b'NEWSWIRENEWSWIRE NOAA Requests Proposals for Design, Construction of Ocean Survey ShipsN ationalOceanicandAtmosphericstatement announcing the solicitation. Add- These new ships will be equipped with state-Administration (NOAA) is seekinging new, American-built ships to the NOAAof-the-artoceandatacollectionsystemsthat proposals from U.S. shipbuilders forfleetwilldramaticallyincreaseourabilitywill enable us to map, chart, study and explore the design and construction of new ships forto provide data essential for protecting livesthe ocean with unprecedented detail, said Rear the agency. The new vessels will primarily sup- andlivelihoodsandstrengtheningtheNewAdm. Nancy Hann, director of NOAAs Office port NOAAs coastal, continental shelf, andBlue Economy. of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) deep ocean data collection requirements. and the NOAA Commissioned Office Corps. Per NOAAs requirements, the new ships must Thesolicitation,whichclosesonAug.16,have the capability to carry, deploy and recoverNOAA anticipates awarding the contract for 2022, is for a firm, fixed-price contract for twomultiple crewed and un-crewed vessels to sup- this acquisition in 2023 and taking delivery of vessels, with options for NOAA to purchaseport nautical charting and seafloor survey mis- the first two vessels by 2027. The agency has not two additional vessels of the same design. Thesions. They must also be able to accommodateyet assigned a homeport for these new ships.successful bidder will be responsible for both48 people. NOAA has set a goal of achieving designing and building the new ships. net-zero emissions for its ship fleet by 2050. ToThis acquisition represents the second phase support NOAAs goal of reducing the agencysofNOAAsshipfleetrecapitalizationeffort. NOAA ships play a vital role in supportingcarbon footprint, the new ships must incorpo- Thoma-Sea Marine is currently building two safenavigation,commerce,marineresourcerate the latest technologies, including high-effi- new oceanographic ships for NOAA, Oceanog-management, and ocean exploration, NOAAciency, environmentally friendly EPA Tier IVrapher and Discoverer, which are expected for Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., said in adiesel engines and emissions controls. delivery in 2025 and 2026, respectively.NEWSWIRENOAA Predicts Above-normal2022 Atlantic Hurricane SeasonF orecasters at National Oceanic and At- likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (whereforecast, rather an early warning to the public mosphericAdministrations(NOAA)winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10about what is potentially in store for the sea-National Weather Service Climate Pre- could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph orson ahead. It has also issued seasonal hurricane diction Center are again predicting above-aver- higher), including three to six major hurricanesoutlooksfortheeasternPacificandcentral age hurricane season this year. (category three, four, or five; with winds of 111Pacific hurricane basins. NOAA also provides mph or higher). updated outlooks in August, once the season NOAAs outlook for the 2022 Atlantic hurri- has had a chance to unfold.cane season, extends from June 1 to Nov. 30,NOAAsaidtheincreasedactivitycanbe predicts a 65 percent chance of an above-normalattributed to several climate factors, includingAswereflectonanotherpotentiallybusy season, a 25 percent chance of a near-normal sea- the ongoing La Nia that is likely to persisthurricane season, past stormssuch as Super-son, and a 10 percent chance of a below-normalthroughoutthehurricaneseason,warm- storm Sandy, which devastated the New York season. If the forecast holds, it would make theer-than-average sea surface temperatures in themetro area ten years agoremind us that the 2022 season the seventh consecutive above-aver- AtlanticOceanandCaribbeanSea,weakerimpact of one storm can be felt for years, said age hurricane season. The 2021 Atlantic hurri- tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhancedNOAAAdministratorRickSpinrad,Ph.D. cane season concluded with 21 named storms,west African monsoon. An enhanced west Afri- SinceSandy,NOAAsforecastingaccuracy including seven hurricanes of which four werecan monsoon supports stronger African Easter- has continued to improve, allowing us to bet-major hurricanes, making last year an above-av- ly Waves, which seed many of the strongest andter predict the impacts of major hurricanes to erage season in-line with forecasts.longest lived hurricanes during most seasons.lives and livelihoods. This year, NOAA has re-leased a number of new products and services Forthe2022hurricaneseason,NOAAisKeepinmindthatNOAAsoutlookisfordesigned to alert the public and enhance fore-forecastingwith70percentconfidenceaoverall seasonal activity and is not a landfallcast models.FOGHORN 44'