Transcript Future of Coastal Observing in Alaska

The Alaska Ocean Observing System
(AOOS)
Molly McCammon, AOOS Executive Director
A Regional Coastal Observing System
within the Integrated Ocean Observing System
Mark Johnson
UAF Liason to AOOS
Institute of Marine Science
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Mission Statement:
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Provide quality processed data to generate model
forecasts and information products for stakeholders.
Focus on sustainability of Alaska’s marine resources,
mitigation of impacts due to climate change, and
improved navigation safety and search and rescue.
Provide user groups, resource managers and policy
makers with essential information to make informed
decisions.
Possible US Ocean Observing Regions
see www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/
Alaska has special challenges because of its
size, remoteness, and extreme climate.
Planning
• Secure interim and long-term funding
– $2M in year 1, with similar amounts in years 2 and 3
– Move toward multiple regions to increase funding - $6m goal in
2006
• Identify stakeholders – coastal residents, managers, industry,
researchers – and stakeholder needs
• Develop organizational structure, DMAC: partnership among federal
and state agencies, private sector, users, academia
• Develop systems
– Pilot project in Prince William Sound
-- Expand observing capacity throughout Alaska
Stakeholder needs
– Observational data and model forecasts
• Ocean circulation, currents, frontal locations
• Winds, air temperature, precipitation
• Fisheries; ecosystem approach to management
– Search and rescue, oil spill response
• Trajectory modeling
• Currents and winds in real-time
– Coastal erosion
• Wave height and storm surge modeling
• Landfast and sea ice conditions
– Seasonal and long-term forecasts
• Sea ice
• Heat indices
• Improved weather forecasts
• Harmful algal blooms
One Alaska - Three Regions
Arctic
Bering Sea/
Aleutians
Gulf of Alaska
Region 1: Gulf of Alaska
Region 2: Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands
Region 3: The Arctic
AOOS Statewide Functions
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Data Management and Communications
Modeling and Analysis Group
Observation, model and satellite data display
Data Visualization – animations, graphics
Education and Outreach
Ship coordinator; small ship upgrades
Major equipment investments for leveraging:
- Airborne EM sea ice thickness sensor (year
2)
- Airborne Salinity Mapper (year 3)
also for surface freshwater content (moisture over
tundra gets CO2 flux estimate)
Modeling and Analysis Group
Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)
50 km grid
12 km grid
3 km grid
Nested domains
1 km grid
AOOS Region 1: Gulf of Alaska
• Users
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commercial fishing
recreational boaters
oil & gas developers
search & rescue
tourism
managers
navigation services
aquaculture/mariculture
• Information products
- marine sea state
- circulation patterns from ocean
models
- coastal erosion predictions
- nowcast/forecasts for search &
rescue & oil spill response
- fisheries/ecosystem productivity
Gulf of Alaska Priorities:
• Develop PWS observing system as pilot project
• Build new capacity in Cook Inlet, Kodiak &
Southeast Increase number of oceanographic
moorings
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Add tide, sea-level & stream gauges in real time
Deploy surface current mappers
Enhance fisheries & ecosystem information
Enhance ship of opportunity program
AOOS funding will support PWS Pilot Project
Sea Surface Conditions Meteorology Oceanography Water Quality
PWS Weather
Currents
Precipitation
Data Assimilation
Field Validation
Experiments
PWS
Model
Ancillary
Data
PWS Waves
RealData
time data
Retrieval &
Processing
Application
Server
Server
(GIS)
3D Model
Assimilation
Research
Server
Server
(POET)
Feedback
Education
Economic models
Fishery management
Communities
AOOS Region 2: Bering Sea/Aleutians
• Users
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commercial fishing
subsistence
coastal communities
climate change research
search & rescue
resource managers
• Information products
– sea ice & vessel icing
forecasts
– coastal erosion predictions
– fisheries/ecosystem
productivity
– winds and wave forecasts
Bering Sea/Aleutian Priorities:
National Backbone
• Increase number of buoys & make real-
time. Monitor more variables.
• Add tide & river gauges & C-Man stations
• Several long-range HF radar surface
current mappers at pulse pts in
circulations & major fishing grounds
• Expand fisheries surveys, increase oceanic
parameters measured
Bering Sea/Aleutians
Regional Priorities
• N-S array of 5 moorings along 70m isobath
• Moorings across Bering Strait
• Set of moorings across AK Stream s of Aleutians
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including shelf break buoys to measure entire water
column. 2-3 moorings in Unimak pass, Amukta/Samalga
Pass & Amchitka Pass
Expand coverage of bottom trawl surveys and BASIS
project surveys; add biological components
Record in real-time key indicator species such as whales
Ship of opportunity program
Cable-linked observatories on Pribilofs & Little Diomede
Island
AOOS Arctic Stakeholders
• Users
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offshore oil & gas
shipping/navigation
resource managers
subsistence hunting
climate change researchers
Native communities/planners
• Information products
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sea ice & fog forecasts
ocean circulation patterns
climate change indicators
improved weather forecasts
coastal erosion prediction
AOOS Region 3: The Arctic
Arctic Priorities: National Backbone
• 4 C-MAN stations along Arctic coast
• Stream flow & tide gauges at key sites
• Better bathymetry & nearshore topography
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measurements
Moored buoys along Arctic coast
Network of ice-tethered buoys
Continuity of RADARSAT or similar sea ice
monitoring
Validation/ground-truthing for Arctic conditions
of natl space-based sensors
Arctic Priorities: Regional
• Improved forecasting of sea ice & fog
• Cabled observatories at Barrow Canyon, Prudhoe & Mackenzie
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Canyon
Sea gliders & AUVs for autonomous data gathering
Sensors to measure sea ice thickness
Aerosondes for remote observation of near-shore ice & leads &
biological surveys
Offshore moorings w/ice profiling sonars
Radar coverage for measured ice edge & surface currents & for ice
motion & mass balance measurements
Ship of opportunity program
Wind & wave measurements to mitigate coastal erosion & improve
navigation safety
AOOS funding will support:
• Coastal Sea Ice Radar at Barrow enhancement
– Measure sea ice edge motion & break out events
– Real time data relay
– Work with users on data delivery
• Possible radars at Prudhoe, Kaktovik, Nome
• Future sea level stations along Arctic coast
AOOS possible funding
• Sea ice thickness sensor
– Airborne sea ice
thickness
• Near real time
• Landfast ice near shore
• Offshore transects for
large-scale estimates
– Establish repeat transects
– Real time data relay to
stakeholders
– Year 2
Flight Distances from Barrow
AOOS & Barrow Cabled
Observatory
• Focus on user needs; research is 1 user
group
• Operational components become part of
regional, state, national, global systems
• Tie into AOOS DMAC and MAG
• Education & outreach collaboration