Molly McCammon, Executive Director 1007 W. Third Ave., Suite 100 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-644-6703

1. Alaska Ocean Observing System(AOOS)A Regional Observing System within the Integrated Ocean Observing System Molly McCammon, Executive Director 1007 W. Third Ave., Suite 100 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-644-6703 mccammon@aoos.org www.aoos.org

2. IOOS (National) Goals • Improve prediction of climate change impacts • Improve safety & efficiency of marine operations • More effectively protect & restore healthy coastal ecosystems • Sustain marine resources • Mitigate effects of natural hazards • Reduce public health risks • Improve national security (adapted from: An Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System, Ocean.US 2002)

3. What will IOOS look like? • Global component (international collaboration and U.S. support) • U.S. coastal component - National “backbone” system: existing federal assets (federal support) - Set of nested Regional Observing Systems, tailored to local user needs (federal, state, local, private support)

4. Global Component of the IOOSIntegrate Remote & In Situ SensingAn International Collaboration Plan for the initial system ~ 50% implemented

5. Bottom up: Regional Associations forming across the U.S.

6. Alaska Ocean Observing System(AOOS) Arctic Bering Sea/ Aleutians Gulf of Alaska

7. AOOS: Partnership of Industry, Government, Non-Profits and Academia(not a complete listing) • Industry/Stakeholders Fishing companies Recreation Fishermen Aquaculture/mariculture Shipping – marine navigation Tourism Oil services Value-added research Subsistence users • Government State: fisheries, water quality, seafood, coastal managers Federal: resource managers, researchers, search & rescue, oil spill response Local: coastal cities, boroughs and ports Tribal: Alaska Native communities • Research Institutes & Non-Profits Arctic Research Commission North Pacific Research Board Prince William Sound Science Center/OSRI Barrow Arctic Science Consortium Alaska SeaLife Center Alaska Native Science Commission • Academia University of Alaska Others

8. 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, education & outreach: partnership among federal and state agencies, private sector, users, academia • Develop systems • Pilot project in Prince William Sound -- Expand observing capacity throughout Alaska

9. Alaska’s Special Challenges

10. Stakeholder needs Search and rescue, oil spill response, safe navigation • Currents and winds in real-time, accurate tide info • Trajectory modeling Coastal erosion • Wave height & direction and storm surge modeling • Landfast and sea ice conditions Seasonal and long-term forecasts • Ocean conditions • Sea ice • Heat indices • Improved weather forecasts • Harmful algal blooms Observational data and models • Ocean circulation, currents, frontal locations • Winds, air temperature, precipitation • Fisheries; ecosystem approach to management

11. AOOS VISION: Statewide Strategy • Identify gaps in national backbone to meet larger, more statewide and national needs • Develop strategy to fill in gaps – influence federal agency budgets • Integrate obs that cross agency missions & disciplines

12. Statewide Priorities • Remote sensing products w/high resolution • Data management & communications systems w/real-time accessible data • Information products such as ocean circulation models, nearshore forecasts for all regions • Comprehensive mapping & charting • Infrastructure & equipment– buoy center; hf radar group; ice thickness sensor; salinity mapper; ship time • Support for state & federal programs - facilitation

13. AOOS VISION: Arctic • Users - offshore oil & gas - shipping/navigation - subsistence hunting - resource managers - Native communities/planners - climate change researchers • Information products - sea ice & fog forecasts - real time sea ice movement - ocean circulation patterns - climate change indicators - improved weather forecasts - coastal erosion prediction

14. Arctic Priorities • Sea ice monitoring • Coastal erosion • Barrow cabled observatory • HF radar – nearshore monitoring • Marine mammals • Collaboration with other efforts - circumpolar

15. AOOS VISION: Bering Sea/Aleutians • Users - commercial fishing - subsistence; communities - climate change research - safe navigation: search & rescue & oil spill response - resource managers • Information products - sea ice & vessel icing forecasts - coastal erosion predictions - fisheries/ecosystem productivity – climate change - wind and wave forecasts

16. Bering Sea/Aleutian Priorities: • Increase National Backbone assets: NDBC buoys, C-Man stations, CRN sites, tide & river gauges. • Moorings to monitor water in, out & thruout • Coastal erosion monitoring • Expand fisheries surveys, increase oceanic parameters measured • Better bathymetry; charts • Long-range HF radar surface current mappers at pulse pts in circulations & major fishing grounds • Long-term: cable-linked observatories on Pribilofs & Little Diomede Island

17. AOOS VISION: Gulf of Alaska • Users - navigation services - commercial fishing - recreational boaters - oil & gas development - search & rescue - tourism - managers - aquaculture/mariculture • Information products - marine sea state & icing conditions - ocean circulation patterns - coastal erosion predictions - nowcast/forecasts forsearch & rescue & oil spill response - fisheries/ecosystem productivity - HAB forecasts

18. Gulf of Alaska Priorities: • National Backbone: Increase # of ocean moorings, tide & stream gauges – enhance w/ other sensors: water quality, sediment; better bathymetry maps & charts • Circulation obs: more buoys & long & short range HF radar surface current mappers; freshwater input into Alaska Coastal Current • Enhance existing estuarine & coastal monitoring • Add biological component to physical monitoring • Develop HAB forecast ability • Enhance ship of opportunity programs • PWS observing system: use as pilot project • Develop new capacity in Kodiak & SE • Integrate & enhance Cook Inlet observations

19. PWS Demonstration of an“End to End” System PWS ROMS Meteorology Sea Surface Conditions Oceanography Water Quality Precipitation Currents PWS Weather Data Assimilation Field Validation Experiments Real time data Data Model Ancillary 3D Model 3D Model Retrieval & Retrieval & Data Data Assimilation Assimilation Processing Processing PWS Waves Application Application Research Research Server Server Server (GIS) Server (POET) Feedback Economic models Fishery management Education Communities

20. Next Steps • Work with national groups to get national authorizing legislation & national funding • Strengthen newly formed national federation of regional associations • Continue user outreach & needs assessment – identify information products • Develop implementation plans for 3 regions • Develop education & outreach plan • COORDINATE, COLLABORATE AND LEVERAGE!

21. Alaska Ocean Observing System 1007 W. 3rd Avenue, Suite 100 Anchorage, Alaska www.aoos.org