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Your location: Home / Final GODAE Symposium / Invited papers / 6.4 ZW abstract

6.4 United State Ocean Observing Initiatives - A Look to the Future

Lead author: Zdenka Willis (NOAA/IOOS)

Authors/co-authors: Zdenka Willis¹, Kim Cohen¹, Dr. Jeff de La Beaujardiere¹, Ray Toll², Jessica Geubtner³, Dr. Ralph Rayner³, Dr. Alex Isern⁴, Dr. Shelby Walker⁴, Jonathan Berkson⁵, Dr. John Haines⁶, William Birkemeier⁷and Dr. Brian Melzian⁸

¹NOAA IOOS Program
²SAIC - Science Applications International Corporation
³Ocean.US
⁴National Science Foundation
⁵United States Coast Guard
⁶United States Geological Survey
⁷Unites States Army Corp of Engineers
⁸United States Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract

The United States has a number of ocean observing and monitoring programs aimed at understanding changes within our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. This paper will discuss a number of ocean observing initiatives such as: the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), the Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IOCM) approach, and the U.S. National Water Quality Monitoring Network and how they are linked to one another. The goal of all of these programs is to increase the monitoring of our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes to support many societal benefits.

The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is a user-driven, coordinated network of people, organizations, and technology that generate and disseminate continuous data about our coastal waters, Great Lakes, and oceans. IOOS is intended to be a major shift in approach to ocean observing, drawing together the vast network of disparate, federal and non-federal observing systems to produce a cohesive suite of data, information, and products at a sufficient geographic and temporal scale to support decision-making. As the system matures, IOOS is expected to advance beyond its current science and management applications toward an instrument of policy and governance. Current efforts only scratch the surface of what we need to know about our oceans and coasts to fully assess their impact on commerce and transportation, weather and climate, and ecosystems.

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) and its associated science programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) will be operated by and for researchers and driven by basic research questions related to how the earth-ocean-atmosphere system works. OOI has four components: coastal observatories, a regional cabled observatory, a global system of relocateable moorings for open ocean settings at high and low latitudes, and a cyberinfrastructure that links the three for research and education.

The core purpose of the Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IOCM) program is to promote the efficient and effective development and application of ocean and coastal mapping to support informed decision-making. The goal of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network (NWQMN) is to provide information about the health of our oceans and coastal ecosystems and inland influences on coastal waters for improved resource management.

The power of all of these programs is in its partnerships. Partnerships span Federal agencies, state and local agencies, academic institutions, industry, regional associations, trade associations, professional societies, and public interest groups. This paper will talk about how Federal agencies, state and local agencies, academic institutions and the private sector are working together to forge a comprehensive ocean, coastal and Great Lakes monitoring system.

(Last Updated: 13-10-2008)