NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 1 Ocean Prediction Center ( Ming Ji, Director “where NOAA’s ocean obs., research and operational services come together”

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 2 Requirements for NWS Marine and Ocean Warnings and Forecasts Mission Sets international policy and requirements for safer shipping and cleaner oceans Event of April 14-15, 1912 U.S. implements convention and policy through Executive Order – Enforcement of the Convention for SOLAS U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (2004) International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS-1974 and amendments)

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 3 Where we are now

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 4 OPC’s Vision & Mission  OPC Vision: The OPC strives to be the mariner’s weather lifeline through exceptional products and customer service.  OPC Mission: The OPC provides atmospheric and oceanographic warning, forecast, and analysis products and services for the north Atlantic and north Pacific as part of the NOAA mission of protecting life and property and enhancing economic opportunity.

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 5 Example of OPC Customers  Commercial shipping/transportation  Commercial and recreational fishing  Private weather and ship routing services  Recreational boating

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 6

7 OPC’s Products and Services  Atlantic and Pacific high seas –narrative warnings & forecasts to 48 h –graphic analyses and forecasts to 96 h  Atlantic and Pacific regional –offshore warnings –sea-state analysis & forecast graphics –weather analysis & forecast narratives  Global quality control of marine observations  Emergency and Special Services and Support –Guidance forecasts for Tropical Cyclones (TC) for TPC –Backup for TPC/NHC and Honolulu WFO –On-demand services: Search & Rescue and HAZMAT responses

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 8  EgyptAir 990 on-scene & reach back support to NTSB (Nov 1999)  Finding M/V White Seal adrift off the Carolina coast (2003)  Tailored marine forecasts to USCG and NOAA HAZMAT for Disabled M/V Cougar Ace south of the Aleutians (Jul – Aug 2006) Examples of OPC’s Emergency and Special Products & Services M/V White Seal M/V Cougar Ace

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 9 OPC Partners  NWS Field Offices, NCEP/TPC – NWS Marine and Ocean Warnings and Forecasts Mission  USCG – Product dissemination, Search and Rescue  NOAA/NOS  US Navy – Partnership on Operational Oceanographic Forecasts and Information Services  NOAA Corps  Foreign Weather Services - International Commitments

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 10 OPC Product Dissemination

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 11 U.S. Commercial Interests: 39% in Jan. 2007

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 12 OPC Wind Speed Verification By Fiscal Year

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 13 Where we are going

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 14  OPC vision: “Where NOAA ocean obs, research and operational services come together” Partnership with NOS, NMFS toward operational service delivery in oceans, coasts, estuaries, and eco-systems forecasts

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 15 Future Products and services  Ocean forecasts –SST (e.g., shipping and fishing) –Surface Currents (e.g., shipping and fishing) –Salinity (e.g., coastal and eco-system forecasting)  Rearl-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) –HYCOM, basin and global –NOAA-Navy Partnership –NOPP community development

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 16 Research to Operations  Ocean Surface Vector Winds –QuikSCAT, WindSat, ASCAT for wind warnings and forecasts  Altimeter significant wave height –Jason-1 for wave forecasts  Operational Oceanography –Evaluate RTOFS_ATL (HYCOM) –Evaluate NAVY HYCOM –SST analysis GHRSST Reynolds (NCDC) daily 25 km analysis –Surface current analysis OSCAR-2

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 17 Future Products and services  Coastal forecasts –Extra-tropical Storm Surge –Coastal Flooding & Inundation –HYCOM+ADCIRC+WW3 (NOAA, Navy, USACE) –Local (Bays, Estuaries), and Regional –Joint (NWS-NOS) operations (under development) »Warning and Forecast guidance – NWS »Shipping and port traffice management - NOS

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 18 Future Products and services  Eco-system forecasting –The coastal forecasting system provides the capability for physical components –R&D topics in science and modeling –Extend the coastal forecasting framework into future NOAA operational eco-systems/biological forecasts

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 19

NCEP Vision: First Choice – First Alert – Preferred Partner 20 Examples of OPC’s Special Products & Services—Tropical Support  Guidance forecasts of tropical cyclones for TPC  Advisor to TPC on quality of marine observations near tropical systems  Backup to TPC offshore, NAVTEX, & high-seas programs  Backup to Honolulu WFO offshore & high-seas programs M/V White Seal