Analise Keeney, Coastal Hazards Oceanographer

Analise works as a coastal hazards oceanographer in NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). She engages with partners to develop geospatial products that aid decision-makers in lessening the effects of persistent sea level rise because of climate change. CO-OPS is the nation's authoritative source for accurate, reliable, and timely data for tides, water levels, currents, and other coastal oceanographic and meteorological information. The office maintains over 200 permanent water level stations on the U.S. coasts and Great Lakes, a system of real-time sensors concentrated in busy seaports, and temporary meters that collect observations for tidal current predictions. Through these systems, NOAA provides the nation with historical and real-time data, forecasts, predictions, and scientific analyses that protect life, the economy, and the coastal environment.

Who is a person who influenced you or encouraged you?

Colleen Roche has been the most influential person in my career. She is now the Northeast navigation manager for the Office of Coast Survey and was previously my team lead. Without blinking, I will attest to her presence early in my career as foundational to my success today. She believed in me and led with simultaneous vision and compassion for our work. If I had an idea to improve a product or workflow, she encouraged me to pursue it, knowing my full heart was behind it. Her guidance and belief led to revamping how we engaged with stakeholders to develop useful platforms to share critical information. She was the first person to tell me I was perfect for my current position and was the first person I called, with tears of joy in my eyes, when she offered me the job!

Was there a time when you felt your work was particularly rewarding or exciting?

It was a recent honor to have been a sea level rise panelist at the Hydrographic Services Review Panel in Oahu, Hawaii. It was my first time leaving the mainland, and flying over nothing but the Pacific Ocean for five hours puts in perspective just how important our stewardship is. While there, I engaged with people who live next to and are in tune with the water surrounding them. Our observations and predictions make it possible for goods to arrive safely at port and immediately stock shelves. Understanding flooding thresholds — even the ways they are wrong — shapes how we will work to enhance products to lessen the effects of persistent climate change. I learned how we can help translate research models into operational forecasts to fill gaps in information throughout the Pacific Islands. I listened to the needs of regional stakeholders who rely on our data to plan infrastructure development around future inundation. The wealth of insight gathered connects me to a better understanding of equitably serving the entire nation. My experience here was an education of a lifetime and one that will inform my work for years to come.

What NOAA project have you enjoyed working on the most?

I have so many favorite projects through the years, but my most recent work to produce the Annual State of High Tide Flooding & Outlook was revolutionary. It was my first experience guiding the shape of an invaluable observational product — and I took it geospatial! The 2022 outlook is the first time NOAA communicated observations and predictions through an interactive GIS-based dashboard with regional summaries, along with impact graphics and animated visualizations. The Outlook builds on updated information from the 2022 Interagency Sea Level Rise Tech Report and guides users through interacting with data from start to finish.

What would you recommend to those who want to begin a career in your field?

Hold on to what drives you — let it shine through in all you do. Experience as much as possible to fuel your passion because science is for everyone.