1. Observing System Committee Members: Jim Byous, Ocean Specialists, Inc. Don Conlee, Nortek-USA David Heil, Bureau of Aquaculture Environmental Services-FL Stephan Howden, USM (Chair) Gary Jeffress, TAMU-CC Dawn Lavoie, USGS Alan Lewitus, NOAA Linda Lillycrop, USACE Nick Shay, RSMAS Neil Trenamen, DHI Nan Walker, LSU Jan van Smirren, Fugro GEOS Inc. Mike Vogel, Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc. GCOOS Board Meeting26-27 February 2008Biloxi, MS

2. 1.Determine ways Councils and Committees will communicate and identify interdependencies –a.OSC representative to Board meetings (2 months teleconference, 6 months face to face), Chair –b.OSC representative to DMAC, Gary Jeffress –c.OSC representative to Products and Services, Nan Walker –d.OSC representative to Stakeholders Council –e.Education and Outreach 2.Recommend to the Board of Directors actions relative to the identification of historical data sets and their digital accessibility and archival; timeline: March 31, 2008; team leader: Gary Jeffress Action Plan for Dec 2007-June 2008 GCOOS Observing System Committee

3. 3. Develop Emergency Response Plan for Regional Ocean Observing Systems (ROOS), or GCOOS Subsystems. –a.Template 1 st draft, Timeline: April 1, 2008 Task Leader: Gary Jeffress –b.Final template. Date: May 15, 2008. Task Leader: Gary Jeffress –c.Identify ROOS for participation –d.Contact each ROOS about draft plan to submit to GCOOS Office. Date: May 15, 2008 4.Ensure all ROOS participate in the CSC IOOS Data Registry. –a.U. South Alabama, FSU; January 15, 2008, Don Conlee –b.Check with NCDDC about providing assistance; January 15, 2008, Stephan Howden –c.MS-DMR/USGS; January 15, 2008, Stephan Howden –d.La-DNR/USGS; December 15, 2007, Nan Walker –e.Check off the Systems Inventory List; January 15, 2008, Howden –f.Check on USGS/TX and USGC/FL.; December 15, 2007, Dawn Lavoie – Julie Bosch will serve as a technical point of contact for entities within GCOOS which wish to register with the IOOS Data Registry. –IOOS Registry main developer Josh Pedersen recommended waiting for roll out of revamped registry (very soon) before adding new sites.

4. 5.Develop Directory of IOOS/GCOOS Technical Experts for –a.HF Radar –b.Remote Sensing –c.AUVs –d.Nutrient Sensors –e.Sea level gages –f.In-situ optical –g.Oxygen –h.Waves and currents –i.Buoys –j.Drifters Stephan Howden will send out email by mid-February with a request to return by mid-March. Results will be collated into a directory by early April.

5. 6.Push for Data Registry of National Backbone in Gulf –a.Ask GCOOS Board to request NFRA to ask for Federal registry of IOOS data. Timeline: January 2008 –Worth Nowlin 7.Review committee membership and chairmanship. Committee will send recommendations to Board of Directors by April. - OSC will recommend two new members to the committee 8.Review committee's prioritized lists of GCOOS proposed projects and GOM National Backbone enhancements and circulate to other committees and councils for comment before submitting recommendations to the Board. This activity has a high priority since GCOOS must be ready with a vetted plan as funding opportunities present themselves. [Maybe the OSC is being to presumptuous in leading this activity and the Board should take the lead?] –a.Complete OSC review by mid-February –b.Circulate to committees and councils and obtain comments by early March. –c.Teleconference to finalize recommendations by end of March. –d.Submit recommendations to the Board by end of March.

6. 9.Review and update the Action Plan twice per year; timeline: June 2008 and November 2008; team leader: Stephan Howden, Chair