The United States’ Integrated Ocean Observing System has awarded USD 2.5 million (EUR 2.27 million) to the Alaska Ocean Observing System as part of a five-year agreement to support observing activities in Alaska.
The money will be used to track sea ice, ocean acidification, water temperature and currents, shipping traffic and marine mammal populations, according to a press release.
“Ocean observing is a collaborative effort, and in order to build a strong, comprehensive national network, it's essential that we work with dynamic regional associations who are integrated into the communities they serve,” said U.S. I.O.O.S. Program Director Zdenka Willis. “It's because of regional associations like A.O.O.S. that the national Integrated Ocean Observing System is able to reflect the needs of so many diverse communities and industries who need observing data every day.”
More than USD 31 million (28 million) in federal grants have been awarded by the U.S. I.O.O.S. this year to maintain and expand ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing efforts throughout the mainland United States as well as the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Funding for these entities provided through the 2009 Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System (I.C.O.O.S.) Act, which authorized the establishment of the U.S. I.O.O.S., according to the press release.
