Dr Saara Suominen (Finland) is joining our OBIS team at the IOC Project Office for IODE as the OBIS Science Officer and will support us with developing the tools to process DNA sequence-based occurrences, as part of the PacMAN project (Pacific Islands Marine Bioinvasions Network), funded by the Government of Flanders. Her background is in marine microbial ecology, and she has experience with the utilization of molecular methods for the analysis of marine microbial populations. She has previously worked in aquatic research projects in Finland, Iceland and France, and has recently obtained her PhD from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. She is passionate about genetic data and how it can inform future developments in the marine science and policy fields. Saara has been recruited through VLIZ – Flanders Marine Institute, funded by a grant from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation for an initial period of 12 months.
An online survey was launched on 8 June and closed on 27 June. We received a total of 117 responses including 36 NODCs, 15 ADUs, 7 marine libraries, and 24 experts involved in IODE projects. The survey revealed that :
- 81% of the respondents reported that the pandemic had an impact on the data centre.
- 77% of the respondents reported that data centre staff has been working from home while 34% was sent home with pay (but without working from home).
- 51% of the respondents reported that the pandemic resulted in a reduced data flow to the data centre (data received) while 25% reported no data received at all
- 48% of the respondents reported that there was no change in the services provided by the data centre while 36% reported reduced services
- 49% of the respondents reported that they expect the impact of the pandemic continue for more than 3 months (i.e. later dan August 2020)
- 57% of the respondents expect that the pandemic will result in data gaps in their collection, and 44% expect a loss of funding
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, CEFAS based in Lowestoft, United Kingdom has been formally been added to the network of IODE Associate Data Units/ Cefas scientists are the UK Government’s marine and freshwater science experts collecting, managing and interpreting data on the aquatic environment, biodiversity and fisheries. Cefas offers the broadest range of applied marine and freshwater science in the UK. Commencing in 1902 as a small fisheries laboratory in Lowestoft, UK, Cefas currently employs over 500 staff between sites in Lowestoft and Weymouth, and small port-based offices in Scarborough, Hayle and Plymouth on a diverse remit including: Marine monitoring, Ocean and ocean processes, Ecosystem understanding, Marine biodiversity, Aquatic animal health, Emergency response, Climate change, Assessment and advice, Sustainable fisheries, Food safety, Technology and data. Overseas, Cefas scientists work in Commonwealth countries, UK Overseas Territories, South East Asia and the Middle East and in 2014 Cefas established a permanent base in the Middle East by opening an office in Kuwait, and since opened an office in Oman. https://www.cefas.co.uk/
Under the supervision of the OBIS project manager the communications consultant has to develop visuals, key messages and story lines for a very broad audience (including students, scientists, natural resource managers and policy makers). More specifically, the contractor needs to deliver a suitably designed brochure (for print) as well as presentation slides containing:
An infographic covering the OBIS network, activities and key value propositions
Examples of the variety of OBIS data types
OBIS use cases, including key scientific outcomes, and initiatives it supports
Description of the OBIS process, illustrating the various data transformations during the full data life-cycle (from data custodians, to OBIS nodes to OBIS international)
The consultant should be able to work from home with necessary computer equipment and highspeed internet connection available. We are also specifically looking for someone outside of the OBIS network to provide a fresh perspective avoiding the current situation of stagnant internal communication processes.
If you are interested, please find more information in the vacancy notice. The deadline for applications is 5 July 2020 (6 PM CEST).
It deeply saddens us to let you all know that Mr. Mike Simmons passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on June 3, 2020.
For those of you that may not know him. He was the "grandfather" of the so-called GTSPP continuously managed database (CMD), the one-and-only well documented and widely used oceanographic profile database in the world. Without his effort and endless sacrifice , the GTSPP (http://www.iode.org/gtspp) can not be such a success as an IODE project during the past two decades or so and the "ball" is still rolling.
He is survived by his wife, his sister, two sons, and his granddaughter.
The first "Workshop on data sharing between UN agencies as a contribution to the UN decade of ocean science for sustainable development" was held as an online meeting on 20 April 2020. The meeting was attended by FAO, IOC, ISA, UNDP, UNEP, UN ESCAP, UFCCC, UN Statistics, WCMC and WMO. The participants shared information on the ocean related data and information held or coordinated by their organization. They also agreed to establish working groups that will follow-up on issues related to improved sharing of data and information.
Dr Saara Suominen (Finland) is joining our OBIS team at the IOC Project Office for IODE as the OBIS Science Officer and will support us with developing the tools to process DNA sequence-based occurrences, as part of the PacMAN project (Pacific Islands Marine Bioinvasions Network), funded by the Government of Flanders. Her background is in marine microbial ecology, and she has experience with the utilization of molecular methods for the analysis of marine microbial populations. She has previously worked in aquatic research projects in Finland, Iceland and France, and has recently obtained her PhD from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. She is passionate about genetic data and how it can inform future developments in the marine science and policy fields. Saara has been recruited through VLIZ – Flanders Marine Institute, funded by a grant from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation for an initial period of 12 months. 
It deeply saddens us to let you all know that Mr. Mike Simmons passed
The first "Workshop on data sharing between UN agencies as a contribution to the UN decade of ocean science for sustainable development" was held as an online meeting on 20 April 2020. The meeting was attended by FAO, IOC, ISA, UNDP, UNEP, UN ESCAP, UFCCC, UN Statistics, WCMC and WMO. The participants shared information on the ocean related data and information held or coordinated by their organization. They also agreed to establish working groups that will follow-up on issues related to improved sharing of data and information.