[Coral-List] Upcoming OCTO-EBMTools Webinar

[Raye Evrard]

Dear Coral List,

If there is further interest in learning about Dr. Chuanmin Hu’s sargassum work (as mentioned in a previous Coral List email), OCTO will be hosting a free webinar next week on the Sargassum Watch System. Information and link to register are below. Webinar will be an hour long and a recording will be available at openchannels.org/webinars later in the day. 

Webinar: Sargassum Watch System warns of incoming seaweed
Presented by: Chuanmin Hu of the University of South Florida
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 27, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC
Description: The Sargassum Watch System (SaWS) uses satellite data and numerical models to detect and track pelagic Sargassum in near-real time. Sargassum is a pelagic seaweed that floats on the ocean surface and is abundant in the Intra-Americas Sea, the Atlantic, and along the coast of Europe. In the ocean, it provides an important habitat for many marine animals. On shore, it serves as fertilizer for sand dunes and biomass for food and fuel. Excessive amounts of Sargassum on beaches in populated areas can cause problems, however. Sargassum decomposition on beaches smells bad, attracts insects, smothers turtle nesting sites, and causes fish kills, in addition to diminishing tourism. Annual Sargassum inundation events are currently occurring annually along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts. SaWS monitors Sargassum distribution and abundance in the ocean to aid the study of ocean ecology, help fisheries management, and forecast Sargassum beaching events.
Co-sponsors: OCTO (OpenChannels, The Skimmer, MPA News, EBM Tools Network)
Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rpcnS14jRjOfqdmI0Ke3AA <https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rpcnS14jRjOfqdmI0Ke3AA>

Hope you can attend!

Best, 
Raye


Raye Evrard, MMA
Project Manager 
OCTO | Open Communications for The Ocean
https://www.octogroup.org | https://www.openchannels.org
raye at octogroup.org
Seattle, Washington, USA (UTC-7)