MacCready Partners with Microsoft Research

Parker MacCready partners with Microsoft research to visualize ocean investigations

Parker MacCready, professor at the School of Oceanography, finished up a stint as a Visiting Researcher at Microsoft Research last fall, utilizing the newest technology to advance the study of ocean acidification and other ocean sciences. Microsoft Research has the express goal of collaborating “with the world’s top researchers to develop technologies that help solve global challenges.” Ocean acidification is a phenomenon that will adversely affect the Puget Sound region, thus Parker spent four months partnering with the Earth, Energy, and Environment section of Microsoft Research Connections. Their goal: to improve the visualization and analysis of ocean acidification modeling. He was able to explore and use cutting edge new software like WorldWide Telescope and Azure, a cloud computing resource, for his new Ocean Acidification Forecast Model, which is called LiveOcean. Parker and his mentor at Microsoft, Rob Fatland, are presenting their findings at the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference at the end of April.

Visit Parker’s website to see an image of water parcels crossing the continental shelf in the Juan de Fuca Canyon, and learn more about his research.