Gulf observation system has a full year of data
BATON ROUGE — Whether it’s in the form of floodwaters and surges or dead zones and land loss, the Gulf of Mexico is a constant source of change for coastal communities.
Although these occurrences have a profound effect locally, researchers, scientists and government officials still struggle to fully understand the magnitude of such changes or their causes and consequences.
The credible data that is collected comes from satellites, tide gauges, ocean buoys, fishermen reports and other sources. Often, the information collected on water levels, salinity, temperatures, winds and waves isn’t compatible.
That’s because there has long been a need for specialized research in the Gulf of Mexico, but the demand for a more holistic approach, along with big-picture data, is only just beginning to peak.
This demand was also the catalyst to the new Integrated Ocean Observing System, which mariners, coastal managers, universities and the general public can now access for free.
It’s a private-public effort that has been in the works for the past year at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal government’s lead coastal agency.
The end result is that, for the first time ever, a wide variety of federal and non-federal information sets are sitting in the same system, known as IOOS.
Josie Quintrell, executive director of the National Federation of Regional Associations for Coastal and Ocean Observing, said there’s a very practical side to the system since it helps save time and money on research.
“For years, users have compiled data from different sources and manually converted them into formats that work together – from Celsius to Fahrenheit, for example,” Quintrell said.
IOOS is being described by NOAA as “a major shift in ocean observing” that, once complete, will be a “nationally-important infrastructure” enabling many different users to better understand, respond and adapt to the effects of severe weather and natural hazards.
Coastal-resource managers can get a broader picture of salinity levels, emergency responders can pinpoint problem areas, scientists will see a stronger characterization of the Gulf of Mexico, politicians can access real-time data and the general public can do the same at no cost.
“Data from IOOS can be used for a variety of purposes, from providing information for safe and effective maritime commerce to enhancing water quality, as well as models for searches and rescues,” said Zdenka Willis, NOAA IOOS Director. “Conditions observed by IOOS are also studied by experts to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.”