CARICOOS-Virgin Islands

Sargassum outlook update, by USF Optical Oceanography Lab – March 2019

The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. On Feb 28th we predicted that during March 2019 large amounts of Sargassum would continue to be found in the entire Caribbean Sea (CS) and around Loop Current (LC), and during April 2019 the amount of “new” Sargassum transported from the Central West… Read More

Sargassum outlook update, by USF Optical Oceanography Lab – February 2019

In 2018, the Caribbean Sea (CS) has experienced a record-high and prolonged Sargassum bloom. The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. In Feb 2019, similar amounts as in Feb 2018 appeared in the eastern CS, but amounts in the Central West Atlantic (CWA) were lower. Meanwhile, large amounts of Sargassum… Read More

Sargassum outlook update, by USF Optical Oceanography Lab – December 2018

The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. In December 2018, the bloom intensity in the Caribbean Sea (CS) continued to decrease slightly from November, but the amount of Sargassum in the Central West Atlantic (CWA) increased slightly from November, which also represented a historical record for the month of November…. Read More

Sargassum outlook – November 2018 update, by USF Optical Oceanography Lab

So far the Caribbean Sea (CS) has experienced a record-high Sargassum bloom ever since January 2018. The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. In November 2018, the bloom intensity continued to decrease in the CS, but still comparable to the bloom extent in November 2015. There is also significant amount… Read More Sargassum

OCOVI announces 2018 Annual Meeting

The public is advised that Ocean and Coastal Observing – Virgin Islands (OCOVI), will conduct it 2018 annual meeting on December 8th from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM for the filling of vacancies, the election of the officers and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting. The public… Read More

CARICOOS’ St. John Buoy recovered for upgrades

November 27, 2018. The longest-serving CARICOOS buoy in USVI waters, designated by the National Data Buoy Center as #41052, has been recovered so that new batteries and other updated instrument parts can be replaced. This buoy survived the fury of both hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Used heavily by fishers, ferries, cruise ships, meteorologists… Read More

2018 IOOS Fall Meeting – Selected Highlights

The eleven Regional Associations (RAs), members of their boards, and IOOS Program Office (IOOS PO) staff and partners gathered in Annapolis, MD for the IOOS Fall Meeting on September 18-20, 2018. At the meeting, participants discussed the IOOS niche in biological observations and collaborations with NASA. Click here to access the meeting website and materials…. Read More

Outlook of 2018 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea – October 30 2018, by USF Optical Oceanography Lab

So far the Caribbean Sea (CS) has experienced a record-high Sargassum bloom ever since January 2018. The maps below show Sargassum abundance, with warm colors representing high abundance. In October 2018, the overall bloom intensity continued to decrease from September, but still comparable to the bloom extent in October 2015. There is also significant amount… Read More

CARICOOS visited NOAA’s hydrographic survey vessel Thomas Jefferson.

A year ago the crew of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, in collaboration with NOAA IOOS, CDIP, and the University of Maine, recovered the CARICOOS Rincon buoy after it was ripped from its mooring during hurricane María. One year later, while the Thomas Jefferson was in the port of San Juan, CARICOOS staff visited the… Read More

NOAA/AOML – CARICOOS Piloting Workshop

  On September 25 to 27, 2018, CARICOOS personnel visited NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida for a 3-days workshop about Seagliders. AOML’s Physical Oceanography Division (PhOD) personnel developed the training course to provide an overview on Seaglider fundamentals and the skill-sets in operating/piloting gliders. The learning skills provided CARICOOS personnel… Read More