On October 22, we released the Ocean Enterprise in 2025 report, the third in the Ocean Enterprise Study series that takes a close look at the U.S. businesses engaged in ocean observation and measurement. The findings are clear: the U.S. Ocean Enterprise is on the rise, and shows no signs of slowing down. We’ve been doing this study at five-year intervals since 2015, and it’s a valuable tool for not only highlighting the important work of this sector, but also identifying ways for the public sector to engage with, or better engage with, those businesses. Visit the study’s webpage for highlights and the full report!
Also in October, Acting Director Krisa Arzayus delivered opening remarks to kick off the California Ocean Observing Systems Summit in Santa Barbara. Hosted by the California Regional Associations SCCOOS and CeNCOOS, this conference brought together cross-sector partners to share the impact of IOOS network accomplishments, capabilities, and tools for end users in the region. Many of the conversations focused on El Niño, and applications of ocean observations and data to aid management, mitigation, and better understanding of the phenomenon.
Looking ahead, we’ll join GCOOS in Texas later this month where they’re hosting our annual Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Code Sprint. Since 2019, this three-day event has brought the DMAC community together to dive into projects that address data and information challenges. Efforts will focus on the IOOS mission to produce, integrate, and communicate high quality ocean, coastal and Great Lakes data that meets the nation’s safety, economic, and stewardship needs. A prior code sprint led to the maturation of Xpublish, a library that enables publishing scientific datasets on the web — we’re looking forward to what 2026 brings!