CONRAD BLUCHER INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING TEXAS PORTS AND WATERWAYS OPERATIONS Two Inter-related Services to the Port Community: 1. The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network (TCOON) is a state-of–the-art water-level measurement system with over 50 stations along the Texas Coast. 2. Water level forecasting based on Neural Network techniques, that account for the influence of local wind conditions, for select locations along the Texas Coast. High Frequency (HF) Radar Key Features  Located 3- and 15-nmi. from Port Aransas in Gulf Of Mexico on NWS Platforms  Communications by FreeWave Radio  Dial-up Voice Report for Pilots  Data Availability and Management Through CBI Website Wave Climate Monitoring System A comprehensive network of observation platforms and data collection activities designed to provide real-time information on key parameters associated with coastal water quality and ecological health. Components Making SenSE a Powerful Environmental Tool  Real Time Spatial and Temporal Monitoring  Very High Frequency  Mobile, Roving and Stationary Observation Stations  Biogeochemical Processes  Ecosystem Integrity  Now Casting and Forecasting Neural Net Forecasting as Compared to Observed and Tide Charts Data Available via Dial-up Voice Report and Online  Wind Speed and Direction at 21 m and 10 m  Air Temperature  Barometric Pressure  Wave Height, Period, and Direction  Water Temperature Two observation platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico near Port Aransas measure wave characteristics and other key environmental parameters. The two multi-instrumented observation stations serve as prototypes for future platforms planned for the Texas Coast. WATER LEVEL WAVES and CURRENTS ENVIRONMENTAL “FlowCam” Total Suspended Solids Algal Blooms ADCP Waves and Currents “Flashlamp” Fluorometer Chlorophyll-a and Hydrocarbons LISST-100 Submersible Particle Distribution Hydrocarbon Detection Instrumentation and Key Parameters Corpus Christi Bay Current Vectors for Southeasterly Wind Conditions CBI’s Mobile HF Radar Technology is capable of determining water circulation patterns and wave height/direction/period within targeted water bodies along the Texas Coast. Vector Plot for Gulf of Mexico East of Galveston Island HF Radar Applications  Navigation/ Port Management  Oil Spill/Contaminant Response  Dredge Analysis: Hydrodynamic Models  Ecological Models Comparison of USF ADCP Buoy (EC4) vs. Nearest HF-Radar Gridpoint (0.3 nmi.) Mobile HF Radar Unit At Corpus Christi Beach Wind Speed/Direction Solar Panels Platform Landing HF Radar Data EC4 Data N N Proposed Future Extent of HF Radar Coverage Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico Geo Referenced Real Time Mobile Sampling Platform Location of TCOON Water Level Stations Along the Texas Coast as Viewed with Interactive Website In Situ Moveable Fixed Platform  On Board Logic & Control  Data Telemetry  Real Time and In Situ  Minimize Human Factors Components of Multi-Parameter Sampling Platforms  New Technology and Instrumentation  Real time GIS “Visualization of Large Data Sets” TCOON Interactive Website  Follows NOAA/NOS Standards  Measurements: Precise Water Levels Wind Temperature Barometric Pressure  Select Stations: Water Current, Salinity, pH, and Dissolved Oxygen  Real Time, On Line Database A Fundamental Upgrade of Water Level Forecasting for the Texas Coast  Reliable Short Term Predictions of Effects of Storm Events  Effective for Regular Conditions and Frontal Passages  Accounts for Influence of Wind Forcing  More Accurate than Tide Charts  Online Spring 2003 Proposed Center for Sensitive Nearshore Environments (SenSE) Neural Network Forecasts Measured Water Level Tidal Forecast Charts Seafloor Current Profiler Directional Wave Measurements Water Surface