Posts Tagged ‘OOIFB’
IFCB Webinar #2 Highlights: Lessons from Time/Moored-Based IFCB Observations
The second webinar in the Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB) four-part IFCB webinar series focused on time/moored-based Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) deployments and the challenges of operating IFCBs on sustained ocean observing platforms.
The webinar speakers were Kylene Cooley, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), who leads IFCB operations for the OOI Pioneer Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) Array, and Kasia Kenitz, Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, who discussed IFCB operations on the Del Mar Mooring in the California IFCB Network. Both shared practical lessons from deploying and maintaining IFCBs in long-term, moored observing systems.
Cooley shared lessons from deploying IFCBs on the Pioneer MAB Array, where the instruments operate for extended periods with limited physical access and satellite communications. She discussed the importance of preparing and testing the IFCB before deployment, including pressure and power testing, instrument burn-in, automatic startup configuration, and coordination with the mooring team. She also described challenges encountered during deployments, including biofouling, power supply issues, instrument alignment, and weather conditions that can limit access to the moorings.
Kenitz described IFCB operations on the Del Mar Mooring, where the instrument is solar-powered and uses cellular communications for near-real-time data transfer and remote monitoring. Increased solar capacity has allowed the IFCB to sample more frequently, moving from every three to four hours to every one to two hours. She also discussed challenges with operating the IFCB alongside other sensors, including mechanical pump noise that can interfere with velocity measurements. Both presentations highlighted the importance of routine cleaning, antifouling measures, remote monitoring, and pre-deployment testing for long-term IFCB deployments.
The remaining webinars in the series will focus on space/ship-based IFCBs and experiments and lab-based studies. To learn more, view webinar recordings, and find upcoming dates, visit the OOIFB webpage.
Read MoreOpen Call for Applications for the OOIFB Data Systems Committee
The Data Systems Committee (DSC) of the Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB) was established to help ensure timely and reliable access to high-quality U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) data. The Committee evaluates and recommends improvements to the data services, policies, and practices of the NSF OOI Facility that will lead to more efficient and effective scientific use of NSF OOI data.
The DSC is now soliciting applications to fill TWO open positions. One of these 3-year appointments will begin as of October 1, 2026, the other as of November 1, 2026. Selected individuals will be eligible to serve a second 3-year term, if fitting.
The DSC holds one web conference each month and at least one in-person meeting per year. Some objectives of the DSC include:
- Keeping abreast of the current state of the NSF OOI cyberinfrastructure and data services with the goal of helping to promote maximum scientific use of NSF OOI data. These efforts will be informed by the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship, such that data are: a) Findable, b) Accessible, c) Interoperable, and d) Reusable.
- Encouraging the use of best practices, standards, and naming conventions established by the oceanographic community.
- Engaging with the user community to gauge user needs in regard to NSF OOI data systems, and to facilitate the promotion of a positive user experience.
- Staying current on potential new modes of data service and access, data analysis methodologies, and related technologies that facilitate the use of NSF OOI data.
- Engaging with members of the NSF OOI Program regarding the priorities and plans of the NSF OOI cyberinfrastructure groups.
- Making recommendations for data products, usage metrics, and improving the user experience on the OOI Data Explorer, JupyterHub environment, as well as other data service systems employed by the NSF OOI.
Scientists affiliated with U.S. institutions, with interests and/or experience using scientific observing systems such as the NSF OOI, as well as those with experience in successfully delivering data from large-scale, multi-sensor observing systems to scientific users are encouraged to apply. All applications will be considered. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and accompanying CV to Holly Morin, at the OOIFB Administrative Support Office (holly@ooifb.org), no later than September 10, 2026. The statement of interest should highlight the applicant’s experience with NSF OOI data and/or with other similar data services and products. Applicants might also include a vision for how these experiences might evolve in the future. For more information about the DSC and its activities, please visit the OOIFB website (http://ooifb.org), or contact Jim Potemra, DSC Chair (jimp@hawaii.edu).
Read MoreIFCB Webinar #1 Highlights: Building Community and Best Practices for Ocean Observations
The first IFCB webinar in a new community-driven series brought together researchers and operators to share knowledge, practical guidance, and future plans for Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) applications.
The webinar series, hosted by the Ocean Observatories Initiative Facilities Board (OOIFB), was inspired by a 2025 IFCB focus group and aims to strengthen collaboration around IFCB and Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) images and data products (access links here). Organizers outlined plans for future sessions, including topics such as moored IFCB deployments and applications on the OOI Pioneer Array, as well as the development of teaching resources and a community manuscript.
The focus of the first webinar was best practices for IFCB operation and deployment. The speakers emphasized that successful use begins with thorough training and hands-on experience in laboratory settings. From there, considerations expand to include water delivery systems, power and communication integration, and consistent system monitoring, especially for shore-side, shipboard, and offshore mooring deployments. Post-deployment care, including data backup, system checks, and routine maintenance, was highlighted as essential for long-term instrument performance.
Tom Fougere of McLane Research Laboratories emphasized the importance of reliable infrastructure (especially water flow, power stability, and communications) for shipboard and shore-based IFCB operations, while Dr. Sophie Clayton of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) highlighted a best practices guide from the Operational Phytoplankton Observations Working Group addressing key challenges in phytoplankton imaging, including metadata standards, data management, uncertainty, and instrument diagnostics. Together, these perspectives reinforced that robust metadata capture, standardized workflows, and proactive maintenance are essential for producing high-quality datasets, alongside careful attention to calibration, system cleaning, and sampling strategies in low-density environments.
To learn more and view upcoming topics and dates for the next IFCB webinars, visit the OOIFB webpage.
2026 Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) Webinar Series
The Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB) is hosting a 2026 webinar series focused on the Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) and its applications in ocean research and monitoring. The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is pleased to share this opportunity with the broader community.
The series builds on recent OOIFB-led workshops and discussions that highlighted growing interest in IFCB capabilities, data workflows, and integration with other ocean observing systems.
Webinar #2 — July 30, 2026 at 12pm ET
Time/Moored based IFCBs
Speakers: Kylene Cooley (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution-OOI) and Kasia Kenitz (Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System)
An additional webinar will take place in the fall of 2026 covering laboratory IFCB applications.
➡️ Visit the OOIFB website for full details, schedule updates, and registration information.
All webinars will be recorded and archived.
Read More2025 OOIFB Summer School on Acoustics
From July 14-18, 2025, the U.S. National Science Founded funded OOI Facility Board (OOIFB) hosted an immersive summer school at the University of Washington in Seattle, bringing together early-career ocean scientists to explore the science and applications of underwater acoustics using Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) data.
Co-chaired by Dr. Wu-Jung Lee and Dr. Shima Abadi of the University of Washington, the program combined targeted lectures, hands-on tutorials, and real-world exercises to build participant expertise in accessing, processing, and interpreting both active and passive acoustic datasets including those from echosounders, hydrophones, and bioacoustic sonars available through the OOI network.
Over five days, participants gained:
- Core knowledge on underwater sound propagation and the main factors influencing it.
- Familiarity with the range of acoustic instruments deployed in the OOI network.
- Practical skills in navigating OOI data portals to access and download acoustic and complementary oceanographic datasets.
- Experience working with OOI datasets in JupyterHub, building Python skills and reinforcing coding as a core part of the program.
- Insights into scientific questions that can be addressed using OOI data.
- Connections with a community of researchers using OOI data in their work.
Participants
This year’s program welcomed 23 advanced graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scientists from diverse research backgrounds. While geared toward those with an interest in underwater acoustics, the school was designed to be accessible, with no prior deep expertise required and high-level primers on underwater acoustics provided.
Looking Ahead
Archived materials, including the full agenda and select summer school resources, will be made available in the coming months for the broader research community.
The OOIFB Summer School on Acoustics exemplifies how targeted training can build a knowledge base in ocean acoustics research and broaden the use of OOI data in science and education.
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The 2025 OOIFB Summer School on Acoustics cohort at the OOI-RCA Sand Point Facility.
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Students working through data exercises in the OOI JupyterHub environment. Credit: Holly Morin, OOIFB[/caption]
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Students working through data exercises in the OOI JupyterHub environment. Credit: Holly Morin, OOIFB[/caption]
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Dr. John Ragland works with participants to interpret outputs from a passive acoustic dataset. Credit: Holly Morin, OOIFB[/caption]
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Participants tour the OOI-RCA Sand Point Facility. Credit: Holly Morin, OOIFB[/caption]
Call for Applications: OOIFB Data Systems Committee
The Data Systems Committee (DSC) of the Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB) was established to help ensure timely and reliable access to high-quality U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) data. The Committee evaluates and recommends improvements to the data services, policies, and practices of the NSF OOI Facility that will lead to more efficient and effective scientific use of NSF OOI data.
The DSC is now soliciting applications to fill one open position. This 3-year appointment will begin in October 2025. The selected individual will be eligible to serve a second 3-year term, if fitting.
The DSC holds one web conference each month and at least one in-person meeting per year. Some objectives of the DSC include:
● Keeping abreast of the current state of the NSF OOI cyberinfrastructure and data services with the goal of helping to promote maximum scientific use of NSF OOI data. These efforts will be informed by the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship, such that data are: a) Findable, b) Accessible, c) Interoperable, and d) Reusable.
● Encouraging the use of best practices, standards, and naming conventions established by the oceanographic community.
● Engaging with the user community to gauge user needs in regard to NSF OOI data systems, and to facilitate the promotion of a positive user experience.
● Staying current on potential new modes of data service and access, data analysis methodologies, and related technologies that facilitate the use of NSF OOI data.
● Engaging with members of the NSF OOI Program regarding the priorities and plans of the NSF OOI cyberinfrastructure groups.
● Making recommendations for data products, usage metrics, and improving the user experience on the OOI Data Explorer, as well as other data service systems employed by the NSF OOI.
Scientists with interests and/or experience using scientific observing systems such as the NSF OOI, as well as those with experience in successfully delivering data from large-scale multi-sensor observing systems to scientific users are encouraged to apply. Familiarity/expertise with biogeochemistry datasets is preferred but not required. All applications will be considered. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and accompanying CV to Holly Morin, at the OOIFB Administrative Support Office (holly@ooifb.org), no later than September 16, 2025. The statement of interest should highlight the applicant’s experience with NSF OOI data services and/or with other similar data services. Applicants might also include a vision for how these experiences might evolve in the future. For more information about the DSC and its activities, please visit the OOIFB website (http://ooifb.org), or contact Jim Potemra, DSC Chair (jimp@hawaii.edu).
Read MoreOOIFB Focus Group Highlights the Power of the Imaging FlowCytobot
Back in 2021, a series of community-driven Innovations Labs helped shape the scientific priorities for the relocation of the OOI Pioneer Array from the New England Shelf to the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB). One high-priority request that emerged was phytoplankton imaging, essential for advancing our understanding of biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem responses.
To meet that need, the OOI deployed a state-of-the-art Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) on the Pioneer MAB Central Surface Mooring in April 2024. This oceanographic sensor merges flow cytometry and video imaging to capture high-resolution images of microscopic aquatic life (mainly phytoplankton) while also recording key properties like chlorophyll fluorescence and light scattering. After running for a full year, the instrument was recovered in April 2025, and its data are now publicly available to researchers and educators alike.
Goals and Activities of the 2025 Focus Group
To engage the research community with this unique data collection tool, the U.S. National Science Foundation OOI Facility Board (OOIFB) hosted a 2.5-day Focus Group from June 18–20, 2025, at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science. The goal was to build a community of practice around the new IFCB deployment, showcasing its potential and offering hands-on opportunities for the ocean science community to engage with this cutting-edge technology.
Roughly 30 participants gathered for a deep dive into all things IFCB. The event kicked off with an introduction to the technology itself and its integration with OOI infrastructure. Participants then explored real-world research applications of IFCB data, followed by tutorials on how to access, download, and work with these datasets using the IFCB dashboard interface.
Attendees used Python, MATLAB, and R coding environments to visualize and analyze IFCB data, tackling a range of scenarios that revealed both the strengths and limitations of these data products. The format allowed users to compare workflows and troubleshoot in real time, promoting collective problem-solving and peer learning.
Roundtable discussions between participants and OOI Program Managers helped clarify what the IFCB community needs from the data and the associated tools. From those conversations, ideas emerged for future resources like shared GitHub repositories, use-case-driven tutorials for students, and dedicated forums to continue building community momentum.
Community Engagement
This focus group showcases how OOI actively fosters community engagement, especially when introducing new scientific capabilities. By building meaningful “on-ramps” for users to access data, apply new methods, and contribute to shared tools, OOI is cultivating a collaborative research environment. These events bring people together across disciplines and career stages, helping to democratize access to oceanographic data. They foster shared ownership, letting researchers shape how OOI data is used and understood.
By fostering a culture of open access and technical sharing, the focus group strengthened the foundation of a growing IFCB user community, one capable of advancing our understanding of marine ecosystems at the microbial level. The IFCB is a catalyst for connection, discovery, and long-term scientific collaboration.
[gallery size="large" ids="36719,36720,36721,36722,36723"] Read MoreOOIFB Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) Community Focus Group
The NSF-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB) will host an Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) Community Focus Group from June 18-20, 2025, at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science. The OOIFB would like to convene ~ 25 members of the IFCB community to engage in:
- An introduction and overview of the OOI-IFCB instrument and its data, demonstrating how users can access and download OOI data (example IFCB data products will be shared).
- Guided tutorials and hands-on exercises working with use-case scenarios.
- Key conversations about IFCB community expectations for the NSF OOI (infrastructure and data), and what the NSF OOI expectations may be for the community.
Spring 2025 OOIFB and DSC Meetings
The OOI Facility Board (OOIFB) and Data Systems Committee (DSC) will hold their 2025 Spring Meetings on Tuesday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 7, 2025. A site visit day with other activities (and/or, discussion carry-over if need be) is planned for Thursday, May 8, 2025 (“Field Trip Thursday”). The meetings will be held in person, but virtual participation will also be available. As always, these in-person meetings are open to the public (except during closed-door sessions as indicated on the agenda); space is limited, however, and a RSVP is required to attend.
The meetings will be held at the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, Oregon. The planned schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, May 6th- DSC meeting
- Wednesday, May 7th – OOIFB and DSC joint session
- Thursday, May 8th – cont’d discussion (if needed); OSU-OOI site visits and field activities (all are encouraged to stay for this day)
2025 OOIFB Summer School on Acoustics: Applications Now Open
The Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB), funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), is hosting the 2025 Summer School on Acoustics from July 14–18, 2025, at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.
This five-day, in-person program will provide targeted lectures, hands-on tutorials, and practical exercises using real-world examples and NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) data products. Participants will focus on accessing, analyzing, and interpreting acoustic data alongside complementary oceanographic datasets available through OOI.
By the end of the program, participants will have a deeper understanding of underwater sound propagation, passive and active acoustic instruments (e.g., hydrophones and echosounders) deployed through OOI, and the available datasets. They will also learn how to navigate OOI data portals, apply basic acoustic data processing methods, and explore how these data can support scientific research. The program also offers opportunities to connect with a professional network of researchers using OOI data.
There are no registration fees, and travel support is available for participants from U.S. institutions. For details on program requirements, eligibility, a draft agenda, and the application process, visit the OOIFB Summer School on Acoustics webpage.
Please share this opportunity with your colleagues and networks. For questions, contact Holly Morin (holly@ooifb.org).
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