Under the Friendship Oak at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park Campus in Gulfport: From left to right: Felimon Gayanilo, co-Data Manager and Systems Architect; Board Member Antonietta Quigg; Jennifer Vreeland-Dawson, Research Associate; Board Member and Immediate Past Chair Joe Swaykos; Dr. Jorge Brenner, Executive Director; Board Member Dr. Stephan Howden; Board Member Bill Lingsch; Board Member Jan van Smirren; Board Member Pat Hogan; Board Chair Kirsten Larsen; co-Data Manager and Product Developer Bob Currier; IOOS Director Carl Gouldman; IOOS Association Executive Director Kristen Yarincik; Board Member Dave Driver; Board Member Dr. Kimberly Yates; Board Member Dr. Kate Hubbard; MARACOOS Executive Director Dr. Gerhard Kuska; IOOS Regional Coordinator Susan Fox; and Outreach and Education Manager Dr. Chris Simoniello.

Seated left to right, panelists Dr. Gerhard Kuska, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS), Dr. Jim Kendall, Regional Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Dr. Rafael Ramos, Regional Manager and Senior Oceanographer, Woods Hole Group with moderator Sharon Mesick, Regional Climate Services Director, Southern Region, NCEI, NOAA, at the podium.

Seated left to right, panelists Bob Currier, Co-Data Manager and Product Developer, GCOOS, Andy Ziegweid, VP of Ocean Data, Ocean Aero, Dr. Dick Crout, Head of Ocean Sensing and Processes Branch, Naval Research Laboratory, and Dexter Malley, Head of Uncrewed Marine Systems Division, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, NOAA, with moderator Bill Lingsch, U.S. Underwater Glider User Group (UG2) Coordinator, NOAA, holding the microphone. (GCOOS co-Data Manager Felimon Gayanilo providing technical support at the podium.)