to the global Argocommunity.

Winter Greetings...Winter Greetings...Winter Greetings...Winter Greetings...Winter Greetings...

I think of my happy time with you often and am very grateful for my years at

the helm of that good ship AOML! I follow somewhat your advance across the

ocean of research and you are obviously going as strong as ever. Congratulations!

With love to you all and good wishes for a well deserved holiday of rest and fun

and a wish for a Happy New Year!

Kristina Katsaros (with greetings from Mike too!)

Here are a few safetyguidelines to rememberwhen operating spaceheaters:

• Plug space heaters into wallreceptacles only (do not plug spaceheaters into surge protectors).

• Keep all combustible materials(paper, clothing, wood) at least 12inches away from all sides of thespace heater.

• Never walk away or leave anoperating space heater unattended.

• Turn off and unplug space heaterswhen not in use.

AOML Safety Committee

View Keynotes online at www.aoml.noaa.gov/keynotes

View Keynotes online at www.aoml.noaa.gov/keynotes

New Science Plan for Florida Bay UnveiledA new strategic science plan for Florida Bay was presented in early December at the

South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force meeting. The plan was prepared by theProgram Management Committee, co-chaired by John Hunt of the Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission and Peter Ortner, AOML’s Chief Scientist. The Committeeprovides guidance for the Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems (FBAMS) program insupport of south Florida ecosystem restoration efforts and participating agency naturalresource or environmental management mandates.

Since 1997, the FBAMS program has been organized around five central questions thathave directed efforts at identifying the basic structure of the Florida Bay ecosystem andthe underlying causes of specific changes. These changes occurred in response tostressors, some local, but others distant and outside of Florida Bay. One important externalstressor was upstream water management.

The new strategic science plan builds on the results of these efforts by moving theexisting science forward to a more predictive state to help guide restoration planning andimplementation and satisfy individual agency responsibilities. To function in a predictivecapacity, the FBAMS science program will emphasize those activities that yield informationwhich refines understanding of critical linkages expressed in regional conceptual ecologicalmodels, improves definition of restoration targets, and assists in developing, calibrating,and validating the numerical or statistical model used to make system predictions.

Given the need to evolve with and respond to new demands from the implementation ofrestoration efforts, specific science priorities have been identified and organized by theme:physical processes, water quality, benthic habitats, higher trophic levels, and the mangrove-estuarine transition zone.

AOML Keynotes November-December 2004

Welcome AboardLyle Hufstetler joined the staff of the

Hurricane Research Division in October asa CIMAS associate to assist Dr. ChrisLandsea with activities related to thehurricane reanalysis project. Lyle is a fresh-man at the University of Miami majoring inmeteorology.

Joyce Berkeley RetiresJoyce Berkeley, a meteorological technician with

AOML’s Hurricane Research Division, is retiring onDecember 31st after 33 years of federal service. Joycebegan her federal career with the ExperimentalMeteorology Laboratory in Miami, Florida where oneof the main focal points of research was cloud seeding.It was believed that rainfall rates could be increasedin drought stricken areas by seeding clouds withsilver iodide.

In 1974, the Experimental Meteorology Laboratorybecame part of the National Hurricane ResearchLaboratory. In 1980, the organization was moved into AOML on Virginia Key and renamedthe Hurricane Research Division.

During her years with the Hurricane Research Division, Joyce was involved with theongoing Synoptic Flow Experiment which seeks to improve hurricane track prediction.Among her many duties, she helped analyze and plot Omega dropwindsonde data in realtime that were used by forecasters in making crucial decisions during major hurricanes.She has witnessed many changes in the evolution of hurricane research due totechnological innovations and improvements. Joyce was also active in the FederallyEmployed Women and Blacks in Government programs, as well as with the Miami FederalExecutive Board in helping to coordinate AOML’s equal employment opportunity anddiversity programs.

Starting the new year as a retiree, she looks forward to having more time to travel andspend with family and friends. Congratulations to Joyce for her many years of dedicatedservice to NOAA. Best wishes for a well-deserved and leisurely retirement.

CongratulationsChristopher Kelble, a CIMAS associate

with AOML’s Ocean Chemistry Division,married Amy Gilbert on November 6th at aceremony on Miami Beach. Best wishes tothe newlyweds for a long and happy lifetogether.

Hector Casanova, a NOAA Corpsofficer working with AOML’s OceanChemistry Division, has been promoted tothe rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Jeffrey Judas, a NOAA Corps officerworking with AOML’s Ocean ChemistryDivision, has been promoted to the rank ofLieutenant.

AOML is hosting a toy driveto help brighten the lives ofchildren during the holidayseason.

Please donate toys in theiroriginal unopened packaging andplace them in the drop box in thelobby.

Toys will benefit children livingin the Melrose, Allapatah, LittleHavana, Brownsville, and LibertyCity areas of Miami.

Toys must be placedToys must be placedToys must be placedToys must be placedToys must be placedin the drop box byin the drop box byin the drop box byin the drop box byin the drop box by

December 11thDecember 11thDecember 11thDecember 11thDecember 11th

For more info contact:Jannette Perez — 305-361-4367

Toy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy DriveToy Drive

AOML hosted Oktober’Ween, its annual Okotoberfest-Halloween party, on October29th during the lunchtime hour. A festive group assembled to feast on bratwurst,sauerkraut, potato salad, pumpkin pie, apple cider, and, of course, lots of goodies andtreats. Dressed for the occasion (pictured above left to right) were Jack Stamates, Evy(the mystery witch), Charlotte Kijek (Southeast Fisheries), Jim Bohnsack (SoutheastFisheries), Neal Dorst, Erica Rule, and Molly Baringer.

It’s a Girl!Erica Rule, AOML’s popular outreach coordinator, and her husband Lance,

are the proud parents of their first child, a daughter, born December 9th, 2004, at5:49 p.m. Sabrina Claire Rule weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs. 1 oz. Mom, Dad, and babySabrina are all doing well.

AOML Keynotes November-December 2004

Keynotes is published bi-monthly by the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.Contributions and/or comments are welcome and may be submitted via email(Gail.Derr@noaa.gov), fax (305) 361-4449, or mailing address: NOAA/AOML, Keynotes, 4301Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149.

Editor – Judy GrayPublishing Editor/Writer – Gail Derr

AOMLHoliday Party

andAwards Ceremony

December 10, 2004

Lobby — 12:00 Noon

Bring a covered dish or dessertto share with others

Price: $8.00(includes turkey, ham, chicken, fish,

mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, and drinks)

Raffle drawing with door prizes

To register or for more info contact:Greg Banes—305-361-4456

Monica Rodriguez—305-361-4420Lourdes Arteta—305-361-4442

TravelGustavo Goni made an invited presen-

tation at the Ocean Surface TopographyScience Team Meeting in St. Petersburg,Florida on November 4-6, 2004.

Christopher Landsea made an invitedpresentation at the Fifth Southern NewEngland Weather Conference in Brookline,Massachusetts on November 6, 2004.

Carlisle Thacker attended the CLIVAROcean Reanalysis Workshop in Boulder,Colorado on November 8-10, 2004.

Silvia Garzoli attended a ScientificAdvisory Board meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change inSantiago, Chile, and the South AtlanticARGO Regional Center meeting in BuenosAires, Argentina on November 8-19, 2004.

Scott Stolz and Jeffrey Abstenperformed maintenance on the Coral ReefEarly Warning System (CREWS) stationlocated in Salt River Bay, St. Croix, U.S.Virgin Islands on November 15-19, 2004.

Jules Craynock attended a NOAAContaminated Water Diving Workshop onNovember 17-18, 2004 and an EmergencyMedical Technician training course onNovember 29-December 17, 2004 in Seattle,Washington.

Judith Gray attended a summit meetingof the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observa-tions Regional Association (SECOORA) inJacksonville, Florida on November 30-December 3, 2004.

Robert Molinari attended the annual U.S.Argo Review Team meeting in San Diego,California on December 9-10, 2004. He alsoattended the NOAA Senior ExecutiveService Summit in Washington, D.C. onDecember 15-17, 2004.

Tsung-Hung Peng and Rik Wanninkhofattended the American GeophysicalUnion’s 2004 Fall Meeting in San Francisco,California on December 13-17, 2004.

Rick Lumpkin and Claudia Schmidattended the 10th International PIRATA (Pi-lot Research Moored Array in the TropicalAtlantic) meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil on De-cember 14-16, 2004.