CariCOOS: a regional coastal observing system for the Northeastern Caribbean J. Morell, J. Corredor, J. Capella R. Watlington, J. Gonzalez, M. Canals, C. Anselmi, A. Mercado, and L. Aponte J. Morell, J. Corredor, J. Capella R. Watlington, J. Gonzalez, M. Canals, C. Anselmi, A. Mercado, and L. Aponte

IOOS MISSION: IMPROVE SAFETY – ENHANCE ECONOMY-PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT

CaRA CaRA domain is the United States Caribbean EEZ densely populated (4 million) tourism-marine recreation 2 “States” PR & VI artisanal fisheries maritime activity major shipping lanes busy cruise ship ports hurricanes & tsunamis ocean energy potential offshore wind,OTEC steep, rugged bathymetry multiple international boundaries fragile marine ecosystems N.A. Caribbean ● ● ● ● ●

Caribbean Regional Association for Ocean Observing Organizational structure : – Memorandum Of Agreement (signed on Dec 4, 2007) Membership: –88 signatories Affiliations: –Academics 18% –Government agencies 12% –Private Sector 40% –Federal Agencies 9% –Self Signatories 21% ASSURES A STAKEHOLDER-DRIVEN CariCOOS Caribbean Regional Association for Ocean Observing Organizational structure : – Memorandum Of Agreement (signed on Dec 4, 2007) Membership: –88 signatories Affiliations: –Academics 18% –Government agencies 12% –Private Sector 40% –Federal Agencies 9% –Self Signatories 21% ASSURES A STAKEHOLDER-DRIVEN CariCOOS

High-Priority Observational and Forecast Needs results from need assessments across all SH sectors –Coastal winds –Coastal waves –Coastal currents –Coastal inundation –Water quality (pathogens, visibility, sediments & pollutant plumes) –Bathymetry (navigation, inundation and wave models) –Temperature & salinity (climate change, riverine input) –Benthic habitats High-Priority Observational and Forecast Needs results from need assessments across all SH sectors –Coastal winds –Coastal waves –Coastal currents –Coastal inundation –Water quality (pathogens, visibility, sediments & pollutant plumes) –Bathymetry (navigation, inundation and wave models) –Temperature & salinity (climate change, riverine input) –Benthic habitats

Data and modeling products users Coastal Weather (Wind / Waves) Local NWS Weather Forecasting Office WRF and SWAN model setup, optimization/validation Recreational and Tourism Industry (*) 2010 XXI Central American and Caribbean Games Rip Curl Search Pro 2010 Support for safe maritime operations and decision making (Coast Guard, maritime interests) Coastal Inundation/Sea Level State Emergency Management Agencies at PR and USVI for shelter/storage site selection Marine Transportation System Recovery (USCG) Planning Offices (zoning regulations) PR-DRNA Coastal Zone Coastal Currents State and Federal Search and Rescue Fisheries and fishery management Planning / Response to Pollutant dispersion Recreational & Tourism sector Water Quality Watershed management- Natural Resources Conservation Services, DRNA, EQB Park Service (beach monitoring) Research Scientists Recreational & tourism sector

CariCOOS Conceptual Design Operate an optimum number of observing assets coupled to a strong modeling components: GOMOOS type and Datawell wave buoys: Atlantic, off San Juan : semi diurnal tidal forcing, exposed to Atlantic winter swells. San Juan is the busiest port in the NEC region Caribbean, off Ponce: diurnal tidal forcing, Major transshipment port being implemented in Ponce Mona Passage – Caribbean-Atlantic interconnection South of Virgin and Anegada Passages Cruise ship approach to Charlotte Amalie, CariCOOS Conceptual Design Operate an optimum number of observing assets coupled to a strong modeling components: GOMOOS type and Datawell wave buoys: Atlantic, off San Juan : semi diurnal tidal forcing, exposed to Atlantic winter swells. San Juan is the busiest port in the NEC region Caribbean, off Ponce: diurnal tidal forcing, Major transshipment port being implemented in Ponce Mona Passage – Caribbean-Atlantic interconnection South of Virgin and Anegada Passages Cruise ship approach to Charlotte Amalie, ● ● ● ● ●

Coastal weather: Observations: High quality coastal observation sites increased from 5 to 17 in the region, 2 buoys plus 12 mesonet stations by WeatheFlow Inc. Forecasting: Implementation of 4 km resolution in collaboration with NWS San Juan Mesonet (WeatherFlow Inc.), Distribution recommended by NWS San Juan reflecting the heterogeneity of wind distribution in insular tropical environments.

Coastal waves: unprecedented coastal wave data at CariCOOS Buoys: (Triaxys sensors) forecasts using SWAN ( S imulating WA ve N earshore) boundary conditions provided by NOAA WW meter resolution50 meter resolution GFS wind forcing outcome of validation experiments as criteria for adding observing assets ● ● ● ● ●

Coastal circulation : In situ current profiles at CariCOOS buoys A & B CODAR surface currents for the Mona Passage (CSR-Rutgers, C. Fuller, A&M) Lagrangian & Eulerian validation of ADCIRC and CODAR products: ADCIRC Forecasts for coastal zone

Coastal Inundation by Storm Surge Initial efforts loosely coupling ADCIRC and SWAN (structured) Implementation and validation of PADCSWAN Cat 1,2 and 5 available (5 approach bearings, 10nm between tracks) San Felipe (aka Okeechobee) Cat 5 Hurricane deaths in Florida 312 in Puerto Rico.

Warne, A.G., Webb, R.M.T., and Larsen, M.C., 2005, Water, Sediment, and Nutrient Discharge Characteristics of Rivers in Puerto Rico, and their Potential Influence on Coral Reefs: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report , 58 p. Major water quality issues in the region beach closures, eutrophication and sedimentation frequently related to river and creeks discharge reef status: Development of WQ products based on remotely sensed optical properties for identifying watershed management deficiencies. In collaboration with:

Outreach and Education Outreach and Education Committee Data product dissemination and assessment : EDUCATION PLAN Informal education through web tutorials, Inclusion into 7 th - 8 th grade curricula in collaboration with Editorial Norma and PR Dept. of Education

Where do we go from here? INSHORE Implementation of observing/modeling tools and products for close to shore processes driving: runoff plume dispersal and rip currents beach erosion port security and recuperation (NYHOPS) spatial planning - MPA designation/validation OFFSHORE Observing Caribbean structure, processes and variability and its response to climate (incorporating serial glider REGIONAL Share expertise and practical experience with neighbors

2 m. Hs (significant wave height) 8s period, 7 m/s wind speed (June 2010) Port of Las Americas, Ponce San Juan Harbor 4.5 m. Hs (significant wave height) 10s period, 9 m/s wind speed (Apr-08) Inshore waves at 30m resolution: nowcast - CarICOOS buoy data forecasts - regional SWAN

rip currents and nearshore beach water quality diver visibility Marine Recreation (a) Instantaneous surface elevation (m) at Jobos beach, one of the most dangerous beaches in PR. (b) Wave-induced currents from BOUSS2D depict, for the first time, the current patterns responsible for numerous drownings. (a)

Coastal erosion: Hurricane Earle, Rincón, PR Erosion from Hurricane Earle at Rincón, US Corp of Engineers

50 year projection for CaTS SST SST projected = climatological T *50 (Hoegh-Guldberg O (1999) Marine and Freshwater Research 50 : ) (Graham and Barnett, (1987 ) Science 238 : )

20 KEY ELEMENTS AND PARTNERS IN CARICOOS IMPLEMENTATION o Intern Program (sustained development of regional expertise) o Visiting expert program (technology transfer) o Strategic Alliances and Leveraged resources Essential Liaisons NWS, PR Sea Grant Program USGS, USCG, DNRE Buoy program – University of Maine Modeling: ADCIRC Circulation – PennState ADCIRC/inundation – PR DNRE, Renaissance Institute & UNC ROMS/HYCOM – RSMAS SWAN (UniNorte) UPRM Alliance for Coastal Modeling Surface currents CODAR program: DHS-funded “National Center for Secure and Resilient Maritime Commerce and Coastal Environments” (CSR), Rutgers COOL Lab Water Quality Partnerships with remote sensing specialists: NOAA CoastWatch, European Space Agency, USF NOAA Atlantic Test Bed for CO 2 monitoring Coastal Weather ICON/CREWS-NOAA PR Seismic Network Coastal weather mesonet – WeatherFlow

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