Title: National Oceanographic Partnership Program NOPP
1U.S. IOOS
Second Regional GOOS Forum Nadi, Fiji David L.
Martin, Ph.D. Associate Director, Applied Physics
Laboratory, University of Washington,
USA February 9, 2004
2Convergence of Interests and Capabilities
Leading to IOOS
3Ocean.US Meeting at Airlie HouseMarch 2002
- An Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing
System (IOOS) for the United States - Design and Implementation.
- Ocean.US, Arlington, VA.
- http//www.ocean.us
4Prioritization of Variables
- Based on technical feasibility and importance,
the following core variables were given high
priority for incorporation into the national
backbone of the IOOS - Physical salinity, temperature, bathymetry, sea
level, surface waves, vector currents, ice
concentration, surface heat flux, bottom
characteristics - Chemical water column contaminants, dissolved
inorganic nutrients, dissolved oxygen - Biological fish species and abundance,
zooplankton species and abundance, optical
properties, ocean color, water column
concentration of pathogens, phytoplankton species - In addition to those variables required to
characterize the marine environment, the
following variables are required to quantify the
external drivers of change on a national scale - Meteorological vector winds, temperature,
pressure, precipitation, humidity - Terrestrial river discharge
- Human health and use seafood contamination
- These variables should be considered high
priority for incorporation into programs that are
to be linked to form an integrated system of
observations.
5Priorities - Implementation
- Immediate
- Regional Systems pilot projects, start ups
- Initiate a Data Management and Communications
System - Enhancement of Federal Systems
- Fulfill US Commitment to Global system for
climate - Intermediate
- Enabling Research identified in many areas
- Very long term research commitment required
- For example Predictive ecosystem models
6Letter to the Presidents Science Advisor from
the NORLC
On behalf of the National Ocean Research
Leadership Council (NORLC) of the National
Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP), we are
pleased to forward the attached report that
articulates the ocean community consensus on the
necessary first steps to begin implementation of
a national integrated and sustained coastal and
ocean observing system.
7What will IOOS Look Like?
- Global Component (nearly entirely a Federal
responsibility for both operations research
support) - Coastal Component
- National System (backbone) Mostly Federal
- Federation of Regional Observing Systems
- Federal, state local government involvement
with academia, Tribal, private industry, NGOs and
other stakeholders
8IOOS Global System
- Full implementation of Argo and the global ocean
time series observatories. - Successful completion of the Global Ocean Data
Assimilation Experiment (GODAE). - Optimizing the global network of observations,
and - Enhancing the ocean time series observatories
with key biological and chemical sensors.
9The National Backbone
- Measure and process variables needed by all
regional systems - Including Biological measurements (e.g., PaCOS)
- Satellite remote sensing
- Reference, sentinel stations
- Link to global system
- Data standards exchange protocols
- Capacity building
Wave Height
Ocean Color
Surface Temperature
10- Primary interface with user groups outside
federal agencies. - Focal point for data analysis and product
development that will have local, regional and
national applications. - Terrestrial influence measurements
- Many national backbone RD projects will be first
done in regional observing systems. - Development of regional systems is a very high
priority
PR US VI
11Representative Northwest Observing Systems
(non-exhaustive)
From NOAA Coastal Services Center
http//www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/northwest.html
12Representative Northwest Observing Efforts
Involving Tribal, State, local governments,
Academia, etc.
13Regional Associations Criteria
- Formalized partnerships have been established
within a region. - Provision of an acceptable business plan
- Expected economic impacts identified
- Capable of routine, sustained, 24-hour-a-day
operations - Data and information management structure
identified - Free and open access to the data collected and
- Agree to adhere to standards and protocols
- Easy to list, rigorous to implement, and . . . .
. - How do we agree and/or accomplish these?
How do we formalize and empower the We in the
various US Regions?
14Regional Associations Provide the Legitimizing
Framework
- For the Individual U.S. Regions
- They provide a focal point for a Regional
Consortia of stakeholders to whom accountable
(performance based) transfers of Federal
resources can occur - Enhance intra-regional connectivity and
collaboration - Priorities, technology transfer, science, etc.,
etc., etc. - As Part of a National Federation of U.S. RAs
- Lessons learned from other RAs (best practices,
etc.) - Facilitates seamless interconnectivity
(interoperability) between Regions - Demonstration to national leadership of Regional
readiness (responsible, reliable, mature, etc.) - Ease pressure for Congressional earmarks/plus-ups
as RAs become the vehicle of choice for directed
regional ocean observing resources - Etc., etc.,
- So . . . , if theyre so good, whats the problem?
15Remember, Interoperability is Difficult at
Several Levels
- The federal government explored a range of
options for its own interagency governance
problem for the role and mission of Ocean.US - Strong, central management allocates funds
- National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite
System (NPOESS), Integrated Program Office (IPO)
- Line - item in NOAA and USAF budgets, IPO
has responsibility and authority. - Strategic Environmental Research and Development
Program (SERDP) - Two agencies (DoD and DoE) - provide research dollars at their
discretion agencies mutually determine
investment areas. - National Ice Center - Joint participation in a
budget contributed by agencies to meet a national
mission - procurement authority within each
agency contributing funds. - Implementation through memoranda, agreements, or
proposals funds allocated by individual
agencies - Sea Grant - Multi-agency at distributed end of
the system collaborative allocation of resources
for locally - defined programs within national
thematic areas conducts activities (outreach,
education, synthesis). - National Laboratories - Research priorities
established locally within broad-based
guidelines. - University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
(UCAR) - Federally supported consortium with a
board of - trustees.
- Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) -
Non-profit consortium of academic institutions
that manages - (principally government funded)
programs (e.g., ocean drilling program). -
16Governance System for RAs Reaching Consensus
- A wide range of stakeholders needs to be
approached, educated and encouraged to
participate - Tribal leaders, Academia, Federal agencies,
industry, other state/local governments, NGOs,
etc. - Interactions in a number of Region have
accelerated during past year - Need to identify the MANY others a Regions
constituents must help. - Regional participants must remain engaged with
colleagues in other Regional Associations,
Ocean.US and others in D.C. and the nation - e.g., Regional Observing System Summit
Regional Interoperability Forum, attend RA
meetings nearby, etc. - e.g., PNW Workshop attendees included Alaskans,
Canadians, Californians - Regions must develop mechanisms to address the
hard issues.
17Because RA Governance Means More Than Merely
Getting Along . .
- What is the governance mechanism for the RA? How
is the Regional Association to be chartered for a
multi-state role (with international connectivity
if applicable)? - What roles will various entities agree to play?
And what will they not do? - What is the role of Federal agencies (or Tribal,
state, local, etc.) in the Regional Association
hierarchy and decisions? - What is the role of non-governmental entities
(industry, academia, NGOs etc) ? - How are differences between stakeholders
arbitrated? - Prioritization/scheduling of observing systems
- Allocations of resources
- How are boundaries between regions determined?
- e.g., For the PNW, what is the geographical
extent of Northern California? - These issues and others have been identified and
discussed at various fora - Arriving at equitable solutions will take time
and discourse ignoring such issues is not an
option - Ocean.US (e.g., the entire federal structure in
Washington, D.C.) will NOT solve Regional
governance issues. - Regions must do this for themselves theyre the
only ones who can.
18Development of Regional Systems
- Proof of Concept Pilot Projects leading to
Operational Regional Observing Systems - Assumes 20M 25M per year for each regional
observing system at maturity - NOAA NOS Coastal Services Center recently
announced funding opportunity to build Regional
Partnerships - To permit development of Regional federations
- Business plan, economic impact analyses,
governance structure agreements, etc. - Pacific Northwest Region successfully competed
for one award funding these Workshops - Pilot Project proposals also sought by NOAA
- Pacific Northwest Region involved
19Summary
- An IOOS is required to address a wide range of
issues - National effort has the support of both the
Executive and Legislative branches - Ocean.US plan forwarded to Congress by the White
House - The IOOS will measure the full spectrum of ocean
parameters needed to address a wide range of
issues - Physical, biological, chemical, geological,
meteorological etc. - The IOOS has global and coastal modules
- Coastal efforts consist of both national
backbone (mostly Federal e.g., NDBC, CMAN,
NWLON, PaCOS, etc.) and Regional efforts - To address regional concerns and build regional
constituencies WITHIN the construct of an
integrated system - The goal is Regional relevancy with National
oversight.