GOMO Director Interviewed on COVID Impacts to Ocean Observing

In response to a GOOS report on COVID impacts to ocean observing, Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program’s Director Dr. David Legler was interviewed by E&E’s Climatewire. In the article, published July 20, 2020, Legler commented on the current state of ocean observations, including gaps in data from reduced ship observations and impacts to the Argo network. Legler stated that longer term impacts are yet to be determined. “In NOAA, we’re working very hard and very creatively with our partners to try to maximize our opportunities to utilize ships and to keep going on the missions that are very important to us,” he said. “But we’re also prioritizing the safety of our employees and partners.”

Legler was also interviewed by Inside Climate News and KQED. The Inside Climate News article, published July 25, 2020 and titled “Q&A: Oceanographers Tell How the Pandemic Crimps Global Ocean and Climate Monitoring” also includes an interview with Emma Heslop, program director for the International Oceanographic Commission as well as an overview of COVID’s impact to global ocean observations. As of July 28, 2020, NOAA Daily Clips reported an impressive reach of 112,278 average unique visitors to the article per day.