SOCP to Host NOAA / USACE Extreme Weather Activity Update Webinar

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) will be hosting a free webinar to the maritime industry to receive updates from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Extreme Weather Activity for industry feedback and discussion. This two-hour webinar will include the following Activity Topics:

1. NWS Marine Text Product Changes
2. USCG Proposal to Terminate Medium Frequency Navigational Telex (NAVTEX)
3. ECDIS Weather Overlays (S-412)
4. New GMDSS Satellite Provider - Iridium
5. Gulf Stream Impacts on Weather Forecasting
6. Develop Approach to Address North Wall Episodes
7. Recommendations Updating the 1-2-3 Rule 
8. AIS Vessel Weather Data Transmission Technology 

Presenters will include:

Joseph Sienkiewicz, Chief of the Ocean Applications Branch of NOAA’s Ocean Prediction Center (OPC): The OPC has international responsibility for weather warnings and forecasts for large portions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific.  Joe has worked in operational marine meteorology with NOAA for nearly 30 years. His professional interests include the use of satellite derived information to improve marine weather forecasts, explosively developing storms, and the application of weather information in marine operations. He serves on an international training team with NOAA and European scientists to train marine meteorologists from across the globe on the application of satellite sensed ocean winds and waves to operational marine forecasting. 

Brian Tetreault, Navigation Systems Specialist with the USACE, will be providing a presentation about his project to evaluate the feasibility of automatically collecting weather observations aboard commercial vessels and transmitting them via the ship’s AIS equipment. He will cover the concept, preliminary testing conducted in late 2018 and early 2019, and ongoing efforts aboard more than 10 commercial vessels.

For call-in information, RSVP by December 9, 2019 by contacting [email protected] 

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) is a non-profit organization of maritime industry professionals working together to improve the safety, productivity, efficiency, security, and environmental performance of U.S. vessel operations. SOCP collaborated with its members which include U.S. ship owners and operators, maritime unions, academies, training institutions, government agencies, and others, to solicit recommendations on the content of the best practices for the U.S. Merchant Marine industry. SOCP has provided its maritime industry expertise and guidance in creating these best practices for the U.S. Merchant Marine.