It’s amazing how much you can learn in one year! I am one of the three 2023 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellows representing Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. For my Knauss Fellowship year, I have been placed in the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Office, which is part of NOAA’s National Ocean Service and based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
I am also remotely working on my Ph.D. in marine mammal ecology at the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. With the US IOOS Office, I am working on a number of different projects related to NOAA’s New Blue Economy initiative. These projects include the Benefits of Ocean Observing Catalog, the 2025 Ocean Enterprise Study and the Dialogues with Industry - a joint venture with the Marine Technology Society and the Global Ocean Observing System (information about all of these can be found here).
My placement in the US IOOS Office has allowed me to learn about many new topics and work with people from various backgrounds and disciplines, all while experiencing some of the ways in which federal offices help the public. Along with the national office, IOOS consists of 11 Regional Associations that work closely with their local communities on topics of interest. It has been interesting to see how the different Regional Associations operate and hear about the variety of ways they are using ocean data for public good.
One of the best learning experiences that I have had this year is participating in ocean-related meetings that are outside of my biology background. In April, I attended the Ocean Business meeting in Southampton, UK.
In September, I was able to return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the OCEANS 2023 Conference hosted by the Marine Technology Society and the Ocean Engineering Society.
At these meetings, I spoke to representatives from large and small companies that produce coastal and ocean data or related products. I learned how coastal communities across the globe are facing many of the same challenges caused by a changing climate. I have also met many of the brightest minds that are developing solutions and have discussed the ways in which NOAA, academia and industry can come together to solve these issues.
Working for the US IOOS Office has helped me to place my Ph.D. research into a wider context and consider how healthy, resilient ecosystems are directly related to a healthy ocean economy and robust coastal communities. I am excited to see the continued growth of the New Blue Economy, and I am happy that I have been able to contribute to it through my year as a Knauss Fellow! I hope to carry the framework of integration and collaboration along with me through the rest of my career.