Ocean Data Integration Effort
Information Supports NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing Program
Efforts are underway to better integrate ocean observational data. This can only help to better protect ocean resources and improve decisions made about their future.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has initiated a major program to link data collected from the world's oceans together from many different sources. Information on water temperature, salinity, current speed and direction, and the wave climate will be gathered and compiled.
Initially, data from NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, and CoastWatch Program will be linked together online using standards established by Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). OGC is a syndicate of 350 private companies, government agencies, research groups, and universities seeking to develop specifications that will insure the interoperable exchange of data on the web.
Director of the Integrated Ocean Observing System , Zdenka Willis says in a press statement about the Ocean Observing Program, “NOAA is proud to lead this national effort to link ocean observations in an easy-to-use, standard format that provides accurate and timely information so people can make informed business and recreational decisions. NOAA and our partner organizations will use the integrated data to improve forecasts of severe weather and natural hazards, enhance pollution tracking models, and create a more complete picture of our ocean planet.”
Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) - Changes in the ocean climate have significant impact on society. These effects can come from algal blooms, ocean dead zones, and coastal flooding. There are many organizations collecting data about the oceans for many different reasons. Most of these efforts are conducted in isolation and useful data isn't always available to other researchers. A better understanding of the ocean's climate cannot come until all available data is drawn together and interpreted.
Existing ocean observing programs ate focused on single missions and the data collected is usually presented in a format only suited for that unique effort. IOOS is an effort to identify the ocean data that exists and present it in a common format that can be viewed by all interested researchers. IOOS represents a shift in how ocean observations are conducted and shared within the scientific community. The infrastructure developed by this effort will assist in modifying the responses made natural disasters, severe weather, and climate change.
Potential IOOS Users - Ocean observations are used in daily life. They are the basis of small craft weather warnings, predication of ocean current events like El Niño, forecasting the path and damage potential of hurricanes, and climate change study. Potential user groups include:
- Natural resource managers working on the oceans and waterfronts
- Emergency planners developing possible responses for deadly coastal storms
- Scientists interested in studying ocean and coastal ecosystems
- Governmental policy makers
- Public stakeholders that depend on the ocean and waterfront for their livelihood or for recreational activities
Residents of coastal states account for 82% of the population of the United States. During 2004, the working waterfront generated 10 million jobs and funneled some $10.3 trillion dollars into the national economy each year. Efforts to integrate ocean observations can only help to better protect this resource and improve decisions made about its future. An example is the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) that provides hints of what a successful IOOS could accomplish.
