Regional NVODS Project for the Gulf of Mexico Status Report 2003 NVODS Workshop Worth D. Nowlin, Jr. Matthew K. Howard Texas A&M University

Outline Background Project Objectives Workshops Progress with Data Sharing Regional Pilot Project Coordination Structure

Background

The TAMU project is entitled “Installation and use of DODS servers for the Gulf of Mexico region". Focused on developing NVODS activities for the Gulf of Mexico region. Worth Nowlin is a member of the NVODS project Executive Committee and assists in national coordination of NVODS with other ocean data management activities.

Project Partners include AOML/NOAAMar. Science Inst./Univ. Texas University of South FloridaFlorida State University Univ. Southern MississippiTAMU/Corpus Christi Louisiana State UniversityUniversity of Alabama Texas General Land OfficeLUMCON Mississippi State UniversityUniversity of New Orleans TX Water Develop. BoardNaval Oceanographic Office NCDDC/NOAANDBC/NOAA

Project Objectives

Objectives Identify significant sources of data; Entrain data owners into the program as data providers; Provide resources needed to enable willing providers to serve regional data sets via DODS; Carry out regional pilot project; Identify required activities of a Gulf of Mexico regional data information center; and Agree on a regional coordination structure.

Workshops

Gulf of Mexico Regional NVODS Workshop Stennis, MS, 31 Oct - 2 Nov 2000 To introduce regional data providers to DODS To share information regarding regional data archived and that being collected To obtain commitments for data sharing To assess future needs for data sharing

Gulf of Mexico Regional NVODS Workshop [Continued] 41 participants representing 25 organizations. 16 formal presentations describing data holdings 12 commitments by workshop participants to serve selections of their data holdings via DODS-enabled servers Agreement on post-workshop activities to promote data sharing As follow up, Nowlin contacted the Gulf of Mexico regional partners to inquire regarding resources that might be needed to serve their data sets.

Meeting Attendees and Affiliations Tony Amos, University of Texas Marine Science Institute Landry Bernard, NAVOCEANO John Blaha, NAVOCEANO Jim Bonner, TAMU-CC/TEES Jim Braud, NAVOCEANO Richard Campanella, Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research Jim Corbin, MSU ERC/CCS Steve Foster, MSU ERC/IDSL Jim Fritz, TPMC Mike Garcia, SAIC/NDBC Norman Guinasso, GERG/Texas A&M University Martha Head, NAVOCEANO Dan Holloway, University of Rhode Island Matthew Howard, Texas A&M University Stephan Howden, University of Southern Mississippi George Ioup, University of New Orleans/Stennis Peter Lessing, NDBC John Lever, NDBC Alexis Lugo-Fernandez, Minerals Management Service Mark Luther, University of South Florida Melanie Magee, Gulf of Mexico Program Robert “Buzz” Martin, Texas General Land Office Eugene Meier, Gulf of Mexico Program Patrick Michaud, TAMU-CC/CBI Bob Molinari, AOML/NOAA Steve Morey, COAPS/Florida State University Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida Doug Myhre, University of South Florida Worth Nowlin, TAMU/NAVOCEANO Jim O’Brien, COAPS/Florida State University George Rey, LEAG/CBR Reyna Sabina, AOML/NOAA Mitch Shank, NAVOCEANO Ruben Solis, Tx Water Development Board Susan Starke, NCDDC/NOAA Vembu Subramanian, University of South Florida Molly Sullivan, Tulane University Jack Tamul, NAVOCEANO William Teague, NRL Nan Walker, Lousiana State University Patti Walker, DATASTAR/NDBC

National Virtual Ocean Data System Meeting April 2001,Washington, DC Nowlin organized, chaired, and prepared meeting report

Gulf of Mexico Workshop for Managers of Observing System Activities Stennis Space Center, January 2003 Describe aids to data sharing: –OPeNDAP data transfer protocol –NDBC offer to QC and distribute real time data –NCDDC offer of portal to distributed data sets Review ongoing observing system activities Agree on resolution to establish regional ocean observing system beginning with sharing of data and products Agree on Vision for regional ocean observing system Agree on provisional structure for regional system Agree on nominees to represent region at First National Ocean.US Summit

Gulf of Mexico Workshop for Managers of Observing System Activities [Continued] 52 participants Representation of state agencies in AL, FL, LA, MS, and TX Representation of federal agencies in Gulf region, including Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, NASA, Navy, and NOAA

National Virtual Ocean Data System Meeting September 2003,Washington, DC Nowlin organized and chaired

Progress with Data Sharing

Sharing Data in Real Time National Data Buoy Center has agreed to receive, quality control, and distribute appropriate real time data. Most major Gulf producers of such data now are providing through this path, including: –Texas Automated Buoy System –Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System –Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network Other systems committed to using this approach include: –Wave-Current Surge Information System

Regional Servers AOML: Physical Oceanography Group (Molinari & Sabina) Installed DODS server on existing AOML website Site opened to public in August 2003 Serving 41,500 XBT profiles from years Serving 138 drifter trajectories Plan to add XBT profiles as time permits DISL: Dauphin Island Sea Lab (Keri Duvall & Melissa Kincke) Received DODS configured server from TAMU Server is online Working on format conversion of sensor data LUMCON: Marine Consortium (Brenda Babin) Received DODS configured server from TAMU Server is online Have developed suitable netCDF format conversion software In process of populating server

Regional Servers [Continued] USF: Satellite Group (Muller-Karger & Brock Murch) Servers purchased by NVODS and configured Currently serving proprietary SeaWiFS images Currently serving full-swath AVHRR data in hdf Plan to serve public domain SeaWifs images Plan to serve archived AVHRR data. USF: Coastal Observations (COMPS Group Luther & Subramanian) Servers purchased by NVODS and configured Scripts to automate serving of near-real-time data are under development Serving 8 coastal stations Serving test data for 4 offshore buoys Serving nowcast and forecast model data Plan to serve offshore buoy archived data Plan to install Live Access Server

Regional Servers [Continued] NDBC: National Data Buoy Center Server online Serving all Gulf of Mexico buoy & CMAN stations Serving meteorological and wave data Sept-2001 to Mar 2003 TAMU: Dept. of Oceanography (Nowlin & Howard) Server up - new interface and aids to data selection Serving historical data: CTD/STD/Bottle profiles, XBT, 8 Million hours current meter time series, and 33 river discharge data sets from northern Gulf of Mexico GERG: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (Guinasso & Lee) Server online Serving archived Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS) data Working on scripts to append near real time data Thinking about using FreeForm server

Regional Servers [Continued] TWDB: Texas Water Development Board (Dale Crockett) Currently developing netCDF format conversion routines for their Bay Model Circulation Data Sets UTMSI: Coastal Observations Group (Tony Amos) NVODS supported for recovery of data in archives Server purchased and configured by TAMU FreeForm data format designed and tested Data population in progress Should be online in early September

Other existing DODS servers in Gulf of Mexico region Florida State University, Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS). Serving NSCAT Winds, QuikSCAT Winds, FSU Winds, WOCE Ship Data Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). Serving SWAFS circulation model output, wave model output, bathymetry, MCSST Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC). Serving MMS-DeSoto Canyon Moorings Eddy Instrusion Study

Regional Pilot Project

Regional Pilot Project Circulation Model for Oil Spill Response The Pilot Project is an end-to-end application of OPeNDAP technologies designed to provide Oil Spill Response Team Managers 24/7 access to oil spill model predictions. Background: TAMU maintains an operational circulation forecast model for the Texas General Land Office (TGLO) - the Texas State Agency responsible for Oil Spill Response. –Model is forced by NCEP Eta-12 nowcast/forecast wind fields. –Model output is website maps and flow fields used to drive oil spill models. TX Water Development Board maintains models of circulation in bays and estuaries. Results from these operational models should be combined for enhanced areal coverage.

TAMU/TGLO

Pilot Project (cont.) Issues: Eta-12 GRIB files are large - 5GB daily ftp burden - only 50Mb used. Several machines and modules used to get winds into circulation model Several machines and modules used to get model output delivered TGLO wants to adopt NOAA/Hazmat oil spill model which uses LAS TGLO wants to use new circulation model w/assimilation TGLO & NOAA/Hazmat Managers want more control over “what if” senarios.

Pilot Project (cont.) Solutions: GrADS-DODS servers can handle GRIB files!!! Eta-12 fields can be subset by GrADS-DODS server at NCEP –Only desired parameters (U & V) pulled down from NCEP –Only Gulf of Mexico regional subset pulled down from NCEP –Faster, increased reliability, smaller burden for us and NCEP Simplified Data Fetch and Delivery –Using DODS-enabled netCDF calls, the model can fetch its own subset winds –Using DODS-enabled netCDF calls, the model can fetch its own buoy data –netCDF used to deliver data to local DODS-enabled LAS server LAS server will serve Coastal Circulation Model Output –NOAA/Hazmat and TGLO can access model output through LAS using GNOME (General NOAA Oil Modeling Environment) a free oil trajectory tool.

Pilot Project (cont.) Status: New model (ROMS) configured and running in test mode. –Wind field extraction modified to conform to new grid. –Wind grid to computational grid interpolation completed –Expected operational deployment late October 2003 DODS wind retrieval –Local GrADS-DODS server installed for local testing of concept Some GRIB Grids not servable (thinned - non-rectangular) Eta-12 available on other GRIB grids explored –NOMADS opens test site with access to Eta-12 data Currently testing retrieval software built with DODS-enabled netCDF Will incorporate with ROMS model in October –Buoy Data for assimilation won’t make it into new Model this year

Pilot Project (cont.) Status (cont.): Data delivery - LAS - GNOME –LAS being moved from SGI to new Linux server dods.tamu.edu –Output Grid scheme for GNOME/LAS integration specified but not tested - needs LAS Target Date for demonstration is mid Nov-2003

Coordination Structure

Key Organizational Steps for Gulf Resulting from NVODS Project Interested parties have signed a Resolution agreeing to work to establish a Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS). Agreed to broad data sharing in real time and via DODS. Working to complete inventory of data and products as potential elements of GCOOS. We are working to identify the user base and their requirements for GCOOS. A Regional Association will be formed for the governance of the GCOOS. It will become part of the National Federation of such associations. The GCOOS Regional Association will prepare a business plan for the operation and funding of the GCOOS.

Resolution Section C, Implementation, reads: The Signatories hereby resolve to work together toward establishment of a Gulf of Mexico Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS); to work toward development of regional governance structures and coordination; to work towards common data management standards; and to openly share non-proprietary data and metadata, non-commercial data and products, model code, and related information. GCOOS will not compete with the private sector because it will not distribute commercial products and services, which are those produced by commercial enterprises. The Signatories will actively seek collaborations with other nations bordering the Gulf of Mexico in the design and implementation of this regional observing system. The Signatories will work toward implementation of specific action items decided upon at the workshop held at Stennis Space Center, MS, January 14-15, 2003, a summary of which is included herein by reference.

Signatories Vernon Asper, University of Southern Mississippi Peter Betzer, University of South Florida Jim Byous, Gulf Fiber Corporation Jim Cato, Florida Sea Grant George Crozier, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program and Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dean Dunn, National Coastal Data Development Center Norman Guinasso, Texas A&M University Gregg Jacobs, Naval Research Laboratory Gary Jeffress, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Mark Luther, University of South Florida Robert (Buzz) Martin, Texas General Land Office Douglas Meffert, Long-term Estuary Assessment Group Avichal Mehra, Mississippi State University Patrick Michaud, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Paul Moersdorf, National Data Buoy Center Christopher N. K. Mooers, University of Miami Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida Worth D. Nowlin, Jr., Texas A&M University James J. O’Brien, Florida State University John Ogden, Florida Institute of Oceanography Shirley Pomponi, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution David Prior, Texas A&M University Nancy Rabalais, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Mary Jo Richardson, Texas A&M University Mitchell Roffer, Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc. Kerry St. Pe, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Robert Stickney, Texas Sea Grant Program LaDon Swann, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium John W. (Wes) Tunnell, Jr., Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Jan van Smirren, Fugro GEOS Inc. Nan Walker, Louisiana State University

Questions?