In Brief: NOAA moving forward with scientific integrity policy

The approach of the new year is a traditional time to tally up successes, failures, and the path ahead. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), examined some agency advances and significant challenges during the 7 December Union Agency Lecture at the AGU Fall Meeting, during a press briefing, and in an interview with Eos. Lubchenco focused on several key areas including the concern about monitoring, mitigating, and managing extreme events; budgetary pressures the agency faces in current fiscal year (FY) 2012 and in FY 2013, with President Barack Obama on 18 November having signed into law a bill, HR 2112, following congressional agreement on a budget legislation conference report; and NOAA's newly released scientific integrity policy (see “NOAA issues scientific integrity policy,” Eos Trans. AGU, 92(50), 467, doi:10.1029/2011EO500004, 2011).

Marine Mammal ScienceVolume 29, Issue 2 p. E193-E202 Notes An investigation of sound use and behavior in a killer whale (Orcinus orca) population to inform passive acoustic monitoring studies Marla M. Holt, Corresponding Author Marla M. Holt Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology Team, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington, 98112 U.S.ACorresponding author (e-mail: marla.holt@noaa.gov).Search for more papers by this authorDawn P. Noren, Dawn P. Noren Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology Team, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington, 98112 U.S.ASearch for more papers by this authorCandice K. Emmons, Candice K. Emmons Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology Team, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington, 98112 U.S.ASearch for more papers by this author Marla M. Holt, Corresponding Author Marla M. Holt Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology Team, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington, 98112 U.S.ACorresponding author (e-mail: marla.holt@noaa.gov).Search for more papers by this authorDawn P. Noren, Dawn P. Noren Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology Team, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington, 98112 U.S.ASearch for more papers by this authorCandice K. Emmons, Candice K. Emmons Marine Mammal & Seabird Ecology Team, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington, 98112 U.S.ASearch for more papers by this author First published: 12 September 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2012.00599.xCitations: 13Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume29, Issue2April 2013Pages E193-E202 RelatedInformation

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key instrument onboard the Suomi NPP (S-NPP) and the NOAA-20 satellites that provides state-of-the-art Earth observations for ocean, land, aerosol, and cloud applications. VIIRS Reflective Solar Band (RSB) Sensor Data Records (SDR, or Level 1b products) are calibrated and produced independently by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) VIIRS science teams. Multiple versions of S-NPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS SDRs are available to date. This study evaluates the long-term calibration stability, biases, and inter-channel consistency of S-NPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS SDRs generated by NOAA and NASA over Deep Convective Clouds (DCC) to support downstream applications, especially climate data record studies. Five VIIRS RSB SDRs were analyzed in this study: (1) NOAA version 2 S-NPP VIIRS reprocessed SDRs (NOAA-NPP-V2, 2012–2020), (2) NASA Collection 1 S-NPP VIIRS SDRs (NASA-NPP-C1, 2012–2021), (3) NASA Collection 2 S-NPP VIIRS SDRs (NASA-NPP-C2, 2012–2021), (4) NOAA constant F-factor calibrated NOAA-20 VIIRS SDRs (NOAA-N20-ConstF, 2018–2021), and (5) NASA Collection 2 NOAA-20 VIIRS SDRs (NASA-N20-C2, 2018–2021). The DCC time series analysis results indicate that the calibrations of the three S-NPP VIIRS RSB SDRs are generally stable, with trends within ±0.1%/year for all RSBs, except for M3–M4 (all three S-NPP SDRs) and I3 (NASA-NPP-C1 only). The calibration of NASA-NPP-C2 SDRs is more uniform at individual detector levels. NOAA-NPP-V2 and NASA-NPP-C1 SDRs exhibit non-negligible time-dependent detector level degradation in M1–M4 (up to 1.5% in 2020–2021), causing striping in the SDR imagery. The biases between NOAA and NASA S-NPP VIIRS RSB SDRs are from 0.1% to 2.4%. The calibrations of the two NOAA-20 VIIRS RSB SDRs are also generally stable, with trends within ±0.16%/year. Small downward trends were observed in the visible and near-infrared (VIS/NIR) bands, and small upward trends were observed in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands for both NOAA and NASA NOAA-20 SDRs. The biases between NOAA and NASA NOAA-20 VIIRS RSB SDRs are nearly constant over time and within ±0.2% for VIS/NIR bands and ±0.7% for SWIR bands. There exists large inter-satellite biases between S-NPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS SDRs, especially in the VIS/NIR bands (up to 4.5% for NOAA SDRs and up to 7% for NASA SDRs). In addition, the DCC reflectance of S-NPP VIIRS RSB spectral bands is more consistent with that of the SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) than that of NOAA-20. Bands M4 and M9 seem out of family in all five S-NPP and NOAA-20 RSB SDRs evaluated.

The National Ocean Service, which I've headed since December 1983, is one of the major line components of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA, in turn, is part of the Department of Commerce and is the leading federal agency in the oceanic and atmospheric sciences. Other agencies are involved in the earth sciences, such as the Department of the Interior's Geological Survey, or are in the business of environmental regulations, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but NOAA is the one federal agency charged specifically with analyzing and predicting oceanic and atmospheric components of the earth's environment as a whole. The importance of this global, integrated air‐sea approach is reflected in the five NOAA line offices.This past December, NOAA line offices were reorganized to consolidate programs as part of the Reagan Administration's general government‐wide belt tightening (see Figure 1). The idea was for NOAA to grow leaner but stronger. The main thrust of the work of the Weather Service and the Marine Fisheries Service remained the same. The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research continued to provide research support to the other NOAA components. A trimmed down Environmental Data and Information Service merged with the National Environmental Satellite Service to become today's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. Also, this past December the NOAA Office of Coastal Zone Management joined forces with the National Ocean Survey to become the National Ocean Service.

President Trump and his administration have been regarded by news outlets and scholars as one of the most hostile administrations towards scientists and their work. However, no study to-date has empirically measured how federal scientists perceive the Trump administration with respect to their scientific work. In 2018, we distributed a survey to over 63,000 federal scientists from 16 federal agencies to assess their perception of scientific integrity. Here we discuss the results of this survey for a subset of these agencies: Department of Interior (DOI) agencies (the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the US Geological Survey, and the National Park Service); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We focus our analysis to 10 key questions fitting within three core categories that relate to perceptions of integrity in science. Additionally, we analyzed responses across agencies and compare responses in the 2018 survey to prior year surveys of federal scientists with similar survey questions. Our results indicate that federal scientists perceive losses of scientific integrity under the Trump Administration. Perceived loss of integrity in science was greater at the DOI and EPA where federal scientists ranked incompetent and untrustworthy leadership as top barriers to science-based decision-making, but this was not the case at the CDC, FDA, and NOAA where scientists positively associated leadership with scientific integrity. We also find that reports of political interference in scientific work and adverse work environments were higher at EPA and FWS in 2018 than in prior years. We did not find similar results at the CDC and FDA. These results suggest that leadership, positive work environments, and clear and comprehensive scientific integrity policies and infrastructure within agencies play important roles in how federal scientists perceive their agency's scientific integrity.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides daily reference evapotranspiration (ETref) maps for the contiguous United States using climatic data from North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). This data provides large‐scale spatial representation of ETref, which is essential for regional scale water resources management. Data used in the development of NOAA daily ETref maps are derived from observations over surfaces that are different from short (grass — ETos) or tall (alfalfa — ETrs) reference crops, often in nonagricultural settings, which carries an unknown discrepancy between assumed and actual conditions. In this study, NOAA daily ETos and ETrs maps were evaluated for accuracy, using observed data from the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (TXHPET) network. Daily ETos, ETrs and the climatic data (air temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation) used for calculating ETref were extracted from the NOAA maps for TXHPET locations and compared against ground measurements on reference grass surfaces. NOAA ETref maps generally overestimated the TXHPET observations (1.4 and 2.2 mm/day ETos and ETrs, respectively), which may be attributed to errors in the NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed, to which reference ETref is most sensitive. Therefore, a bias correction to NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed data, or adjustment to the resulting NOAA ETref, may be needed to improve the accuracy of NOAA ETref maps.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is in the process of developing acoustic guidelines for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammal species under NOAA’s jurisdiction. The guidelines will provide a summary of past policies and updated basic science-based guidance. The guidelines are intended for use by NOAA analysts/managers and relevant stakeholders, including federal agencies, and will increase the transparency and consistency of how acoustic effects on marine mammals are assessed in the context of our authorizations, permits, consultations, and exemptions under the various environmental statutes NOAA administers (e.g., Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Marine Sanctuaries Act).

The Mg II core‐to‐wing index is a ratio of the Mg II chromospheric emission at 280 nm to the photospheric radiation in the line wings and is used as an indicator of solar activity. Since October 1991, the Solar‐Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) has made daily irradiance measurements in the range 119–420 nm from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). A new Mg II index, based on the SOLSTICE observations at a spectral resolution of 0.24 nm, is presented and compared to previous measurements. Spectral irradiance measurements of the Mg II doublet at low spectral resolution (≈ 1 nm) have been made by the Solar Backscatter UltraViolet (SBUV) instrument on Nimbus 7 since November 1978 and subsequently by the SBUV2 instruments on NOAA 9 and NOAA 11 satellites. We compare the SOLSTICE data with the Mg II time series derived from SBUV2 data by the groups at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). SOLSTICE data are convolved to the lower SBUV2 resolution, and the NOAA and GSFC algorithms are then applied to this data set. The SOLSTICE Mg II indices constructed in this manner simulate the SBUV2 indices and can be used to validate the SBUV2 time series and identify data problems. From our analysis, we conclude that the NOAA Mg II time series is the most consistent during the period 1978–1994. The new GSFC Mg II time series has comparable accuracy for the period starting in 1989. We also derive the linear transformation equations required to put the high‐and low‐resolution time series onto common scales.

On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 Mw earthquake occurred near the east coast of Honshu Island, Japan. The earthquake generated a tsunami with wave heights up to 40 m triggering a response from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is the lead federal agency responsible for tsunami warnings issuance, technology innovation, research, and mitigation for the United States. These activities are matrixed across several closely integrated bureaus, including the National Weather Service National Data Buoy Center, Tsunami Warning Centers, and UNESCO/IOC – NOAA International Tsunami Information Center; the National Ocean Service Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Each of these bureaus work together to improve tsunami forecasting and thereby protect lives. Immediately following the March 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, all NOAA offices were involved in complimentary tsunami activities. In this paper, we describe the status of data associated with this tsunami event, review the processing and availability of tide gauge and tsunameter data, including Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART®) and discuss the uses of these data in tsunami models. The basic data in the NGDC historical event databases include: date, time, event location, magnitude of the phenomenon, and socio-economic information such as the total number of fatalities and dollar damage estimates. The tsunami database includes additional information on runups (locations where tsunami waves were observed by eyewitnesses, post-tsunami field surveys, tide gauges, or deep ocean sensors). Therefore, an introduction and summary of the effects of the earthquake and tsunami is also included.KeywordsDamageEarthquakeRunupTide gaugeTsunameterTsunami2011 Tohoku Japan Tsunami

Research across natural resource management disciplines has identified an implementation gap between researchers and managers, where institutional norms and practices limit integration of novel data and observations into decision-making. This gap has largely been addressed using one-way science communication tools such as publications and conference presentations. While these tools can be designed and delivered effectively, mounting evidence suggests two-way communication builds more trust, enhances engagement, and may lead to more active use of scientific information in decision-making. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Western Regional Collaboration Team’s West Watch webinar is a one-way communication tool that shares information about climate, weather, and ocean condition anomalies to an internal audience of NOAA experts and key partners. NOAA is interested in expanding this tool to improve information accessibility and use by communities of interest that NOAA serves. This research uses a mixed-methods approach to evaluate how West Watch could change to function as a two-way communication tool, facilitating bilateral information movement between research presenters and the audience. Research results, supported by literature, inform five best practices and recommendations for changes to West Watch, as well as the design and implementation of future science communication tools.

We compare radiation budgets derived from different Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) archives over the tropical oceans (30S and 30N) from 1985 to 1989. Two ERBE data sets are used. One is taken from the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the other from the combined ERBS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 9, and NOAA 10 satellites. The domain‐mean all‐sky outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) derived from the combined data set shows a notable change in early 1987 when NOAA 10 replaced NOAA 9. This change is also found in longwave (LW) cloud radiative forcing (CRF), all‐sky shortwave (SW) radiation, and SWCRF. The ERBS, however, does not show such changes.We also examine the sensitivity of cloud–radiation interaction to the sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical oceans. In general, each component of radiative feedbacks derived from the two ERBE data have the same sign, although they show a certain degree of discrepancy in the magnitude. The discrepancy is more notable for averaged quantities over the entire tropical oceans, particularly over the subtropics where convective activities are relatively weak. The combined data show a larger sensitivity of LWCRF and SWCRF to SST than those of the ERBS, consistent with the above results. The response of clouds to an increase in SST has a net cooling effect when using the combined data but has a net heating effect when using the ERBS data (−0.80 W m−2 K−1 versus 0.48 W m−2 K−1). Most of the discrepancies of the net CRF between the two ERBE data sets can be accounted for by the difference in the sensitivity of all‐sky OLR (4.52 W m−2 K−1 versus 1.73 W m−2 K−1). Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.

Advancements within the field of ocean exploration made by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in collaboration with other government, academic and industry partners, have opened up opportunities for investigating maritime heritage resources. With a focus on the initial phases of marine archaeology—discovery, investigation and inventory—the NOAA provides marine heritage researchers with vessel time, advanced technologies and financial support, which were not as readily available a few years ago. Along the way, the discovery of new maritime heritage sites has also uncovered new responsibilities and challenges with respect to resource management. The NOAA has created innovative ways of addressing these issues while continuing its mission to expand its research of the world’s oceans.

Summary form only as given. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has not traditionally been concerned with science and technology commercialization. In March 1997, NOAA launched the Center for Technology Innovation in Charleston, South Carolina, USA-a region not generally known for technology entrepreneurship. This paper discusses the antecedents to NOAA's launching this experiential learning laboratory and steps taken to make it successful.

In 2004 the US Navy transferred the USNS Capable (T-AGOS 16) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The vessel has recently completed an extensive conversion effort to become the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) will use the vessel to conduct multi-disciplinary ocean exploration and research projects. OER's goal is to increase America's knowledge of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and other areas of the roughly 95 percent of the underwater world not previously explored and largely unknown. As a new vessel dedicated to ocean exploration the Okeanos Explorer received significant upgrades and new equipment. This paper describes the major facets of the conversion. The Okeanos Explorer will be the first NOAA vessel to carry a dedicated remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and systems designed to connect the ship and ROV activities to shore via ldquotelepresence.rdquo The development and integration of these new technologies on the vessel is also described. The paper concludes with a discussion of how OER envisions these tools being employed in ocean exploration.

In their Policy Forum “North Atlantic right whales in crisis” (22 July, p. [561][1]), S. D. Kraus et al. make clear the plight of the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis , and note that whale deaths from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements have not been diminishing. Kraus et al. call for changes to U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) management policy to put strong and immediate emphasis on reducing human-induced mortality of right whales. The species, though, is not restricted to U.S. waters; it ranges from Florida to the Canadian Maritimes. It is listed as Endangered under both the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Canadian Species at Risk Act. ![Figure][2] CREDIT: NOAA U.S. and Canadian protection and recovery policies for North Atlantic right whales, administered respectively by NOAA and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), are not precisely the same. Although the current U.S. and Canadian plans both make reducing mortality due to ship strike and net entrapment a higher priority than reducing habitat degradation, the Canadian plan does not address direct human lethal take ([1][3], [2][4]). Bilaterally agreed-upon management policy is essential for the protection of globally endangered migratory species that cross political boundaries. A precedent was set by the bilateral recovery efforts in aid of the whooping crane. Some level of cooperation between the two countries has been achieved regarding the right whale, but it is insufficient to call only for changes to NOAA management policy when coordinated, bilateral management; regular joint meetings; and cooperative actions are needed. The new U.S. recovery plan calls for bilateral cooperative efforts to maximize protection for right whales. Canadian recovery planning should follow suit and both jurisdictions should work together. 1. 1.[↵][5] National Marine Fisheries Service, Recovery Plan for the Northern Right Whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ) (National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD, 2005). 2. 2.[↵][6] North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Team, Canadian North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan (Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, 2000). # Response {#article-title-2} We agree with Sayles and Green. Migratory transboundary species like the right whale require bilateral efforts at many levels. For example, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services' Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ([1][7]) does require the U.S. government to work with Canada to develop bilateral agreements related to shipping. Further, most co-authors on the Policy Forum have benefited from close working relationships with both researchers and managers within Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Several breakthroughs in right whale conservation have already been made in Canada, including relocation of the internationally adopted shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy to reduce ship kills, as well as the official recognition of two Conservation Areas where right whales aggregate. The Bay of Fundy shipping lane changes resulted from efforts by Irving Oil, Transport Canada, DFO, the International Maritime Organization, fishing organizations, whale watching groups, and right whale conservationists. Such multilateral partnerships are especially important in conserving transboundary species. However, we are aware that DFO's ability to really make a difference to right whale conservation is dependent on funding for their initiatives, and support for recovery plan implementation has been limited. We encourage both the Canadian government and nongovernmental organizations to support increased funding for right whale conservation in Canada and welcome additional collaboration with our Canadian colleagues, particularly in the development of bilateral measures to ensure the protection of right whales throughout their range. 1. 1.[↵][8] Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 50 CFR Part 224 [040506143-4143-01; I.D. 052504C] RIN 0648-AS36 Endangered Fish and Wildlife; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction, U.S. Fed. Reg. 69 (No. 105), 30857 (2004). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1111200 [2]: pending:yes [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2. in text [7]: #ref-3 [8]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 1. in text