[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 41 (Thursday, March 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12658-12659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04495]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory 
Committee

AGENCY: National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a virtual meeting of the U. S. 
Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory Committee 
(Committee).

DATES: The meeting will be held on March 17, 18, and 19, 2021 from 1:00 
p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. These times and the agenda topics described 
below are subject to change. Refer to the web page listed below for the 
most up-to-date agenda and dial-in information.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held virtually. Refer to the U.S. IOOS

[[Page 12659]]

Advisory Committee website at http://ioos.noaa.gov/community/u-s-ioos-advisory-committee/ for the most up-to-date information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krisa Arzayus, Designated Federal 
Official, U.S. IOOS Advisory Committee, U.S. IOOS Program, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone 240-533-9455; Fax 301-713-
3281; Email [email protected] or visit the U.S. IOOS Advisory 
Committee website at http://ioos.noaa.gov/community/u-s-ioos-advisory-committee/. To register for the meeting, contact Laura Gewain, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee was established by the NOAA 
Administrator as directed by Section 12304 of the Integrated Coastal 
and Ocean Observation System Act, part of the Omnibus Public Land 
Management Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11), and reauthorized under the 
Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-
271). The Committee advises the NOAA Administrator and the Interagency 
Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) on matters related to the 
responsibilities and authorities set forth in section 12302 of the 
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 and other 
appropriate matters as the Under Secretary refers to the Committee for 
review and advice.
    The Committee will provide advice on:
    (A) Administration, operation, management, and maintenance of the 
System;
    (B) expansion and periodic modernization and upgrade of technology 
components of the System;
    (C) identification of end-user communities, their needs for 
information provided by the System, and the System's effectiveness in 
disseminating information to end-user communities and to the general 
public; and
    (D) additional priorities, including--
    (i) a national surface current mapping network designed to improve 
fine scale sea surface mapping using high frequency radar technology 
and other emerging technologies to address national priorities, 
including Coast Guard search and rescue operation planning and harmful 
algal bloom forecasting and detection that--
    (I) is comprised of existing high frequency radar and other sea 
surface current mapping infrastructure operated by national programs 
and regional coastal observing systems;
    (II) incorporates new high frequency radar assets or other fine 
scale sea surface mapping technology assets, and other assets needed to 
fill gaps in coverage on United States coastlines; and
    (III) follows a deployment plan that prioritizes closing gaps in 
high frequency radar infrastructure in the United States, starting with 
areas demonstrating significant sea surface current data needs, 
especially in areas where additional data will improve Coast Guard 
search and rescue models;
    (ii) fleet acquisition for unmanned maritime systems for deployment 
and data integration to fulfill the purposes of this subtitle;
    (iii) an integrative survey program for application of unmanned 
maritime systems to the real-time or near real-time collection and 
transmission of sea floor, water column, and sea surface data on 
biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and hydrography;
    (iv) remote sensing and data assimilation to develop new analytical 
methodologies to assimilate data from the System into hydrodynamic 
models;
    (v) integrated, multi-State monitoring to assess sources, movement, 
and fate of sediments in coastal regions;
    (vi) a multi-region marine sound monitoring system to be--
    (I) planned in consultation with the Interagency Ocean Observation 
Committee, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
Department of the Navy, and academic research institutions; and
    (II) developed, installed, and operated in coordination with the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the 
Navy, and academic research institutions; and
    (E) any other purpose identified by the Administrator or the 
Council.
    The meeting will be open to public participation with a 10-minute 
public comment period on from 4:45pm to 5:00pm EDT each day of the 
meeting (check agenda on website to confirm time). The Committee 
expects that public statements presented at its meetings will not be 
repetitive of previously submitted verbal or written statements. In 
general, each individual or group making a verbal presentation will be 
limited to a total time of three (3) minutes. Written comments should 
be received by the Designated Federal Official by March 15, 2021, to 
provide sufficient time for Committee review. Written comments received 
after March 15, 2021, will be distributed to the Committee, but may not 
be reviewed prior to the meeting date. To submit written comments, 
please email your comments, your name as it appears on your driver's 
license, and the organization/company affiliation you represent to 
Krisa Arzayus, [email protected] and Laura Gewain, 
[email protected].
    Matters to be considered: The meeting will focus on updates from 
committee working groups on ongoing committee priorities, including the 
role of ocean observations in forecasting, strategy and vision for the 
System, partnerships for a successful System, and requirements for the 
System, in order to develop the next set of recommendations to NOAA and 
the IOOC. The latest version of the agenda will be posted at http://ioos.noaa.gov/community/u-s-ioos-advisory-committee/.
    Special accomodations: These meetings are physically accessible to 
people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or 
other auxiliary aids should be directed to Krisa Arzayus, Designated 
Federal Official at [email protected] and [email protected] or 
240-533-9455 by March 10, 2021.

Krisa M. Arzayus,
Deputy Director, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office, 
National Ocean Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-04495 Filed 3-3-21; 8:45 am]
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