comprised of a series of sub-regional observing systems and as a single, regional management structure that provides operational products to a myriad of users and also be incorporated into the national system.
hard to keep this capacity from being lost.
Industry Partnerships
Industry has the capacity and expertise contribute to every aspect of IOOS development and operations and is considered critical to the longer-term success of the U.S. IOOS; however, resource constraints currently limit the feasibility of major industry involvement. In addition, U.S. IOOS efforts are still in a process of discovery with regard to the many technical challenges associated with U.S. IOOS development. In 2006, NOAA funded two industry studies by Raytheon and Lockheed to develop conceptual designs that validated the technical feasibility of building an IOOS and provide notional diagrams of what the IOOS should look like. While not yet involved in a systematic manner, industry has served as an active partner in certain IOOS partnerships and provides value-added products and services. The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIS) is one example. CBIS is the water counterpart to the United States Appalachian Trail, designed to mark significant points along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and to provide timely information about weather, oceanographic, and water quality along the way. This effort is the first of its kind, representing a large partnership among seven federal and non-federal entities and a number of industry representatives. The buoy, purchased from Axys Technologies, Inc., was mounted with a Nortek AS Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). NOAA worked with WET Labs, Inc. to develop an additional water quality instrument. Tellus Applied Sciences provided data management and web design support. Verizon wireless provided the data transmission, and Verizon Business system provides the data to voice conversion -- a business application adapted for buoy use.
Regional Success
The federal and regional IOOS partnership has benefits on a local and national scale. The expanded implementation of an observing technology, known as high frequency Radar (HF radar), represents an example of successful and effective partnership among federal and regional IOOS components. HF radar systems collect near-real time currents essential that supports a range of applications including, search and rescue, oil spill response, assessment of beach water quality. Surface current maps generated from HF radar stations along the east coast now deliver up-to-the-minute information on currents to the U.S. Coast Guard's Search and Rescue models, greatly improving their ability to rescue ships in distress. A combination of Federal funds was allocated among the regions to advance this capacity and, as a result, the U.S. is well on its way to demonstrating the benefits of a National HF radar capability. Regional observing system technologies are used to monitor and assess local water quality impacts. For example, water quality sensors provide information used by California Water Quality Control Boards to monitor the influence of hydrodynamic circulation on water quality, including the identification of illegal dumping activities. Public health agencies use real-time surface current maps to determine if polluted water is likely to affect swimming beaches. Emergency managers represent another key user community, given their need for timely and accurate data to inform public safety decisions. Tide and water level data and inland stream gauges provide critical information to monitor conditions and predict the expected location and severity of storm and flooding impacts. Regional models provided detailed information during Tropical Storm Ernesto that caused a decision by Delaware River managers to not to open upstream dams, which abated flood damage. Storm surge forecasts and probability maps provide emergency managers in South Carolina and Tampa Bay, Florida with detailed information to support evacuations and other important decisions. The challenge with all of the RCOOSs is to identify sufficient funding to support the development and sustainment of the end-to-end system. The funding for the RCOOSs is provided through NOAA and we are working
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Conclusion
NOAA is the first Federal agency to establish a formal IOOS program. We strive to ensure that NOAA's IOOS contributions and investments support the U.S. IOOS and set a path for a more comprehensive U.S. IOOS that moves from planning and development to implementation. NOAA understands that a number of challenges ranging from technical and programmatic to budget that must be addressed to advance this effort. The NOAA IOOS program remains committed to moving the current IOOS capability into a National program as the President highlighted in is U.S. Ocean Action Plan, December 2004 - the time is now to build IOOS.
Marine Technology Reporter 31
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