The National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing and Prediction

Eric J. Lindstrom, Director, Ocean.US

Worth D. Nowlin, Jr, U.S. GOOS Steering Committee

Developing the Sustained and Integrated Ocean Observing

System for the U.S.

Outline1. Global Ocean Observing System

Development2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component3. The Vision of an Integrated Ocean

Observing System for the United States4. Activities Needed to Achieve the Vision

– Continuing System Design– Governance– U.S. Contribution to the Global Module– Initial U.S. Coastal Observing System– Data Management and Communications Subsystem– Continuing System Development

1. Global Ocean Observing System Development

1990– Suggested by Intergovernmental Oceanographic

Commission (IOC)

1991– Created under aegis of IOC, World Meteorological

Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, and International Council for Science

– Envisioned to consist of five modules dealing with climate, marine services, pollution, living resources, and coastal issues

1. GOOS Development (cont’d)1995

– Initial Strategic Plan completed for the Climate Module

1997– GOOS Steering Committee formed

1998– Marine services and climate requirements combined

into one global module

1999– First International Conference on the Global Observing

System for Climate in Saint Raphael, France– Unified operational and long-term research needs;

consensus on requirements for global module

1. GOOS Development (cont’d)2000

– Publication of Ocean Theme (document of the Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership) defining ocean requirements for satellite observations and setting rolling review process

– Initial design plans completed for pollution, marine resources, and coastal modules.

– Three modules combined into one Coastal Module (Coastal Ocean Observations Panel)

1. GOOS Development (cont’d)

2001– Initial meeting of the WMO-IOC Joint

Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology

– Signaled formal beginning of operational global oceanography

2002– Strategic Design Plan completed by the COOP

for combined coastal module– First Forum of GOOS Regional Alliances

2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component

1990– First national meeting to consider the concept– Formation of an interagency working group for

GOOS

1995/1996– Office of Global Programs in NOAA began

preparation of an implementation plan for the U.S. contribution to the GOOS climate module.

– Economic benefits studies begun.

2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component (continued)

1998– U.S. GOOS Steering Committee established;

initiated assessment of users and products needed by U.S. regional coastal observing systems

1999/2000– Issuance of first planning documents for U.S.

GOOS by National Oceanographic Partnership Program

2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component (continued)

2000– Establishment of the Ocean.US Office;

planning begun for development of sustained and integrated ocean observing system for the U.S.

2001– NOAA Ten-year Implementation Plan for

Building a Sustained Ocean Observing System for Climate completed and reviewed

Organizational Chart

National Ocean Research Leadership Council

(NORLC)

Ocean Research Advisory Panel

(ORAP)

Interagency Working Group

(IWG)

NOPP Program Office

Federal Oceanographic Facilities Committee

(FOFC)

Ocean.USOffice

Ocean.US EXCOM

U.S. GOOSSteering

Committee

National Ocean Research Leadership Council (NORLC)

Chair: Director, National Science Foundation

Vice Chair: Secretary of the Navy

Vice Chair NOAA Administrator

Administrator National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Deputy Secretary Department of Energy

Administrator Environmental Protection Agency

Commandant United States Coast Guard

Director United States Geological Survey

Director Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Director Minerals Management Service

Director Office of Science and Technology Policy

Director Office of Management and Budget

2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component (continued)

2002- Congressional endorsement of national ocean observing system (Senate appropriations bills 107-42 and 107-43)

- Commitment of OSTP to participate in planning and implementation of national system

2002 National Ocean CommunityConsensus Building Workshop

• The national ocean community at the Ocean.US workshop consisted of:– Representatives from government (federal,

state, and local), academia, private/industry– Individuals with necessary scientific and

technical expertise– Representatives from coastal regions around the

country– Individuals with a clear understanding of the

needs of the many users of the data

2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component (continued)

2002– National workshop on U.S. integrated ocean

observing system. Consensus reached on:• Vision for the system

• Core elements to be federally supported

• Need for an improved data and information management system

• Need for additional economic benefits studies

2. Planning for a U.S. GOOS Component (continued)

2002– Short IOOS plan with first-year budget

submitted to Congress via NOPP and OSTP– Complete report of national meeting drafted– Phased implementation plan drafted– Plan for Data and Communications Subsystem

under development– Plans formulated for developing a National

Federation of Regional Coastal Observing Systems

3. The Vision for the U.S. IOOS

• Will consist of subsystems for observations, data and communications management, and analysis and modeling for products and services

User Driven, End-to-End System

User Groups/Applications

Analysis, Models, Data Requirements

Data Communications & Management

Observing Subsystem

3. The Vision (continued)• Observations will be those needed to produce

products and services required by a broad community of users for:– detecting and predicting oceanic components of

climate variability,– facilitating safe and efficient marine operations,– ensuring national security,– managing resources for sustainable use,– preserving and restoring healthy marine

ecosystems,– mitigating natural hazards, and– ensuring public health.

3. The Vision (continued)

• Will consist of two coordinated components– Global, open-ocean component (climate, marine

services, security, and defense)– Coastal component (all areas)

• Global component will be federally funded and combined with other nations’ contributions via JCOMM

• The coastal component will consist of a federally-funded network of core observations; other entities will contribute enhancements to this network.

3. The Vision (continued)

• Regional enhancements by Regional Systems

• National Federation of Regional Coastal Observing Systems

• The federal government is expected to develop and maintain the data and communications subsystem

• Products and services will be developed by a wide range of entities.

National Federation of Regional Systems

National System

• Satellite remote sensing• Reference, Sentinel Stations• Link to global module• Data standards & exchange protocols

Regional Systems

• Land-based inputs• State & Regional Priorities• Greater resolution• More variables

Transition from Research to Operational Oceanography

1. ResearchNew Knowledge & Technologies

2. Pilot ProjectsDemonstrate Feasibility

(routine, sustained)

3. Pre-Operational ProjectsProof of Concept

(value added, cost-effective)

4. Observing SystemGlobal Backbone, Regionally Enhanced

4. Activities Needed toAchieve the Vision

U.S. Contribution to Global Module

• Adhere to the NOAA Ten-year Implementation Plan for Building a Sustained Ocean Observing System for Climate

Data and Communications Subsystem

• Federal government to implement an enhanced system to link all observations (including historical) to all data users and to link products and services to users.

• A process is underway to develop plans and costs for this enhanced system; completion by January 2003.

Economic Benefits Studies

• Quantitative studies of ocean observing activities haveshown significant benefits e.g.:

• Agriculture (benefits from better El Nino predictions):• $300-400M per year

• Gulf of Maine system: $30M per year

• Much more work is needed in this area; costs need to bebetter defined

• Regional studies now underway to make an inventoryof user categories and identify new products with a highpayoff, in each of 9 U.S. regions

Continuing the System Design

• Mechanism for selection of initial elements of coastal component

• Economic benefit analyses for coastal components on regional basis

• Involvement of private sector

Initial U.S. Coastal Observing System

• Many elements already exist. Federal agencies should begin immediately to implement the “core” contribution (principally reference and sentinel observations and global to regional models)

• Integration of federal with other regional contributions

• Required is a sustained source of federal support to leverage state and local monies for the regional enhancements

Continuing Development of the U.S. Ocean Observing System

• Integration of coastal components of the IOOS with pertinent elements of the global GOOS

• Continuing monitoring and evaluation—based on performance to meet requirement of users

• Sequential development of the coastal component of the system.

Research -> Pilot Projects -> Pre-operational Testing leading to operational phase

Present work of Ocean.US

• Build a structure which supports integration, is sustainable, and remains adaptive and beneficial. (Governance)

• Define observing system being coordinated by Ocean.US. (Contributions and Branding)

• Expand and coordinate observing system based on requirements agreed to by EXCOM. (Funding Priorities and Budget Process)

• Increase knowledge and availability of ocean products and services based on user needs (Producing Results)

An IOOS Implementation Plan Overview

Part 1- Purpose and GovernanceDelivered to EXCOM

Part 2- The Initial IOOS: Building on Existing Assets

To be completed by 1 February

Part 3- Improving the IOOS: Enhancements and New Initiatives

To be completed by 1 March

Four Year Planning Cycle

Year N

May – Compile status reports & proposals for expansionJuly – Ocean.US Briefing to agencies & RAs on IOOS status & plansSept – Guidelines from Ocean.US for integrated development of the IOOSOct – Ocean.US consolidate agency plans for ORAP reviewDec – IOOS Annual Plan to the NORLC

Year N + 1

Jan-June – Agencies use IOOS Annual Plan as a guide for IOOS budget development

June-Dec – President’s budget drafted & reviewed by the OMB Ocean.US prepares IOOS budget cross-cut

Year N + 2

Feb – President’s budget submitted to CongressOct – Congress completes appropriations & implementation begins

Year N + 3

Mar-May – Performance Evaluation

Proposed Management Scheme

NORLC

IWG

ORAP

User

Panel

FOFC

ExCom

Ocean.US

Current

NOPP

U.S.GSC

Future

NOPP

National Observing

Network

Regional Observing

Systems

Federal Agencies

Operational Centers

Regional Associations

Data

Management