NOAA today announced that the Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) will hold a public virtual meeting on Monday, Feb. 26.
The meeting will include discussion of ORAP’s initial review of the following tasks performed by ORAP members following their inaugural meeting in December:
- Landscape assessment and horizon scan of current and emerging technologies for ocean biogeochemical sensing (e.g., eDNA, microfluidics, optofluidics, lab-on-a-chip) including:
- Current and potential technology applications;
- Technology, market, and industry maturity level;
- Key innovators, manufacturers, adopters;
- Current partnerships and potential partnership opportunities to support market growth and technology adoption, and
- Existing technology and/or industry and market gaps, regulatory inefficiencies, and barriers to success
- Landscape assessment and horizon scan of current ocean data management programs, priorities, and services in the United States including:
- Current federal and non-federal ocean data management programs;
- Key federal data centers and repositories;
- Existing partnerships (i.e. IOOS Regional Associations, Regional Data Portals) and opportunities to leverage, expand, and consolidate data services through new partnerships; and
- Regulatory, economic, programmatic, and technical barriers to progress
These tasks were carried out in furtherance of ORAP’s mission to do the following:
- Advise the Ocean Policy Committee on areas of opportunity for partnership (such as through National Oceanic Partnership Program) on the topic of emerging technology (which could include Artificial intelligence/Machine Learning, eDNA, and similar technology) with ocean industry and others sectors over the next 5-10 years; and
- Identify a subject about which ORAP believes is important for the Ocean Policy Committee to receive more information and recommendations for consideration (ORAP self-tasking)
Established under the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, ORAP advises the Ocean Policy Committee on policies and procedures to implement the NOPP, matters relating to national oceanographic science, engineering, facilities, or resource requirements, improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the ocean sciences and related fields, advising the Ocean Policy Committee on national ocean research priorities, and any additional responsibilities that the Ocean Policy Committee considers appropriate.
