i Southeast Coastal Ocean Report PREFACE The Southeast Coastal Ocean Report aims to provide a synopsis of (1) the status of the evolving regional coastal ocean observing system, (2) recent, major environmentally significant events, (3) brief  updates from regional and sub-regional coastal ocean observation programs.   This inaugural report has been developed by SEACOOS, though it is not meant to be SEACOOS-centric. The intention is that this report will be expanded and enhanced in future years, and will provide a regular analysis of significant observed conditions and events and will include a broader set of contributors and topics.  We request comments from the Southeast coastal ocean observing community on how best to ensure production of a regular report that serves as a valuable information resource for a diverse set of users.    Editorial Board James Nelson (Skidaway Institute of Oceanography)   Christopher Mooers (University of Miami) Madilyn Fletcher (University of South Carolina) Francisco Werner (University of North Carolina) Robert Weisberg (University of South Florida)