National Oceanographic Partnership Program NOPP

1
U.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
2
Convergence of Interests and Capabilities
Leading to IOOS
3
Ocean.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

4
Prioritization 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.

5
Priorities - 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

6
Letter 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.
7
What 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

8
IOOS 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.

9
The 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
11
Representative Northwest Observing Systems
(non-exhaustive)
From NOAA Coastal Services Center
http//www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/northwest.html
12
Representative Northwest Observing Efforts
Involving Tribal, State, local governments,
Academia, etc.
13
Regional 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?

14
Regional 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?

15
Remember, 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).

16
Governance 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.

17
Because 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.

18
Development 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

19
Summary

• 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.