R & D Breakout Group

1. Input to SECOORA Business Plan (Jacksonville, July 27-28, 2005)‏ R & D Breakout Group

2. R & D Operations Objectives: Current • Model evaluation and improvement • Circulation, waves, storm surge, sediments • Operation vision: what is it? And, how to get there? • National backbone coordination • Design strategy to engage & coordinate design • Need additional observations • Esp. benthic and biological • User communications • Needs assessment, demonstrate utility to users, plan link to Enterprise Architecture

3. R & D Operations Objectives: Year 1 • Systems assessment • Error bars, sensitivity analysis • Short term demonstration • Sediment transport, CODAE, S+R • Regional coordination • w/ Feds, users, industry • Research thrusts • Coastal hazards • Waves, storm surge, rip currents • Biological observations (fisheries, biology)‏ • Observation technology assessment • Gliders, AUVs, bottoms sensors

4. R & D Operations Objectives: Year 2-5 • Develop & test (quasi)operational nowcast/forecast system • Currents, storm surge, waves, tides, inundation, ecosystems • Data management • Enterprise and region • Scientific analysis • Annual and interannual trends, cross-shelf exchange • SECOORA-wide ecosystem analysis • Sensors and observations • Full-fledged biological/chemical monitoring • CO2 air-sea exchange • Education • Graduate degrees in operational oceanography • Train next generation w/COOS technology

6. R & D Infrastructure: Current • Inventory of existing sensor capabilities • biosensors, seafloor mapping, etc. • Inventory of communication infrastructure • Satellite, telemetry, etc. • Test/gain experience with sensors (bio, HF radar) and offshore observing systems (buoy, platforms, Explorer of the Sea/ships of opp.)‏ • Models (early quasi-operational capability)‏ • Data assimilation, GRID technologies, OSSE’s, metrics, standardization

7. R & D Infrastructure: 1 year • Sensor and obs tech development • Short term: profilers, acoustics, etc. • Testbeds • computation (GRID, lambda-rail)‏ • sensors • Seafloor mapping (habitats, benthic dynamics)‏ • Better dialogue and coordination • Sharing capabilities and personnel • Develop cost estimates

8. R & D Infrastructure: 2-5 year • Sensor and observational technology developments • HF radar, bio and water quality, metazoan detection, seafloor/seabed, air-sea, etc. • Expand coverage (geographically & data type)‏ • Acoustic arrays, biosensors, seafloor mapping • Distributed modeling center to share resources (models, data, computers)‏ • Better dialogue and coordination of build-out activities to achieve cost reduction, etc.

10. R & D Relationships and Procedures: Current State • Poor communication in general (sub-region, region, between regions)‏ • Little support for: • Fisheries, sediment transport, HF Radar tests, data management strategies • However, there exist developing communications: • Between R-COOS and Federal Backbone

11. R & D Relationships and Procedures: 1 year • Links at national level (ACT, OMB, OSTP, CEQ, ORION, OOI, etc.)‏ • Links at local level (State, County, Water Districts, etc.)‏ • Coordinate R&D efforts (regional plan, establish a committee/consortium)‏ • Develop relationship with non-traditional funding sources (NIH, foundations, etc.)‏

12. R & D Relationships and Procedures: 2-5 year • Expand/develop links with: • Private sector (commercial & recreational fishing, IT, Instrument manufacturers, etc.)‏ • Academia (Applied sciences, Advanced materials)‏ • Feds (Fisheries, MMS, Emergency management, etc.)‏ • Expand/build interoperability (R&D with other regions)‏

14. R & D Resource Arrangements: Current • Internal (RA) coordination needed • Models, data collection, grant applications • Funding issues • User needs should drive • Stabilize support, simplify admin • Fisheries as a source of support • External coordination • Ocean US role, other Feds • Specific resource needs • Biosensors, computer resources, AUVs, bottom maps

15. R & D Resource Arrangements: 1 year • Regional resource coordination • Infrastructure, shiptime, proposals, testbeds • Federal Support • Ship access and funding, MOU’s (speed process)‏ • Expert Assessments of • COOS R&D, models, sensors (incl. bio/geo/chem)‏ • Peer review within RA • Drives resource allocation • Subregional assessments • For gaps, duplication

16. R & D Resource Arrangements: 2-5 years • Sources of resources • NMFS, States, Industry, other Feds (NSF, MMS, ?)‏ • R&D Administration • Shared technical staff, asset inventory, R&D needs • Observing System needs • Central calib. Facility, bio & chem sensor development • Education • Improve engineering education in SE • Introduce Operational Oceanography in SE curricula

18. R & D: Comments • Education • Needs to be highlighted and is a long term needs • MOU’s a good approach • Do at regional level • Leverage resources • Oceans Act in FL • Will coordinate all oceans activity in FL • Coastal research by state agencies, universities, all that they can.

19. R & D: Gaps • Adopt system engineering approach to design obs. System • Have meetings w/ NASA (and NWS Operational Met offices) to see how they do it • CLARUS under FHWA as an example in NWS • Invited speaker at next meeting ot explain • Training sessions • Sys engineering thoughts • Requires engineers to be involved • Salaries need to be addressed: mismatch of marine science vs. engineering • We need to know more about what it means • Alpha to omega considerations • Regional system engineering caveat • can only be done by licensed engineer in FL • But can do systems eng. approach w/out being a system engineer

20. R & D: Gaps • Biological Chemical sensors • Need coordinated efforts, external & internal to RA • Communicate outside region • Sensors development • Need fed level coordination efforts • NFRA leads?, Ocean.US engagement as Obs & Modeling groups similar to DMAC • Talent/Expertise inventory is needed • Who does what? People are most expensive resource • Encourage existing research programs to coordinate w/ obs. programs • Funding agencies require/encourage coord. w/ ongoing obs systems into RFPs • Researchers able to use COOS data • Share/coordinate infrastructure (gliders, ships, etc.)‏

21. R & D: Gaps • Expand utility of current sensors • Harden current sensor technologies • Use existing sensors to address different dynamics • R&D on experimental design / novel applications • New algorithms to get new measurements from current sensors • E.g., waves from HF radar • Data policy • Who can use, when, etc.? • SECOORA measurements publicly, routinely available • Intellectual property rights • Open source software

23. Summary R & D Breakout Group

24. R&D - 1 • Need additional observations (esp. biology, chem, water quality, benthic/seafloor)‏ • Distributed modeling center to share resources (models, data, computers)‏ • Short term demonstrations (testbeds, e.g., storm surge, waves, sediment, fisheries) to • assess capabilities (full suite of sensors, transmission, observing system components, data management and archival)‏ • determine additional/longterm R&D needs

25. R&D - 2 • Coordinate R&D efforts (regional plan, establish a committee/consortium) – include national (Federal) through local (State through County) agencies, use of MOU’s as a effective way for collaboration. • Expand/develop links with: • Private sector (commercial & recreational fishing, IT, Instrument manufacturers, etc.)‏ • Academia (Applied sciences, Advanced materials)‏

26. R&D - 3 • Adopt system engineering approach to design obs. System • Experience w/ NASA and NWS Operational Met offices • Establish workshops • Better dialogue and coordination • Sharing capabilities and personnel • Develop cost estimates

27. R&D - 4 • Scientific analysis • Annual and interannual trends, cross-shelf exchange • SECOORA-wide ecosystem analysis • Expand coverage (geographically & data type – many gaps in both)‏ • Acoustic arrays, biosensors, seafloor mapping

28. R&D - 5 • Education • Graduate degrees in operational oceanography • Train next generation w/COOS technology