1. Associate Director for Research, Education and Marine Operations
Recommendations for the Implementation and Operation of an Integrated Ocean Observing System
Remarks to the Marine Navigation Services Community
July 30, 2004
Kenneth W. Turgeon
Associate Director for Research, Education and Marine Operations

2. USCOP Objective: To recommend a comprehensive national ocean policy that would provide for:
Protection of life and property against
natural and manmade hazards
Responsible stewardship of ocean and
coastal resources
Protection of the marine environment
and prevention of marine pollution
Enhancement of marine-related
commerce and transportation

3. USCOP Objective: To recommend a comprehensive national ocean policy that would provide for:
Expansion of human knowledge of the
marine environment
Investment, development, improvement
& application of marine technologies
Close cooperation and partnering among
federal agencies and the private sector
Preserving the role of the US as a leader
in ocean and coastal activities

4. USCOP Position on an IOOS
The Commission strongly endorses creation and implementation of an Integrated Ocean Observing System
The nation has the technology and the expertise to develop an IOOS, and its implementation is long overdue

5. Existing Situation
Currently, the United States has more than forty coastal ocean observing systems, operated independently or jointly by various federal, state, industry, and academic entities – BUT THEY ARE NOT TIED TOGETHER
They measure different variables at
different scales for different purposes

6. USCOP Vision for an IOOS
The Commission’s vision is for the IOOS to be the “saltwater” equivalent of our weather observing, forecasting and warning system
We need an ocean observing system that satisfies real
world needs, just as the National Weather Service does
with its suite of environmental forecasts and warnings.
Anything less will not garner the national support
necessary to its success and maintenance over time.
Admiral James D. Watkins
Chair
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

7. The Commission’s Vision for the IOOS is Strongly User Oriented
To justify large federal investments in the
IOOS, the system must result in tangible
benefits for a broad and diverse user
community, including the general public,
scientists, resource managers, coastal
managers, emergency responders, policy
makers, private industry, educators, and
officials responsible for homeland security

8. Critical Attributes of an IOOS
Sustained over time
Operational nowcasts & forecasts & warnings
Partnership of government, industry, academia
and others
Utilizes land-based, water-based, air-based &
space-based observation technologies
Strong coastal component
Provides timely generic & tailored information
Broad user community incl. general public
Regional/local, national & global coverage
Linked to other Earth observing systems
Transition of R&D to operations & products

9. IOOS is Really ISOCOOPS Observing and Prediction
Integrated and Sustained
Ocean and Coastal Operational
Observing and Prediction
System

11. Cost of an IOOS The Commission estimates the cost of
operating an IOOS is on the order of $750
million per year; this includes dedicated
satellite operations and data collection,
assimilation and dissemination costs
Economic, societal and environmental
benefits will far outweigh the cost, but these
benefits have not yet been fully calculated nor
well articulated

12. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
1) The National Ocean Council should make development and implementation of a sustained, national Integrated Ocean Observing System a central focus of its leadership and coordination role.

13. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
2) Ocean.US, with NOC oversight, should
be responsible for planning the national
IOOS. NOAA should be the lead federal
agency for implementing and operating
the IOOS, with extensive interagency
coordination and subject to NOC approval.

14. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
3) Congress should amend the National
Oceanographic Partnership Act to
formally establish Ocean.US, with a
budget appropriate to carry out its
mission. Ocean.US should report to the
National Ocean Council’s (NOC’s)
Committee on Ocean Science, Education,
Technology, and Operations (COSETO).

15. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
4) Ocean.US should proactively seek
input from coastal and ocean stakeholder
communities to build cross-sector support
for the IOOS and develop consensus
about operational requirements

16. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
5) Ocean.US with NOC oversight should
develop a set of core variables to be
collected by all components of the
national IOOS

17. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
6) Ocean.US should recommend priorities
and long-term plans for space-based
missions as an essential component of
the national IOOS.

18. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
7) NOAA, NSF, Navy and NASA should
require investigators who receive federal
funding related to ocean research
observatories, including the NSF Ocean
Observatories Initiative, to develop plans
for transferring new technologies to an
operational mode in the IOOS

19. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
8) Congress should transfer NASA’s Earth
environmental observing satellites, along
with associated resources, to NOAA to
achieve continued operations. NOAA and
NASA should work together to ensure
the smooth transition of each Earth
environmental observing satellite after
its launch.

20. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
9) Congress should fund the IOOS as a line item
in NOAA’s budget, to be spent subject to NOC
direction and approval. IOOS funds should be
appropriated without fiscal year limitation.
NOAA should develop a streamlined process
for distributing IOOS funds to other federal
and nonfederal partners. lined process for
distributing IOOS funds to other federal and
nonfederal partners.

21. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
10) The NOC should oversee coordination of the
IOOS with other existing and planned terrestrial,
watershed, atmospheric, and biological
observation and information collection systems,
with the ultimate goal of developing a national
Earth Observing System.

22. USCOP IOOS Recommendations From the Preliminary Report
11) The National Ocean Council (NOC)
should promote international coordination
and capacity building in the field of global
ocean observations