Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network Dr. Patrick R. Michaud June 11, 2002

Conrad Blucher Institute/ Texas A&M Univ-Corpus Christi Located in Corpus Christi, Texas Focused on regional and environmental issues, especially for the Gulf of Mexico Blucher Institute focuses on measuring the earth and its processes First I wish to give some background about Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Conrad Blucher Institute. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is located in Corpus Christi Texas, approximately where the star is located on this map. We are directly on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. We have approximately 7,400 students and we are the fastest growing University in Texas. The University places a lot of emphasis on regional issues, especially those dealing with the Gulf of Mexico. The University has several research institutes that study the Gulf of Mexico, including the Conrad Blucher Institute (which houses the work I am describing here), the Center for Coastal Studies, and recently a new “Harte Research Institute” which was begun with a $46 million private endowment to the University. The Conrad Blucher Institute has traditionally focused on those issues dealing with surveying; that is, measuring the earth.

TCOON Overview Started 1988 Over 50 stations Primary Sponsors General Land Office Water Devel. Board US Corps of Eng Nat'l Ocean Service Gulf of Mexico

TCOON Overview Measurements Follows NOAA/NOS standards Precise Water Levels Wind Temperature Barometric Pressure Follows NOAA/NOS standards Real-time, online database

Typical TCOON Station Wind anemometer Radio Antenna Satellite Transmitter Solar Panels Data Collector Water Level Sensor Water Quality Sensor Current Meter These are the typical sensors associated with a TCOON station.

Once the data are collected at the Blucher Institute, they are available via our web site. This slide shows an example of one of our “overview” pages describing the current conditions at a nearby platform. The top of the page identifies the platform (“Naval Air Station”), its location and other parameters. The latest observations are displayed next in both metric and English units. For many stations we are able to display the information in “real-time” (not older than 15 minutes).

Because of the importance of the data for boundary determination and navigation, we have an extensive quality control system in place. Every morning, an analyst reviews all of the data collected by all stations. This slide shows what an analyst would be looking at. Since 1996, all TCOON data processing has taken place via the World Wide Web; that is, not only do we publish data via the web, but we also use the web as the primary internal interface for updating and maintaining the network itself. Thus, the analyst visits a web page showing recently collected data. In this slide, the top graph represents the water elevations, the next graph displays wave activity, and the bottom graph shows air and water temperatures.

Moving further down the web page, you can see the interface the analyst uses to monitor the system. If any problems are observed in the operation of the station, the analyst enters a note using the form at the bottom of the web page. When all of the stations have been reviewed, the outstanding notes are then organized and sent via electronic mail to the entire staff. These notes then form the basis for repair and maintenance operations for the next few days.

This is another slide showing the online-form of interaction used for maintenance of the TCOON network—all site visits and data processing are performed via the web. This slide shows the repair trips that have been made to the station; clicking on any of the links will display the complete details of the repair including parts used, serial numbers, calibrations performed, and so on.

Data Collection Paths Data are transmitted from the stations to the Conrad Blucher Institute in a variety of paths, including satellite transmissions, packet radio, and telephone connections.

Data Management Automated Acquisition, Archive, Processing, Retrieval 10-year Historical Database Most processing takes place via Internet Infrastructure for other observation systems

Data Management Design Principles Preserve source data Annotate instead of modify Automate as much as possible Maintain a standard interchange format Avoid complex or proprietary components Emphasize long-term reliability over short-term costs These are the data management design principles that have been used to develop our data management and communications systems.

Uses of TCOON Data Tidal Datums Littoral Boundaries Oil-Spill Response Navigation Storm Preparation/ Response Research

Tidal Datums Used for Coastal property boundaries Nautical charts Bridge and engineering structures

Tidal Datum Schematic

Tidal Datum Schematic

Tidal Datum Schematic

Other Real-Time Systems Real-time Navigation Port of Corpus Christi Port Freeport NOAA PORTS Water-Quality Nueces Bay Salinity Oso Creek Dissolved Oxygen Offshore Weather

New Data Collection Hardware PC-104 based computer Linux operating system Solid-state Flash memory 10 serial ports, 16 A/D channels Low power consumption Rugged for harsh environments Because of difficulties in finding flexible data collection systems, the Blucher Institute has been designing its own data collectors using commercially available components. We are now using PC-104 based computer components to provide the sensor control and data collection for our individual stations. PC-104 provides a good, stable platform for software development and long-term availability of components.

New Data Collection Hardware Linux operating system 2.4.9 kernel 16MB RAM, 32MB HDD 486 or Pentium processor Concurrent processes GNU shell/tools cron bash gcc Because of difficulties in finding flexible data collection systems, the Blucher Institute has been designing its own data collectors using commercially available components. We are now using PC-104 based computer components to provide the sensor control and data collection for our individual stations. PC-104 provides a good, stable platform for software development and long-term availability of components.

Research Real-time Automated Data Processing Tidal Datum Processing Web-based Visualization and Manipulation of Coastal Data Neural-Network-based forecasts from real-time observations Specialized sensor and data acquisition system development Support for other research efforts

Neural Network Forecasting Reliable short-term predictions of effects of storm events

Conclusions Long-term, data-rich observation network Web-based infrastructure for automated collection and processing of marine data Research in datum computation and coastal forecasting