1. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP)Major results, milestones, and plans Prepared for CLIVAR as Input to the 27th Session of Joint Scientific Committee of the WCRP (JSC-XXVII) M. J. McPhaden, TIP Chairman 13 February 2005

2. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP) Major results, milestones, and plans:Evolving La Niña Conditions La Niña conditions developed in late 2005-early 2006. • Evolution tracked daily in real-time with TAO/TRITON data. • Not well predicted: “Presently in mid-November the potential for maintaining neutral SST conditions through the Dec-Jan-Feb period is virtually certain. There is a less than a 1% probability for both El Niño and La Niña SST conditions.” --IRI, 16 Nov 2005

3. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP)Major results, milestones, and plans:Indian Ocean Moored Buoy Array • TIP participated in development of Indian Ocean moored buoy array plan with CLIVAR/GOOS IOP. • Sustained multi-national effort envisioned in support of monsoon research and prediction. • Current status and plans at right; grand plan below • Two process studies of intraseasonal variability are planned for Oct-Dec 2006 (MISMO, Japan) near the equator 80°-90°E and another in Jan-Feb 2007 (CIRENE, France) between 3°-10°S,55°-80°E.

4. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP)Major results, milestones, and plans:Pilot Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA) • 3 buoys of SW Extension were deployed in August 2005 (Brazil). • 1 buoy of SE Extension will be deployed in June 2006 at 6°S, 8°E (South Africa) . • 2 buoys of NE Extension will be deployed in July 2006 at 4°N and 11.5°N, 23°W (NOAA); 2 more will be deployed in 2007. Brazil, France and U.S. would like to continue PIRATA as permanent component of GOOS. The PIRATA SSC is preparing a background document for review by CLIVAR SSG and OOPC (April 2006) to assess past performance and the likelihood of future contributions to research, operational analyses and forecasting.

5. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP)Major results, milestones, and plans:Data and information management • Switch to multi-satellite status by Service Argos and increase in ATLAS data transmissions from 8 hr to 16 hr per day results in increased GTS surface meteorological data by a factor of 4-5 in 2005. • JAMSTEC introduced a new data processing system in 2005 • TRITON salinity, shortwave radiation, and velocity data are publicly available via the WWW. • High resolution (hourly) TRITON data now available via the WWW. • PMEL in collaboration with JAMSTEC developed a web-based data display and distribution system similar to existing TAO/TRITON and data systems for the new tropical Indian Ocean moored buoy array

6. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP)Major results, milestones, and plans:New NOAA Budget Initiative Funded In FY 2006, NOAA received an increase in climate observations base funds to expand tropical moored buoy activities. These funds will be used for the following purposes: • Accelerate development of Indian Ocean moored buoy array. • Add surface salinity sensors to all TAO moorings in the Pacific to improve definition of salinity variability, improve seasonal-interannual forecasting, and provide data for satellite validation (SMOS/Aquarius). • Upgrade for 4 TAO and 3 PIRATA moorings to OceanSITES reference station standards for improved surface flux measurements. • Provide 4 additional buoys for the PIRATA array in the hurricane-genesis region of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean for improved understanding of ocean-atmosphere interactions on hurricane development (NE Extension moorings). • Support technological development of the next generation of moored buoys.

7. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP)Major results, milestones, and plans:New JAMSTEC Budget Initiative Funded JAMSTEC received a new 5-year budget starting in Japanese FY2005 for promoting the Indian Ocean mooring array as a part of "JEPP: Japan EOS (Earth Observation System) Promotion Program" which is a new program of Japanese government related GEOSS. JEPP will enable the development of new small size TRITON buoy and the continuation of the present TRITON sites in the Indian Ocean.

8. Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel (TIP) Major results, milestones, and plans:TAO Transition • The transfer of TAO operations from NOAA/PMEL to NOAA/National Data Buoy Center is in its second year of a three year scheduled transition. • As of 1 Jan 2006, NDBC maintains the official TAO web site for data display and distribution. • Beginning in 2007, NDBC will be responsible for all field work. • There has been no break in continuity of the data stream and the process so far has been transparent to TAO data users.