GRI Researcher Invited to Present Work in Woods Hole, MA

June 4, 2004

Mr. Sachin Kumar Bhate was recently invited to Woods Hole, MA to give a presentation on a software application he is developing: The Data Analysis and Model Assessment Portal (DA_MAP) for Ocean Circulation Modelers. The chain of events leading to that presentation is worth noting, and should encourage all of us to exploit every opportunity, even seemingly ambiguous ones.

Over a year ago, Mr. Bhate and other investigators from GRI Stennis were involved in an exhibit at the Oceans International Americas 2003 Conference in New Orleans. Mr. Bhate had an opportunity to demonstrate the DA_MAP application to a booth visitor from the Naval Research Lab at Stennis (NRLSSC). The individual was impressed and told a visiting scientist from United States Geological Survey (USGS), Woods Hole, MA, about it and then arranged with Mr. Bhate to give a demonstration and discussion a few days later at Stennis. Out of that demo and discussion evolved a relationship with NRLSSC, USGS, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) and that lead to this trip to Woods Hole on June 1, 2004.

The DA_MAP presentation was made at the Steven H. Clark Conference Center at NMFS. The audience included scientists, modelers and physical oceanographers from USGS and NMFS. WHOI modelers were scheduled to attend as well, but at the last minute were unable to attend due to a change in their schedule. The presentation went well. The discussion was lively with primary topics being on metadata issues and how one goes about saving the entire process of performing model assessment. In addition to DA_MAP, before the presentation, there was discussion and handouts relating to another project, the Distributed Marine Environment Forecast System (DMEFS) and GRI in general. Mr. Bhate was introduced around the entire campus and had additional lengthy discussions with other senior scientists. There is good likelihood that this presentation will lead to further collaboration and proposals.

Mr. Sachine Bhate can be reached at skbhate@gri.msstate.edu.