SEA GRANT/NWS COLLABORATION

1. A North Atlantic Regional Team (NART) FY 2013 and 2014 Project SEA GRANT/NWS COLLABORATION Sea Grant Engagement for a Weather Ready Nation

2. REGIONAL COLLABORATION TEAMS • Are a network of senior NOAA representatives in the region • Tackle issues that are cross-organizational in nature • Help NOAA implement priorities relevant to the unique needs of each region by having the ability to link the ‘right’ people, ideas, and projects • Are directly connected to NOAA HQ leadership

3. NORTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL TEAM Jennifer Samson, NMFS/NEFSC Nicole Bartlett NART Coordinator Beth Turner, NOS/NCCOS Colleen Coogan NMFS/NERO Sylvain DeGuise, OAR/CT Sea Grant Betsy Nicholson, NOS/CSC SimAberson OAR/AOML Kevin Friedland, NMFS/NEFSC Ellen Mecray, NESDIS/NCDC Rich Okulski NWS, Caribou WFO Catalina Martinez, OAR/OER George McKillop, NWS/ER, HSD Jason Tuell NWS/ER Tony Siebers, NWS/NCEP Paul Ticco, NOS/ONMS Adrienne Antoine, OAR/CPO, COCA Andrew Larkin, NMFS/NCBO; NOS/OCS

4. WEATHER READY NATION • Position information from the National Weather Service (NWS) to better assist successful decisions • Forecast data, even if very accurate, are not sufficient; need forecast information that will fuel successful outcomes for people • Thus, NWS strives to leverage advances in science and technology to provide a higher level of decision support services • Not just the numbers but what do they mean for people’s lives and livelihoods • Impact based

5. EXAMPLES • December 13, 2007 • Outstanding forecast • Horrific impact • Coastal Flooding from storm surge • Few understand the numbers • Many more can understand the threat expressed in a map of forecast inundation

6. WHY COLLABORATION • Coastal resiliency important to both sets of stakeholders • Project seeks to leverage Sea Grant/NWS collaboration for more integrated approach to achieving coastal resiliency • Premise is we can accomplish more working together than separately • Build upon current level of collaboration • Spotty but increasing as targets of opportunity arise • Opportunity for new best practices

7. STAKEHOLDERS • Sea Grant • Coastal Program Managers • Community Land Use Planners • Conservation agents • Industry representatives concerned with coastal storms and climate change • NWS • Emergency managers

8. COLLABORATION IDEAS • Add Sea Grant to Customer Advisory Boards • Can help vet new products/services • Sea Grant Extension Agents can help: • Identify specific coastal vulnerabilities • Introduce new people to NWS services • Provide coastal storm impact info • Including assistance at identifying inundation areas in post storm coastal surveys • Documentation of impacts via Storm Reporter tool • NWS Forecast Services • Pending storm info to help with mitigation actions • Forecast info to assist with shellfish closure decisions • Weather impact knowledge that might influence longer term planning decisions

9. NWS familiarity with SEA GRANT • 100% have heard of Sea Grant and 25% have worked with Sea Grant • About half think Sea Grant is in NOS, only 2 knew that Sea Grant is in OAR • Most (72%) had interacted or collaborated very few times over the past 10 years, the rest had never • 90% had rarely used any Sea Grant products • 82% were not aware of Sea Grant’s work in climate change and coastal resiliency • Most know that Sea Grant is associated with Universities

10. SEA GRANT familiarity with NWS • 100% know that NWS is part of NOAA • All were able to provide a brief, accurate description of NWS • About half had heard of the “Weather Ready Nation” initiative. • 90% named a Weather Office in their area • 9 (~25%) were able to name a NWS employee

11. NWS suggestions for collaboration • Coastal inundation, flooding and storm surge and wave run up impacts • Hurricane / tsunami preparedness • Rip currents • Communicating increasing risk of severe storm events • Beach hazard statements and warnings • New partnerships with fisheries and other coastal industries • High resolution visualizations of areas that are vulnerable to storm surge and inundation • Web portals to access forecast information • Sea Grant can host information seminars featuring NWS experts • Interlinks between program web sites to connect Sea Grant stakeholders to NWS products and services.

12. SEA GRANT suggestions for collaboration • Formal and informal education about coastal hazards (rip currents, inundation, etc.) • Sharing existing products with stakeholders • Assessment of potential impacts and how to manage them • Help communities to better understand the difference between weather and climate • “Shadow a NWS scientist” for students • Access to on-line data sources for communities

13. NWS/SEA GRANT COLLABORATIONRecent Success in the Northeast • Two NWS/Sea Grant Focus Group Meetings in Eastport and Bangor • Follow-up on NWS/Sea Grant Marine Survey • WFO Taunton Outreach Team working with MIT Sea Grant on weather kit • MIT and Woods Hole Sea Grant attended last WFO Taunton Marine Advisory Board meeting

14. NWS/SEA GRANT COLLABORATIONMORE EFFORTS UNDERWAY • MIT Sea Grant assisting NWS on planning team for Boston Harbor High Water Seminar • November 22, 2013 at Boston College • Sea Grant-funded UMaine Dept of Engineering study on nearshore waves • Better understand nearshore wave dynamics • Investigate high resolution modeling of nearshore waves • Applications of study can be used for input to wave runup equations and enhancement of coastal hazard resiliency efforts

15. NWS/SEA GRANT COLLABORATIONMORE EFFORTS UNDERWAY • MIT and Woods Hole Sea Grant working with WFO Taunton on new NHC product outreach • Forecast inundation map prototype to be introduced to Stakeholders in eastern MA • Buzzards Bay and Boston’s South Shore areas targeted • Opportunity for input from stakeholders impacted by both tropical and extratropical cyclones • Perhaps consider for other areas

16. Sowing a Fertile Ground SEA GRANT ENGAGEMENT FOR A WEATHER READY NATION Questions/Ideas