SE Partnership

• Need

• National Setting

• Existing SE program and accomplishments

• Future

An Update on Ocean Observing• Sustained and Integrated

Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS) are analogous to the weather observing and forecasting network

• IOOS has been endorsed by the Pew Commission, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, and in the Administration’s Ocean’s Action Plan (Dec ’04)

Commission on Ocean Policy:recommendations

• New, coordinated national ocean policy framework to improve decision making

• Cutting-edge ocean data translated into high-quality information for managers

• Lifelong ocean-related education

President’s Ocean Action Plan

• Establish the Cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy

• Build the Global Earth Observing Network which includes IOOS

• Other actions to support sustainable fisheries, manage watersheds, support marine transportation and provide international leadership

IOOS – 2 Components

• “National Backbone” – the collection of federal agency assets (e.g. coastal tide gauge network, NDBC buoys and CMANs, USGS river gauging network, EPA monitoring, NASA remote sensing)

• Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (RCOOS) – augmentations to the “backbone” that enhance capabilities or provide information of regional interest.

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

III

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

SECOORA – a number of observing groups involved

Systems Examples: Ocean Atmosphere Interaction buoys, towers, and coastal stations

Other sensor systems include profiling floats, gliders, research vessels and instrumented commercial cruise ships.

HF-radar either deployed or funded and examples of data products using two

different radar systems off of Miami and the Outer Banks.

Nowcast/Forecast System Implementation• NFS Model Domains and Models

USFPOM

West FloridaShelf

UMPOM

Florida StraitsEast Florida Shelf

UNCQuoddy

South Atlantic Bight

A circulation model for the SAB coastal ocean nested within a basin scale model

Developing connections to applications

Coast guard search and rescueWeather forecast office marine page

Inundation predictionFisheries oceanography

.Build a

SAR Case

Build aSAR Case

AssembleSearch

Plan

AssembleSearch

Plan

Databases Databases

EnvironmentalNow &

Forecasts

EnvironmentalNow &

Forecasts

DisseminateSearch

Plan

DisseminateSearch

Plan

CaptureSearchResults

CaptureSearchResults

Rescue or

Suspend

Search Results

SearchPlans

Results

Field

1. US COAST GUARD SEARCH AND RESCUE WORKFLOW

REGIONALSYSTEMINPUT

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)

2. WFOs: What was the approach?

To build on information management capacities developed by coastal ocean observing programs in the region through:

Aggregation of near real-time observations from in-situ platforms, models, and remote sensing

Incorporation of technologies developed by SEACOOS, Caro-COOPS, and CORMP

Integration of these with NOAA NWS observations and products

Leveraging of outreach activities within both NOAA NWS and coastal ocean observing systems

Value to Recreational Users

Information can be readily accessed through tabs which provide users with near real-time weather observations, hazards, tides and forecasts.

Real time information on coastal and offshore conditions promotes safety and sound planning.

For example….8% of boating fatalities in 2004 were caused by hazardous waters.DHS Boating Statistics - 2004

Since 2001 in the US:• over 64,000 rip

current rescues• 80% of all surf

rescues

• 100 estimated fatalities each year

• 0.6 fatalites/year due to sharksUnited States

Lifesaving Association

Carolinas Weather Related Fatalities 2001-2005 1. Rip Currents: 33 2. Flooding: 14 3. Lightening: 14 4. Strong Wind: 11 5. Tornado: 4 6. Heat: 3 7. Cold: 1

Another example: Rip Currents

3. Ivan Winds on approach and at Landfall

While Ivan reached category 5 in the Caribbean it was a 4 upon approach and a 3 at landfall.

Category mph knots m/s 1 74-95 64-82 33-43 2 96-110 83-95 44-49 3 111-130 96-113 50-59 4 131-155 113-135 60-70 5 >155 >135 >70

Relative Elevations (Approximate)

Seawall height (and nominal street level): 5’ above mean low water (MLW); 4’ above mean sea level (MSL);

Finished floor heights: 9’ and 11’ above MLW for old and new building codes (8’ and 10’ above MSL (7’ and 9’ above MHW); hence a 2.5m (3m) surge would put water in an older (newer) home.

MLWMSL

1 ft

Seawall and road levels

4 ft5 ft

9 ft11 ft

Old building code

New building code

Meters and Feet 1m = 3.28 ft 3m = 9.84 ft 6m = 19.68 ft

Surge elevation relative to land elevation (left) and wind speed and direction (right) 1 hr after landfall

4. State of Fisheries

FAO World Fisheries Report: 1998

69% of the world’s marine fish stocks are “fully exploited, overexploited or depleted”

2002 75% of the world’s marine fish stocks are “fully exploited,

overexploited or depleted”

Snapper-Grouper Management Unit of the SAFMC 18% overfished/overfishing 14% not overfished/no overfishing 68% status UNKNOWN

Model Results by Settlement

Location (State)2002

2003

2004

Comparison of May 1st spawning for each year

Settlement in South Carolina

Settlement in Georgia

Settlement in Florida

The future

• Preserve what we have

• Grow existing interactions, engage more users

• Move towards more operational footing

Request

• FY07 directed funding

• Authorization for national system

• FY08 – sustained support for IOOS