1. 1 Progress of SEACOOS as a prototype U.S. Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System H. Seim and F. Werner / Marine Sciences / UNC-CH J. Nelson / Skidaway Institute of Oceanography L. Spence / SC Sea Grant Program M. Fletcher / Univ. South Carolina C. Mooers / Univ. Miami R. Weisberg / Univ. South Florida

2. 2 Rationale: SE region is linked oceanographically, experiences similar forcing (winds and river runoff) and has a shared biogeography. A merged information system for the region will help address scientific and societal issues. III SEACOOS was initiated in 2002 with ONR funding to develop a coastal ocean information system for FL, GA, SC and NC Goal: To increase the quantity and quality of environmental information from the coastal ocean of the SE U.S. and facilitate its use in a range of societal, scientific, and educational applications. Loop Current/ Florida Current/ Gulf Stream Nick Shay, RSMAS

3. 3 Founding MembersAffiliatesPending Affiliates University of South CarolinaBeaufort TACTS/NSWC/USNNRL/USN Skidaway Inst of OceanographyCO-OPS/NOS/NOAASFOMC University of North CarolinaFKNMS/NOAAField Research Facility/USACE University of South FloridaMMAB/EC/NCEP/NWS/NOAACLION/DOD University of MiamiMiami WFO/NWS/NOAAJacksonville WFO/NWS/NOAA NCSU (Sea Grant)NCDDC/NOAANAMOC/USN University of GeorgiaNDBC/NOAAFlorida Spaceport University of Florida (Sea Grant)SeaKeys/FIO South Carolina Sea GrantSoutheast Fisheries Science Center/NMFS/NOAA SCDNRAOML/NOAA Fish Wildlife Research Institute Caro-COOPS Beaufort, NC Marine Lab/NOAA CORMP SAFMC CSC/NOAA GRNMS/NOAA SEACOOS Members (May 2005)

4. 4 An observing subsystem (measures and transmits data) An information management subsystem (organizing and disseminating information) A modeling and products subsystem (translating data into products for users – computer modeling) Outreach and education subsystem – to assess users needs, develop educational material and help develop needed products SEA-COOS includes the coasts of NC, SC, GA and FL, from the EEZ to head of tide, and consists of:

5. 5 The National Backbone of NOS NWLON and NDBC CMAN & Buoys SEACOOS Partner Additions of in-situ Buoys/Towers/Coastal

6. 6 Observing the Coastal Ocean with varying tools

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9. 9 Model Nowcast/Forecast System NFS Model Domains and Models USF POM West Florida Shelf UM POM Florida Straits East Florida Shelf UNC Quoddy South Atlantic Bight

10. 10 ROMS nested within HYCOM for eastern Gulf of Mexico A. Barth, USF

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12. 12 Visualization of real time data (seacoos.org)

13. 13 EXTENSION & EDUCATION Extension – outreach –Utilize existing NOAA Sea Grant network –Identify users in coastal community and their needs –Perceive very different flavors of users Superusers – heavy consumer of raw data User – can use raw data or tailored products Beneficiary – indirectly benefits from the system Education – ties to formal education –Utilize new NSF COSEE network –Focus on teacher awareness, participation –Develop lesson plans for in-class use of OOS data

14. 14 Applications Search and Rescue, spill response, HABs Living Marine Resources/Fisheries Storm surge Rips and sediment transport User-groups USCG, NOAA HAZMAT SAFMC, xNMS, FWRI, SC DNR, etc NWS WFOs, state EM State CZM, NWS WFOs Variables Currents, winds, water temp, waves Salinity, species and abundance, etc. Water levels, bathy/topo Directional waves, sediment concentration Phase I Phase II Implementation Plan Initial focus: coastal ocean circulation

15. 15. Build a SAR Case Build a SAR Case Assemble Search Plan Assemble Search Plan Databases Environmental Now & Forecasts Environmental Now & Forecasts Disseminate Search Plan Disseminate Search Plan Capture Search Results Capture Search Results Rescue or Suspend Search Results Search Plans Results Field US COAST GUARD SEARCH AND RESCUE WORKFLOW REGIONAL SYSTEM INPUT

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17. 17 INTERFACING WITH SEARCH AND RESCUE USCG has new sophisticated user interface Seeking additional information sources, especially high resolution, nearshore Need to make available in compatible manner – already satisfied (using OPeNDAP) Big requirement – develop real-time error statistics for all information –semantics, format (underway) –Methodology for assessing errors (challenging)

18. 18 Focus on Data Management Viewed as biggest missing piece as project began Devoted 30% of funding to activity Focus on near real-time physical variables Guiding principles –Maintain distributed system as possible –Maintain flexibility (augment, don’t replace) –Open-source

19. 19 Regional Data Management Practices Engage individual systems Form DM technical WG of individual systems Focus on a variable at a time Enable sharing through standards development Formalize availability through broad-based committee (all working groups represented)

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22. 22 Products/Web Services Provider Data Access/Web Services Data Products Data Aggregation Data Provider 1. In-situ observations (buoy, water level station, etc) 8. Data scout (polls data providers for new in-situ, model data) 5. DODS/OPeNDAP netCDF server 7. DODS/OPeNDAP clients 4. netCDF files (Regional convention format and data dictionary) 2. Model output (elevation, currents, particle trajectories, etc) 6. netCDF file access via HTTP 9. Regional netCDF to SQL Table Population Data translation 10. Regional relational database 11. DODS/OPeNDAP relational database server 3. Screen-scraping (NDBC, NWS,USGS,etc) or file translation 14. Maps *GIS *Animations 18. Maps *OGC Web Mapping Service (WMS) 12. Data *CSV files *Query&Download 16. Data / Data Sharing *OGC SWE services (SensorML, O&M) *OOSTech services (getLatest) *OGC WFS 13. Graphs *Time series *Depth profile *TBD by users 17. Graphs *Time series *Depth profile *TBD by users 19. QC&Notification *Missing data *Range *Continuity 20. Further products, websites, analysis, conversion tools 15. QC&Notification *Missing data *Range *Continuity

23. 23 By-Variable approach (ex. Winds) 1.Standards – name, representation, attributes identify existing standards augment as needed adopt 2. Census – providers, datatypes point observations satellite winds modeled winds 3. Description – web presentation define target audiences information/background web pages, layout (publish standards)

24. 24 DM summary Standards enable aggregation By-variable approach –standards→census →description Drawbacks –Slow process, slow progress through variables –Data flow increasing quickly, raises resource issues –Haven’t dealt with biogeochem data challenges

25. 25 Summary SEACOOS – prototype RCOOS in US. Four components: observation, modeling, information management, outreach/education Initial focus – ocean circulation Initial applications –Search and Rescue –HAZMAT –Fisheries oceanography Patience required