The Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), held its 2020 Science Meeting in April. This year, the annual event was held via videoconferencing due to the social distancing guidelines put in place as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although the virtual aspect was a new endeavor for the Center, the event was still informative and allowed all parties involved to showcase the cutting edge accomplishments made by students and scientists in their respective careers.
The program organizer and moderator was LMRCSC Distinguished Research Scientist, Dr. Bradley Stevens. In addition to organizing the event, he also presented the research accomplishments of the Center. Dr. Stevens focused on the importance of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) process and the benefit that it provides to students. Every NOAA Educational Partnership Program LMRCSC Scholar has the option to complete an independent research project before graduation.
“The TAB Research process is all about the students,” stated Dr. Stevens. “The purpose of the TAB is to help students become independent researchers and successful future scientists.”
The LMRCSC TAB serves as a funding source that allows for students to submit a proposal for a research project, and upon approval, they can have all related expenses paid for by the Center. The TAB allows for students to acquire hands-on research experience, while also affording future scientists opportunities to network with professionals in their fields.
In addition to the presentation from Dr. Stevens, other notable speakers were also on the agenda for the scientific forum. LMRCSC Director Dr. Paulinus Chigbu provided attendees with an overview of the Center and its various accomplishments. NOAA-EPP Lead Program and Policy Analyst, Dr. Audrey Trotman, NOAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, Sam Rauch, and Director of Scientific Programs and Chief Advisor of NOAA Fisheries, Dr. Cisco Werner all provided talks on Fisheries Science and NOAA strategies.
This year’s meeting focused on four different themes: Artificial Intelligence, OMICS, Unmanned Systems, and Cloud Computing, which are all emerging science strategies that NOAA is focusing on. These themes were developed by NOAA in conjunction with guidance provided by the agency and Congress.
“NOAA already has robust experience with these applications across a range of mission areas and is delivering successful operational systems that are beginning to pay dividends, whether in helping to improve weather forecasts or fish stock assessments,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator, speaking at the American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences Meeting.
“These strategies will accelerate the implementation of the most effective science and technology applications to advance NOAA’s mission to protect life and property and grow the American economy,” said RDML Gallaudet.
Although many professionals were active participants in the Science Meeting, many students were also afforded the opportunity to showcase their expertise. Students from all seven partner institutions presented on a host of topics related to fisheries science including studies on the Blue Crab, the acoustic detection of North Atlantic right whales, and the thermal effects on juvenile Pacific Cod.
The 2020 Annual Science Meeting was unprecedented in that it was held virtually, but fortunately, this format, and the social distancing guidelines, allowed the Center’s event to reach a larger audience than previous science meetings. With the aid of the NOAA Educational Partnership Program, the expertise of LMRCSC scholars, and organizing by Dr. Stevens and Dr. Werner, the forum was nothing short of a success!
