About CICOES

This Cooperative Institute was formed in 2020 through a consortium among the University of Washington, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Oregon State University. Researchers from all three universities contributed to the proposal, whose goal was to showcase our capacity within nine research themes specified by NOAA.

Research themes

• Aquaculture science

• Climate and ocean variability, change, and impacts

• Earth systems and processes

• Environmental chemistry and ocean carbon

• Environmental data science

• Human dimensions in marine systems

• Marine ecosystems: Observation, analysis, and forecasts

• Ocean and coastal observations

• Polar studies

Learn more about each of these research themes

Capabilities

The Cooperative Institute provides access to scientifically-equipped coastal and global ocean class research vessels, crews, and support facilities that can be chartered on both routine and project-by project basis for climate observation operations relevant to all research themes listed above.

Cooperative Institute facilities complement and expand existing research capacity to study global and regional climate/ecosystem connections in various locales, including the North Pacific, the tropical oceans, the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, and the Indian Ocean.

Research infrastructure provided by the Cooperative Institute

• Specialized sampling instruments

• Analytical chemistry, biology and microbiology labs

• Marine and electronic engineering facility

• Instrument repair services

• Access to a Class 1 research vessel

• Access to a supercomputer and very large data storage devices for advanced numerical modeling and data assimilation

• Sampling programs for areas currently under-sampled by NOAA programs (e.g., estuaries, coastal areas, deep oceans)

Advisory groups

CICOES Executive Advisory Board—Provides oversight and direction to the leadership and communicates NOAA and UW policies, priorities, coordination of opportunities and performance matters. In exercising its review and evaluation capacities, the Board shall include the CICOES Director in its deliberations and may invite representatives from the CICOES Council or any other relevant participants.

CICOES Council—Chaired by the Director and is the principal vehicle for program development, annual research plans, peer reviews, resource allocation, research and technology coordination and achieving the overarching goal of regional and disciplinary integration.

CICOES Senior Fellows—Located at the University of Washington and at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

See current lists of advisory group members