Regional NVODS Project for the Gulf of Mexico Status Report 2003 NVODS Workshop

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Regional NVODS Project for the Gulf of
MexicoStatus Report2003 NVODS Workshop

• Worth D. Nowlin, Jr.
• Matthew K. Howard
• Texas AM University

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Outline

• Background
• Project Objectives
• Workshops
• Progress with Data Sharing
• Regional Pilot Project
• Coordination Structure

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Background
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The TAMU project is entitled Installation and
use of DODS servers for the Gulf of Mexico
region". Focused on developing NVODS
activities for the Gulf of Mexico region.
Worth Nowlin is a member of the NVODS project
Executive Committee and assists in national
coordination of NVODS with other ocean data
management activities.
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Project Partners include

• AOML/NOAA Mar. Science Inst./Univ. Texas
• University of South Florida Florida State
  University
• Univ. Southern Mississippi TAMU/Corpus Christi
• Louisiana State University University of Alabama
• Texas General Land Office LUMCON
• Mississippi State University University of New
  Orleans
• TX Water Develop. Board Naval Oceanographic
  Office
• NCDDC/NOAA NDBC/NOAA

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Project Objectives
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Objectives

• Identify significant sources of data
• Entrain data owners into the program as data
  providers
• Provide resources needed to enable willing
  providers to serve regional data sets via DODS
• Carry out regional pilot project
• Identify required activities of a Gulf of Mexico
  regional data information center and
• Agree on a regional coordination structure.

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Workshops
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Gulf of Mexico Regional NVODS WorkshopStennis,
MS, 31 Oct - 2 Nov 2000

• To introduce regional data providers to DODS
• To share information regarding regional data
  archived and that being collected
• To obtain commitments for data sharing
• To assess future needs for data sharing

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Gulf of Mexico Regional NVODS WorkshopContinued

• 41 participants representing 25 organizations.
• 16 formal presentations describing data holdings
• 12 commitments by workshop participants to serve
  selections of their data holdings via
  DODS-enabled servers
• Agreement on post-workshop activities to promote
  data sharing
• As follow up, Nowlin contacted the Gulf of Mexico
  regional partners to inquire regarding resources
  that might be needed to serve their data sets.

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Meeting Attendees and Affiliations

• Tony Amos, University of Texas Marine Science
  Institute
• Landry Bernard, NAVOCEANO
• John Blaha, NAVOCEANO
• Jim Bonner, TAMU-CC/TEES
• Jim Braud, NAVOCEANO
• Richard Campanella, Tulane/Xavier Center for
  Bioenvironmental Research
• Jim Corbin, MSU ERC/CCS
• Steve Foster, MSU ERC/IDSL
• Jim Fritz, TPMC
• Mike Garcia, SAIC/NDBC
• Norman Guinasso, GERG/Texas AM University
• Martha Head, NAVOCEANO
• Dan Holloway, University of Rhode Island
• Matthew Howard, Texas AM University
• Stephan Howden, University of Southern
  Mississippi
• George Ioup, University of New Orleans/Stennis
• Peter Lessing, NDBC
• John Lever, NDBC
• Alexis Lugo-Fernandez, Minerals Management
  Service

• Robert Buzz Martin, Texas General Land Office
• Eugene Meier, Gulf of Mexico Program
• Patrick Michaud, TAMU-CC/CBI
• Bob Molinari, AOML/NOAA
• Steve Morey, COAPS/Florida State University
• Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida
• Doug Myhre, University of South Florida
• Worth Nowlin, TAMU/NAVOCEANO
• Jim OBrien, COAPS/Florida State University
• George Rey, LEAG/CBR
• Reyna Sabina, AOML/NOAA
• Mitch Shank, NAVOCEANO
• Ruben Solis, Tx Water Development Board
• Susan Starke, NCDDC/NOAA
• Vembu Subramanian, University of South Florida
• Molly Sullivan, Tulane University
• Jack Tamul, NAVOCEANO
• William Teague, NRL
• Nan Walker, Lousiana State University

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National Virtual Ocean Data System Meeting25-27
April 2001,Washington, DC

• Nowlin organized, chaired, and prepared meeting
  report

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Gulf of Mexico Workshop for Managers of Observing
System ActivitiesStennis Space Center, 14-15
January 2003

• Describe aids to data sharing
• OPeNDAP data transfer protocol
• NDBC offer to QC and distribute real time data
• NCDDC offer of portal to distributed data sets
• Review ongoing observing system activities
• Agree on resolution to establish regional ocean
  observing system beginning with sharing of data
  and products
• Agree on Vision for regional ocean observing
  system
• Agree on provisional structure for regional
  system
• Agree on nominees to represent region at First
  National Ocean.US Summit

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Gulf of Mexico Workshop for Managers of Observing
System ActivitiesContinued

• 52 participants
• Representation of state agencies in AL, FL, LA,
  MS, and TX
• Representation of federal agencies in Gulf
  region, including Army Corps of Engineers, EPA,
  NASA, Navy, and NOAA

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National Virtual Ocean Data System Meeting10-12
September 2003,Washington, DC

• Nowlin organized and chaired

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Progress with Data Sharing
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Sharing Data in Real Time

• National Data Buoy Center has agreed to receive,
  quality control, and distribute appropriate real
  time data.
• Most major Gulf producers of such data now are
  providing through this path, including
• Texas Automated Buoy System
• Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System
• Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network
• Other systems committed to using this approach
  include
• Wave-Current Surge Information System

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Regional Servers

• AOML Physical Oceanography Group (Molinari
  Sabina)
• Installed DODS server on existing AOML
  website
• Site opened to public in August 2003
• Serving 41,500 XBT profiles from years
  1966-2000
• Serving 138 drifter trajectories
• Plan to add XBT profiles as time permits
• DISL Dauphin Island Sea Lab (Keri Duvall
  Melissa Kincke)
• Received DODS configured server from TAMU
• Server is online
• Working on format conversion of sensor
  data
• LUMCON Marine Consortium (Brenda Babin)
• Received DODS configured server from TAMU
• Server is online
• Have developed suitable netCDF format
  conversion software
• In process of populating server

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Regional Servers Continued

• USF Satellite Group (Muller-Karger Brock
  Murch)
• Servers purchased by NVODS and configured
• Currently serving proprietary SeaWiFS
  images
• Currently serving full-swath AVHRR data
  in hdf
• Plan to serve public domain SeaWifs
  images
• Plan to serve archived AVHRR data.
• USF Coastal Observations (COMPS Group Luther
  
• Subramanian)
• Servers purchased by NVODS and configured
• Scripts to automate serving of
  near-real-time data are
• under development
• Serving 8 coastal stations
• Serving test data for 4 offshore buoys
• Serving nowcast and forecast model data
• Plan to serve offshore buoy archived data
• Plan to install Live Access Server

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Regional Servers Continued

• NDBC National Data Buoy Center
• Server online
• Serving all Gulf of Mexico buoy CMAN
  stations
• Serving meteorological and wave data
  Sept-2001 to Mar 2003
• TAMU Dept. of Oceanography (Nowlin Howard)
• Server up - new interface and aids to
  data selection
• Serving historical data 9500
  CTD/STD/Bottle profiles, 29000 XBT, 8 Million
  hours current meter time series, and 33 river
  discharge data sets from northern Gulf of Mexico
• GERG Geochemical and Environmental Research
  Group
• (Guinasso Lee)
• Server online
• Serving archived Texas Automated Buoy
  System (TABS) data
• Working on scripts to append near real
  time data
• Thinking about using FreeForm server

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Regional Servers Continued

• TWDB Texas Water Development Board (Dale
  Crockett)
• Currently developing netCDF format
  conversion routines
• for their Bay Model Circulation Data Sets
• UTMSI Coastal Observations Group (Tony Amos)
• NVODS supported for recovery of data in
  archives
• Server purchased and configured by TAMU
• FreeForm data format designed and tested
• Data population in progress
• Should be online in early September

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Other existing DODS servers in Gulf of Mexico
region

• Florida State University, Center for
  Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS).
  Serving NSCAT Winds, QuikSCAT Winds, FSU Winds,
  WOCE Ship Data
• Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). Serving
  SWAFS circulation model output, wave model
  output, bathymetry, MCSST
• Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC).
  Serving MMS-DeSoto Canyon Moorings Eddy
  Instrusion Study

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Regional Pilot Project
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Regional Pilot ProjectCirculation Model for Oil
Spill Response

• The Pilot Project is an end-to-end application of
  OPeNDAP technologies designed to provide Oil
  Spill Response Team Managers 24/7 access to oil
  spill model predictions.
• Background
• TAMU maintains an operational circulation
  forecast model for the Texas General Land Office
  (TGLO) - the Texas State Agency responsible for
  Oil Spill Response.
• Model is forced by NCEP Eta-12 nowcast/forecast
  wind fields.
• Model output is website maps and flow fields used
  to drive oil spill models.
• TX Water Development Board maintains models of
  circulation in bays and estuaries.
• Results from these operational models should be
  combined for enhanced areal coverage.

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TAMU/TGLO
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Pilot Project (cont.)

• Issues
• Eta-12 GRIB files are large - 5GB daily ftp
  burden - only 50Mb used.
• Several machines and modules used to get winds
  into circulation model
• Several machines and modules used to get model
  output delivered
• TGLO wants to adopt NOAA/Hazmat oil spill model
  which uses LAS
• TGLO wants to use new circulation model
  w/assimilation
• TGLO NOAA/Hazmat Managers want more control
  over what if senarios.

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Pilot Project (cont.)

• Solutions
• GrADS-DODS servers can handle GRIB files!!!
• Eta-12 fields can be subset by GrADS-DODS server
  at NCEP
• Only desired parameters (U V) pulled down from
  NCEP
• Only Gulf of Mexico regional subset pulled down
  from NCEP
• Faster, increased reliability, smaller burden for
  us and NCEP
• Simplified Data Fetch and Delivery
• Using DODS-enabled netCDF calls, the model can
  fetch its own subset winds
• Using DODS-enabled netCDF calls, the model can
  fetch its own buoy data
• netCDF used to deliver data to local DODS-enabled
  LAS server
• LAS server will serve Coastal Circulation Model
  Output
• NOAA/Hazmat and TGLO can access model output
  through LAS using GNOME (General NOAA Oil
  Modeling Environment) a free oil trajectory tool.

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Pilot Project (cont.)

• Status
• New model (ROMS) configured and running in test
  mode.
• Wind field extraction modified to conform to new
  grid.
• Wind grid to computational grid interpolation
  completed
• Expected operational deployment late October 2003
• DODS wind retrieval
• Local GrADS-DODS server installed for local
  testing of concept
• Some GRIB Grids not servable (thinned -
  non-rectangular)
• Eta-12 available on other GRIB grids explored
• NOMADS opens test site with access to Eta-12 data
• Currently testing retrieval software built with
  DODS-enabled netCDF
• Will incorporate with ROMS model in October
• Buoy Data for assimilation wont make it into new
  Model this year

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Pilot Project (cont.)

• Status (cont.)
• Data delivery - LAS - GNOME
• LAS being moved from SGI to new Linux server
  dods.tamu.edu
• Output Grid scheme for GNOME/LAS integration
  specified but not tested - needs LAS
• Target Date for demonstration is mid Nov-2003

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Coordination Structure
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Key Organizational Steps for Gulf Resulting from
NVODS Project

• Interested parties have signed a Resolution
  agreeing to work to establish a Gulf of Mexico
  Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS).
• Agreed to broad data sharing in real time and via
  DODS.
• Working to complete inventory of data and
  products as potential elements of GCOOS.
• We are working to identify the user base and
  their requirements for GCOOS.
• A Regional Association will be formed for the
  governance of the GCOOS. It will become part of
  the National Federation of such associations.
• The GCOOS Regional Association will prepare a
  business plan for the operation and funding of
  the GCOOS.

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Resolution

• Section C, Implementation, reads
• The Signatories hereby resolve to work together
  toward establishment of a Gulf of Mexico Regional
  Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) to work
  toward development of regional governance
  structures and coordination to work towards
  common data management standards and to openly
  share non-proprietary data and metadata,
  non-commercial data and products, model code, and
  related information. GCOOS will not compete with
  the private sector because it will not distribute
  commercial products and services, which are those
  produced by commercial enterprises. The
  Signatories will actively seek collaborations
  with other nations bordering the Gulf of Mexico
  in the design and implementation of this regional
  observing system. The Signatories will work
  toward implementation of specific action items
  decided upon at the workshop held at Stennis
  Space Center, MS, January 14-15, 2003, a summary
  of which is included herein by reference.

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Signatories

• Vernon Asper, University of Southern Mississippi
• Peter Betzer, University of South Florida
• Jim Byous, Gulf Fiber Corporation
• Jim Cato, Florida Sea Grant
• George Crozier, Mobile Bay National Estuary
  Program and Dauphin Island Sea Lab
• Dean Dunn, National Coastal Data Development
  Center
• Norman Guinasso, Texas AM University
• Gregg Jacobs, Naval Research Laboratory
• Gary Jeffress, Texas AM University Corpus
  Christi
• Mark Luther, University of South Florida
• Robert (Buzz) Martin, Texas General Land Office
• Douglas Meffert, Long-term Estuary Assessment
  Group
• Avichal Mehra, Mississippi State University
• Patrick Michaud, Texas AM University Corpus
  Christi
• Paul Moersdorf, National Data Buoy Center

• Christopher N. K. Mooers, University of Miami
• Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida
• Worth D. Nowlin, Jr., Texas AM University
• James J. OBrien, Florida State University
• John Ogden, Florida Institute of Oceanography
• Shirley Pomponi, Harbor Branch Oceanographic
  Institution
• David Prior, Texas AM University
• Nancy Rabalais, Louisiana Universities Marine
  Consortium
• Mary Jo Richardson, Texas AM University
• Mitchell Roffer, Roffers Ocean Fishing
  Forecasting Service, Inc.
• Kerry St. Pe, Louisiana Universities Marine
  Consortium
• Robert Stickney, Texas Sea Grant Program
• LaDon Swann, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant
  Consortium
• John W. (Wes) Tunnell, Jr., Texas AM University
  Corpus Christi
• Jan van Smirren, Fugro GEOS Inc.
• Nan Walker, Louisiana State University

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Questions?