Oceanography
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OCEANOGRAPHY SOCIETY
VOL. 36, NO. 2–3, OCTOBER 2023
PACIFIC MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY
50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN OCEANOGRAPHY
October 2023 | Oceanography
CONTENTS
VOL. 36, NO. 2–3, OCTOBER 2023
SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE
PACIFIC MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY
50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN OCEANOGRAPHY
6 Foreword
By R.W. Spinrad
8 Introduction
By R.A. Feely
10 The History and Evolution of PMEL: Purposeful Research that Impacts
Environmental Policy
By M.M. McClure, C.L. Sabine, R.A. Feely, S.R. Hammond, C. Meinig, M.J. McPhaden,
P.J. Stabeno, and E. Bernard
26 Data Processing and Management at PMEL: A 50-Year Perspective
By E.F. Burger, K.M. O’Brien, S. Hankin, R. Schweitzer, L. Kamb, S. Osborne,
and A. Manke
32 Tropical Ocean Observations for Weather and Climate: A Decadal Overview
of the Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array
By M.J. McPhaden, K.J. Connell, G.R. Foltz, R.C. Perez, and K. Grissom
44 SIDEBAR. Surviving Piracy and the Coronavirus Pandemic
By K.J. Connell, M.J. McPhaden, G.R. Foltz, R.C. Perez, and K. Grissom
46 PMEL Ocean Climate Stations as Reference Time Series and Research
Aggregate Devices
By M.F. Cronin, N.D. Anderson, D. Zhang, P. Berk, S.M. Wills, Y. Serra, C. Kohlman,
A.J. Sutton, M.C. Honda, Y. Kawai, J. Yang, J. Thomson, N. Lawrence-Slavas,
J. Reeves Eyre, and C. Meinig
54 After Two Decades, Argo at PMEL, Looks to the Future
By G.C. Johnson and A.J. Fassbender
60 PMEL’s Contribution to Observing and Analyzing Decadal Global Ocean
Changes Through Sustained Repeat Hydrography
By Z.K. Erickson, B.R. Carter, R.A. Feely, G.C. Johnson, J.D. Sharp, and R.E. Sonnerup
70 Observing Extreme Ocean and Weather Events Using Innovative Saildrone
Uncrewed Surface Vehicles
By D. Zhang, A.M. Chiodi, C. Zhang, G.R. Foltz, M.F. Cronin, C.W. Mordy, J. Cross,
E.D. Cokelet, J.A. Zhang, C. Meinig, N. Lawrence-Slavas, P.J. Stabeno, and R. Jenkins
78 Long-Term Biophysical Observations and Climate Impacts in US Arctic
Marine Ecosystems
By P.J. Stabeno, S. Bell, C. Berchok, E.D. Cokelet, J. Cross, R.M. McCabe, C.W. Mordy,
J. Overland, D. Strausz, M. Sullivan, and H.M. Tabisola
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October 2023 | Oceanography
Oceanography | Vol. 36, No. 2–3
86 SIDEBAR. Advancing Observational Infrastructure in the Arctic
By S. Stalin, S. Bell, N. Delich, C.W. Mordy, P.J. Stabeno, H.M. Tabisola, and D. Tagawa
88 Arctic Research at PMEL: From Sea Ice to the Stratosphere
By M. Wang and J. Overland
94 Progress of Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations in the
Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Passes
By C.W. Mordy, N.A. Bond, E.D. Cokelet, A. Deary, E. Lemagie, P. Proctor, P.J. Stabeno,
H.M. Tabisola, T. Van Pelt, and E. Wisegarver
101 Applications of Biophysical Modeling to Pacific High-Latitude Ecosystems
By A.J. Hermann, W. Cheng, P.J. Stabeno, D.J. Pilcher, K.A. Kearney, and K.K. Holsman
109 SPOTLIGHT. Monitoring Biodiversity Impacts of a Changing Arctic through
Environmental DNA
By M.P. Galaska, S.D. Brown, and S.M. McAllister
114 SPOTLIGHT. REVAMP: Rapid Exploration and Visualization through an
Automated Metabarcoding Pipeline
By S.M. McAllister, C. Paight, E.L. Norton, and M.P. Galaska
120 Acidification of the Global Surface Ocean: What We Have Learned
from Observations
By R.A. Feely, L.-Q. Jiang, R. Wanninkhof, B.R. Carter, S.R. Alin, N. Bednaršek,
and C.E. Cosca
130 Global Synthesis of the Status and Trends of Ocean Acidification Impacts
on Shelled Pteropods
By N. Bednaršek, R.A. Feely, G. Pelletier, and F. Desmet
138 Evaluating the Evolving Ocean Acidification Risk to Dungeness Crab: Time-
Series Observations and Modeling on the Olympic Coast, Washington, USA
By S.R. Alin, S.A. Siedlecki, H. Berger, R.A. Feely, J.E. Waddell, B.R. Carter, J.A. Newton,
E.J. Schumacker, and D. Ayres
148 Emerging Applications of Longstanding Autonomous Ocean Carbon
Observations
By A.J. Sutton and C.L. Sabine
ON THE COVER
The cover illustration depicts many of the technologies that support research
at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). (1) Saildrone.
(2) Ecosystems & Fisheries Oceanography (FOCI) mooring. (3) NASA’s Orbiting
Carbon Observatory-2 satellite. (4) Wave Glider. (5) NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown.
(6) DART mooring acoustically linked to a (14) Bottom Pressure Recorder
and a (12) profiling crawler, or Prawler, on the mooring line. (7) Papa mooring.
(8) Tropical moored buoy. (9) Argo float. (10) Oculus glider. (11) NOAA remotely
operated vehicle Deep Discoverer. (13) Hydrophone. (15) CTD-rosette with a
(16) Miniature Autonomous Plume Recorder (MAPR) on the wire. Communications
satellites (not shown) relay ocean data from many of these platforms to PMEL.
Background map by Google Earth.
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Oceanography | Vol. 36, No. 2–3
SEATTLE
NEWPORT
Oceanography
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OCEANOGRAPHY SOCIETY
VOL. 36, NO. 2–3, OCTOBER 2023
PACIFIC MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY
50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN OCEANOGRAPHY
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
SPECIAL ISSUE GUEST EDITORS
• Richard Feely
• Eddie Bernard
• Stephen Hammond
• Michelle McClure
• Michael McPhaden
• Phyllis Stabeno
• Diane Stanitski
• Chidong Zhang
SPECIAL ISSUE SPONSOR
Support for this issue was provided by the
NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.
October 2023 | Oceanography
156 SIDEBAR. Building Unique Collaborative Global Marine CO2 Observatories
By S. Musielewicz, J. Osborne, S. Maenner Jones, R. Battisti, S. Dougherty, and R. Bott
158 Can Seasonal Forecasts of Ocean Conditions Aid Fishery Managers?
Experiences from 10 Years of J-SCOPE
By S.A. Siedlecki, S.R. Alin, E.L. Norton, N.A. Bond, A.J. Hermann, R.A. Feely,
and J.A. Newton
168 Climate Roles of Non-Sea Salt Sulfate and Sea Spray Aerosol in
the Atmospheric Marine Boundary Layer: Highlights of 40 Years
of PMEL Research
By P.K. Quinn, T.S. Bates, D.J. Coffman, J.E. Johnson, and L.M. Upchurch
175 50 Years of PMEL Tsunami Research and Development
By E. Bernard, C. Meinig, V.V. Titov, and Y. Wei
186 Technology Transfer of PMEL Tsunami Research Protects Populations
and Expands the New Blue Economy
By V.V. Titov, C. Meinig, S. Stalin, Y. Wei, C. Moore, and E. Bernard
196 PMEL Passive Acoustics Research: Quantifying the Ocean Soundscape
from Whales to Wave Energy
By R.P. Dziak, H. Matsumoto, S. Haver, D.K. Mellinger, L. Roche, J.H. Haxel, S. Stalin,
C. Meinig, K. Kohlman, A. Sremba, J. Gedamke, L. Hatch, and S. Van Parijs
206 SPOTLIGHT. The PMEL Earth-Ocean Interactions Program: Beyond Vents
By D.A. Butterfield, S.L. Walker, T. Baumberger, J. Beeson, J. Resing, S.G. Merle,
A. Antriasian, K. Roe, G.-S. Lu, P. Barrett, and W.W. Chadwick Jr.
212 SPOTLIGHT. MAPR: PMEL’s Miniature Autonomous Plume Recorder
By S.L. Walker
216 Accelerating Research and Development in the US Arctic: Reflections
on a NOAA Program
By H.M. Tabisola, C.W. Mordy, and S. Stalin
DEPARTMENTS
5 QUARTERDECK. Introducing Exciting New Publishing Possibilities with
Oceanography Flipbooks
By E.S. Kappel
222 FROM THE TOS JEDI COMMITTEE. Unpaid Internships Are a Barrier to
Diverse and Equitable Recruitment in Marine Science
By A.M. Kreuser, A.L. Bishop, and E.L. Meyer-Gutbrod
225 THE OCEANOGRAPHY CLASSROOM. Activity Bingo: Nudging Students to
Make the Most Out of Fieldwork
By M.S. Glessmer, L. Latuta, F. Saltalamacchia, and K. Daae
229 CAREER PROFILES. Douglas Bell, Environmental Protection Specialist,
Chesapeake Bay Program, US Environmental Protection Agency |
Regina Guazzo, Oceanographer and Outreach Lead, Whale Acoustic
Reconnaissance Project, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
CONTACT US
The Oceanography Society
1 Research Court, Suite 450-117
Rockville, MD 20850 USA
t: (1) 301-251-7708
info@tos.org
175
206
October 2023 | Oceanography
CORRECTIONS
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Oceanography | Vol. 36, No. 2–3
The Oceanography Society was founded in 1988 to advance
oceanographic research, technology, and education, and
to disseminate knowledge of oceanography and its appli-
cation through research and education. TOS promotes
the broad understanding of oceanography, facilitates con-
sensus building across all the disciplines of the field, and
informs the public about ocean research, innovative tech-
nology, and educational opportunities throughout the spec-
trum of oceanographic inquiry.
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT: Deborah Bronk
PRESIDENT-ELECT: Paula Bontempi
PAST-PRESIDENT: Andone Lavery
SECRETARY: Allison Miller
TREASURER: Susan Banahan
COUNCILORS
AT-LARGE: Mona Behl
APPLIED TECHNOLOGY: Anna Michel
BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Kim S. Bernard
CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Jun Nishioka
EARLY CAREER: Erin Satterthwaite
EDUCATION: Sara Harris
GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Laura Guertin
OCEAN DATA SCIENCE: Vicki Ferrini
OCEAN SCIENCE AND POLICY: Leopoldo C. Gerhardinger
PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: LuAnne Thompson
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Josette McLean
JEDI COUNCILOR: Sheri White
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jennifer Ramarui
CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONAL
MEMBERS
Baker Donelson » bakerdonelson.com
Integral Consulting Inc. » integral-corp.com
National Oceanography Centre » noc.ac.uk
RBR » rbr-global.com
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Sequoia » sequoiasci.com
tos.org
EDITOR
Ellen S. Kappel, Geosciences Professional Services Inc.
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Vicky Cullen
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Johanna Adams
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Claudia Benitez-Nelson, University of South Carolina
Ian Brosnan, NASA Ames Research Center
Grace Chang, Integral Consulting Inc.
Kjersti Daae, University of Bergen
Mirjam Glessmer, Lund University
Charles H. Greene, University of Washington
Amelia Shevenell, University of South Florida
William Smyth, Oregon State University
Peter Wadhams, University of Cambridge
Oceanography contains peer-reviewed articles that chronicle
all aspects of ocean science and its applications. The journal
presents significant research, noteworthy achievements, excit-
ing new technology, and articles that address public policy and
education and how they are affected by science and technol-
ogy. The overall goal of Oceanography is cross- disciplinary
communication in the ocean sciences.
Oceanography (Print ISSN 1042-8275; Online ISSN 2377-617X)
is published by The Oceanography Society, 1 Research Court,
Suite 450-117, Rockville, MD 20850 USA. Oceanography arti-
cles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format as long
as users cite the materials appropriately, provide a link to the
Creative Commons license, and indicate the changes that were
made to the original content. Third-party material used in arti-
cles are included in the Creative Commons license unless indi-
cated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is
not included in the article’s Creative Commons license, users
will need to obtain permission directly from the license holder
to reproduce the material. Please contact Jennifer Ramarui at
info@tos.org for further information.
Oceanography
tos.org/oceanography
Oceanography | Vol. 36, No. 2–3
October 2023 | Oceanography
In June 2023, The Oceanography Society (TOS) introduced its new Oceanography flipbook kiosk
(https:// oceanographydigital. tos.org/), where anyone can page through full issues of the magazine and
supplements such as those on ocean exploration and ocean observing. The pages render crisply, and issues
are easily navigable. Issue availability on the kiosk goes back through 2015. This open access kiosk replaces
the former digital editions that were made available to TOS members only through Advanced Publishing.
An exciting enhancement now available to Oceanography authors through these flipbooks is the
ability to embed videos, animations, photo galleries, and audio files in articles. This special issue of
Oceanography on “Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory: 50 Years of Innovative Research in
Oceanography” is the first time authors have had this option available. In the flipbook version of this spe-
cial issue (https://oceanographyd\igital.tos.org/flip-book/110286/579668), readers can click on the links
in figures to access movies in Feely et al. that show ocean pH as well as calcium and aragonite satura-
tion states through time. In Walker, readers can view a movie of West Mata submarine volcano showing
results from MAPR (Miniature Autonomous Plume Recorder) data collection. In Hermann et al., ani-
mations derived from model outputs are available for viewing. In Butterfield et al., the title page graphic
includes a link to video of the seafloor taken by Schmidt Ocean Institute’s remotely operated vehicle
Subastian. Bernard et al. includes links to movies related to tsunami propagation and forecasting.
We strongly encourage future Oceanography authors to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance
their articles by adding various media to them. When submitting these extras, please consider the
following guidelines:
• Videos must be provided to Oceanography in a format compatible with YouTube. We recommend
that videos not exceed a few minutes in length. They will be uploaded to The Oceanography Society’s
YouTube channel and linked to a figure in the flipbook. If the movie exists on another institution’s
YouTube or Vimeo channel, and that link is stable, we can instead use that link.
• GIFS can be added straight to the flipbook with a maximum size of 5 MB.
• Audio files must be in MP3 format and no larger than 100 MB.
• Photos for a photo gallery must be in jpg or png format and no larger than 5 MB each.
All enhancements must be directly associated with a figure in the article—the link to media is embed-
ded within the figure (e.g., for videos and GIFS, readers will see an arrow on top of the figure to click on).
Any captions and credits should be provided at the time of submission of the media to Oceanography so
that we can include them appropriately. Whenever such article enhancements are available, we will add a
subhead in the main article called “Flipbook Edition” to alert readers.
The Oceanography Society is always seeking new and creative ways to foster cross-disciplinary com-
munication in the ocean sciences. We hope future Oceanography flipbooks will be a leap forward in
achieving this goal. Please contact me at ekappel@geo-prose.com with any questions about sharing
media in your next Oceanography article.
QUARTERDECK
INTRODUCING EXCITING NEW PUBLISHING POSSIBILITIES WITH
OCEANOGRAPHY FLIPBOOKS
Ellen S. Kappel, Editor
ARTICLE DOI. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.234
Oceanography | Vol. 36, No. 2–3
SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE PACIFIC MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY:
50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN OCEANOGRAPHY
This year marks the 50th anniversary of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
(PMEL). This world-class research facility has proven itself a global leader in the develop-
ment and deployment of innovative strategies for ocean observation and monitoring. It is
thanks to the dedicated work of PMEL researchers that we have advanced our understand-
ing of the climate and weather nexus, ocean acidification, marine ecosystems, and ocean
and coastal processes, all while advancing science technology innovation.
Prior to becoming NOAA’s Administrator, I served as the Assistant Administrator for
NOAA Research. I am keenly aware of and take great pride in PMEL science and engineer-
ing innovations. From MAPCO2, Deep Argo, FOCI, and DART, the work at PMEL helps
us to better understand our planet and protect the lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles of the
public we serve.
The full list of accomplishments that PMEL has achieved in the past 50 years is long, but
there are certainly some standouts.
Notably, PMEL has helped strengthen climate science with Argo, the Global Tropical
Moored Buoy Array, the Kuroshio Extension Observatory, Ocean Station Papa, the Research
Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction (RAMA),
and more. NOAA’s ability to build a Climate Ready Nation and equip decision-makers with
needed climate information is informed by the work of these initiatives.
Additionally, scientists at PMEL have conducted seminal research on the changing ocean
carbon dioxide chemistry and its impact on marine ecosystems–research which ultimately
led to shifting public perception of ocean acidification and climate change mitigation. The
dedicated work of PMEL scientists has also given us a better understanding of Arctic ocean-
ography and ecosystems and how climate change is affecting marine polar regions.
And critically, the work underway at PMEL is helping save lives, as seen in the increased
speed and accuracy of operational tsunami forecasts and warnings. It’s examples like this
that demonstrate how crucial PMEL is to the day-to-day lives of people around the world
who benefit from this research.
FOREWORD
October 2023 | Oceanography
PMEL research and exploration also foster imagination and fascination with the deep
ocean and all that we might learn about our planet and the origin of life in the coming
years. From contributing to the curation of the spectacular Smithsonian National Museum
of Natural History Sant Ocean Hall to continuing to educate the public about the won-
der of the ocean—PMEL scientists continue to inspire the next generation of scientists and
researchers from the time they are children.
All of these remarkable undertakings cannot be accomplished alone. Co-located with the
NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Fisheries Science Center,
PMEL fosters partnership across the NOAA line offices.
PMEL also works side by side with scientists from three NOAA Cooperative Institutes.
The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) at the
University of Washington is one of the oldest and largest of NOAA’s Cooperative Institutes,
conducting research at the forefront of climate change, ocean processes, and fisheries. The
Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (CIMAR) at the University of
Hawai‘i Mānoa extends NOAA’s work in the Indo-Pacific region, conducting cutting edge
research to inform coastal and marine resource management. The Cooperative Institute for
Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies (CIMERS) at Oregon State University advances
innovative multidisciplinary research in support of the NOAA mission.
Fifty years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that we would know what we do
about the ocean on such a granular level. Getting to where we are today has taken genera-
tions of dedication, innovation, and cooperation from the staff at PMEL. I can only imagine
the knowledge we stand to gain and the advancements we stand to make in the next 50 years.
Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
and NOAA Administrator
ARTICLE DOI: https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.207
Oceanography | Vol. 36, No. 2–3
In October 2023, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory (PMEL), a world leader in oceanographic research and the development of innovative
instrumentation and measurement strategies for monitoring and observing ocean conditions at global
scales. Through the collective efforts of PMEL and its national and international research partners, our
researchers have fundamentally advanced the scientific understanding of climate variability and change,
extreme and weather events, the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, ocean carbon and
sulfur cycles, ocean acidification, Arctic oceanography, tsunamis, and ocean-seafloor interactive pro-
cesses. During this same period, PMEL scientists and technicians have been advancing the science and
technology innovation necessary to expand our observational capabilities in order to provide coverage
over large sections of the ocean. These advances have profoundly shaped our understanding of Earth
system processes and have led to improvements in environmental prediction, climate assessments, and
weather and climate services.
As one component of PMEL’s 50th anniversary celebration, the PMEL team has been working with the
Oceanography editor to develop a special issue of the journal focused on highlighting the laboratory’s sci-
entific work over the last five decades. This special issue is divided into themes that delineate how PMEL
research and observations have contributed to the advancement of NOAA’s mission to understand and
predict changes in climate, weather, and oceans and coasts, and to share that knowledge and informa-
tion broadly. The special issue is organized along six themes, each of which has one or two guest editors.
The theme editors extend their most sincere thanks and appreciation to the lead authors and
coauthors, scientists, and staff who carried out the research and provided the data that are described in
the articles presented in this special issue. We especially thank Sarah Battle and Sandra Bigley for their
exceptional help with the preparation of the figures and editing of the manuscripts. We are grateful to
David Detlor, John Thibodeau, and Avi Litwack at the NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology
and graphic designer Sandra Graubard for their additional support. We also want to thank Ellen Kappel,
Vicky Cullen, and Johanna Adams of The Oceanography Society’s Oceanography staff for their incredible
editing work, layout designs, and artwork suggestions that improved the manuscripts.
As a final note, it has been a special honor for me to spend most of my career working with the many
outstanding and dedicated individuals who I have had the privilege to call my friends and colleagues at
PMEL over the last 50 years. I have been truly blessed to have the opportunity to work with folks who
fully believe in the NOAA concepts of science, service, and stewardship.
Richard A. Feely
Special Issue Guest Editor and
Senior Scientist, NOAA PMEL
ARTICLE DOI: https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.233
Pacific Marine
Environmental Laboratory
50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN OCEANOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION TO
THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE
SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE PACIFIC MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY:
50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN OCEANOGRAPHY