1 Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) NOAA’s Approach to Building an Initial Operating Capability Zdenka S. Willis Director, IOOS Program January 30, 2007

2 NOAA’s IOOS Way Forward NOAA’s IOOS Opportunity IOOS Definition: Coordinated national and international network of observations and data transmission, data management and communication (DMAC), and data analyses and modeling that systematically and efficiently acquires and disseminates data and information on past, present and future states of the oceans and the U.S. coastal waters to the head of the tide. (IOOS Development Plan) Organize for Success Establish a NOAA IOOS Program Office –Function: Lead and manage NOAA’s IOOS efforts –Responsibility: Execute NOAA’s IOOS efforts; establish requirements; conduct system acquisition; support external collaboration Integrate Data Lead Data Integration Framework – Initial Operating Capability –Integrate priority IOOS core variables and deliver to end users and models

3 NOAA IOOS Program NCEPCSDLNDBCNGDCNODCCSCOCO NOAA Administrator NOS Assistant Administrator NOAA IOOS Office Director Program Planning & Analysis Major IOOS Project Management Integrated Systems Engineering Program Execution Communication & Outreach IOOS Interagency & International Liaison (Dr. Spinrad) Organize for Success Leveraging existing NOAA-wide capabilities OST Ocean.US NOAA Ocean Council NOAA Observing System Council Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observations (IWGOO) Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration (ICOSRMI) Interagency Connections Guidance & Requirements Capacity & Capabilities

4 Integrate Data Global climate system not well understood Characterize the state of the global climate system and its variability Coastal populations at risk, including coastal hazards and coastal development and urbanization Improved models (e.g., coastal inundation, hurricane intensity, and harmful algal bloom model) Ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems at risk, including the hydrological and biogeochemical cycles, and ecosystem health and productivity Improved ecosystem assessments and models Updated management approaches Improved access to data, and scientific information Core Variables Temperature Salinity Sea Level Surface currents Ocean color Bathymetry Surface waves Ice distribution Contaminants Dissolved nutrients Fish species Fish abundance Zooplankton species Optical properties Heat flux Bottom character Pathogens Dissolved O 2 Phytoplankton species Zooplankton abundance Integration Long-term data series, coordinated in space and time Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Harmful Algal Bloom Model Hurricane Intensity Model Coastal Inundation Model Decision Tools ProblemNeed

5 ARGO Profiling Satellites Drifting Buoys NOAA Ships VOS (xbt) Weather Buoys DART C-MAN NWLON CREIOS SWIM SWMP Tropical Moored Buoys NOAA Ship Archive ARGO Delayed data NMFS OAR Single Sat. Pass Data Multiple Sat. Pass Data NCDC NODC CLASS GDAC NDBC NCDDC NERRS CDMO AOML PACIFIC I. FSC CO-OPS OSDPP COAST WATCH NOAA Ship Synoptic Core Variable Integration Problem: Temperature (Example) PLATFORMData DistributionArchive

6 Decision Tools: Integrated Core Variables for Models CORE VARIABLES NOAA MODELS Current State MODELING IMPROVEMENTS (future state) Temperature Hurricane Intensity Model Non real-time and interpolated temperature data used to inform model Integration of real-time, temperature = increased accuracy of hurricane intensity predictions Sea Level Coastal Inundation Model Sea level data (various sources and formats) integrated on site-by-site basis for use in model Expedited development of coastal inundation forecasts for Southeast and Gulf Surface currents Ocean Color Salinity Harmful Algal Bloom Model Wind data and marine forecasts used as proxy to determine currents Improved bloom trajectory forecast Enable development of national HAB forecast with integrated currents Temperature Salinity Ocean Color Surface currents Sea level Integrated Ecosystem Assessment NOAA compiles and integrates suite of data required for each assessment Assess current conditions Forecast ecological health based on existing management strategies Evaluate impacts of alternate management strategies Evaluate NOAA models that impact highest- priority problems Integrate variables needed to achieve benchmarked improvements Select next set of priority core variables based on impacts to NOAA products Quantify progress toward defined modeling improvements Identify remaining IOOS core variables needed to reduce error None? Identify additional source(s) of error within model Process Flow

7 Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Month 36 Integration of 5 Core VariablesIntegrated variable ingest for following products Benchmarked product improvements for operational use ProductEnhancement Test & Evaluation Verification &Validation Integrated information services for NOAA programs Identify observation gaps Validated enhanced data products NOAA’s Data Integration Framework Enhanced decision support through: NOAA MISSION OBJECTIVES NOAA 5 Core Variables External sources of 5 Core Variables (consistent with NOAA standards) Test & Evaluation Months 0-12Month 18Month 24 Harmful Algal Bloom Model Hurricane Intensity Model Coastal Inundation Model Solution: Data Integration Framework – Initial Operating Capability PRIORITY 1 NOAA IOOS Integrated Data Framework Systems Engineer Standards TemperatureSalinitySea LevelCurrentsColorTemperatureSalinitySea LevelCurrentsColor Harmful Algal Bloom Model Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Hurricane Intensity Model Coastal Inundation Model Systems Engineering:

8 Current Activities Establish Program Office Director position Establish IOOS in PPBES structure – Mission Support goal, IOOS sub-goal Establish Level 1 IOOS requirements KDP-1 approval by NOC & NOSC Define & distribute standards for 5 core variables

9 U.S. Strides Forward with Commitment to Ocean Observing Programs Three ocean observing offices working together in one location –Ocean.US – The National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations (Mary Altalo) –NOAA Office of Climate Observation (Mike Johnson) –NOAA IOOS Office (Zdenka Willis) Partnerships, Collaborations, Synergies

10 IOOS Staff Zdenka Willis, Director Suzanne Skelley, Chief of Staff Barbara Bennett (secretary) Carl Gouldman Jack Harlan (IPA) Robin Jamail (IPA) Kurt Schnebele, NODC, Interim Manager, Data Integration Framework Rebecca Shuford Timi Vann Marcia Weaks Nicole Gerringer, contractor Rob Ragsdale, contractor

11 What’s Different Dedicated effort with full time staff Establish IOOS as a program in NOAA program structure Major Project re-scoped –5 core variables: temperature, salinity, sea level, surface currents and ocean color –4 models: hurricane intensity, coastal inundation, harmful algal blooms and integrated ecosystem assessments –12 months: NOAA IOOS Integrated Data Framework completed by end of Jan 2008 Execution Overall coordination with Federal and non-Federal partners