Recap of Successful NE Pacific Workshop

The Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility (OOIFB) hosted a well-attended three-day workshop (June 7-9), followed by an optional Q&A data workshop on June 10. The workshop explored research opportunities using OOI data and its infrastructure to advance understanding of ocean processes in the NE Pacific. More than 100 people attended the workshop, 70 in-person, in the first such event in two years, and 30 virtual participants.

The workshop consisted of a mix of plenaries, breakout groups, posters, and many informal, productive discussions about how to maximize use of OOI data. Photo: Abby Ernest-Beck, URI.

“Not only was it exciting to be with colleagues after all of this time,” said Kendra Daly, chair of the  OOIFB, “the number of new ideas discussed on how to expand use of OOI data and extend partnerships with other observatories in the region was truly invigorating. The workshop laid the groundwork for new ways in which to use  OOI data to explore research questions relevant to the NE Pacific.”

The three-day event alternated between plenaries on topics such as the “Warm Blob,” preparing for the next eruption at Axial Seamount, and how OOI data are used in modeling efforts and in the classroom. Lively breakout group sessions covered topics ranging from how to access OOI data, to major scientific questions, to research aimed at specific geographic regions, to potential broader impact initiatives.

The workshop was funded by the National Science Foundation.

For those who missed the workshop, all presentations and posters are available online here.  Recordings of the workshop will be available online in the coming weeks.