Coastal Services Center

The GIS Integration and Development Program

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Grant Project Summary: Florida Marine Research Institute

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Development and Evaluation of a Monitoring and Emergency Response/Crisis Management System for Oil Spills and Hurricanes

October 1998 to September 1999

Project Summary

Funded by the NOAA High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program, this project addressed NOAA and other agencies’ needs to rapidly gather, integrate, and disseminate information about impacted areas. The project built upon previous efforts by the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) to develop the Florida Marine Spill Analysis System (MSAS). MSAS uses geographic information system (GIS) software to support oil spill response and cleanup. During an oil spill, field data need to be collected, communicated, and analyzed rapidly. This usually involves recording spill conditions on paper Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team (SCAT) forms, which are then transported or faxed to a command center and entered into a computer database. Delays and errors associated with the transcription, computer data entry, and analysis of data often prevent information from being used in a timely and efficient manner.

This project developed and evaluated a prototype Emergency Response System (ERS) aimed at reducing the problems associated with the current system. The prototype ERS consists of a lightweight, portable computer equipped with SCAT and GIS software and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The system was evaluated in stand-alone mode and over a wireless local area network (WLAN). The SCAT software was linked to ArcView® GIS and tested for field data collection. GPS units were used to record the location of simulated spill areas on the beach and high speed radio modems installed in the computers transmitted real-time voice, video, and GIS data over the wireless network to the command center. The data was then used to create maps depicting the status of the simulated shoreline cleanup operations. While further development is still needed, the new technologies demonstrated the potential of supporting integrated data collection and communication for rapid decision making in emergency response situations. Additional information on the product is on–line at: http://www.cio.noaa.gov/hpcc/projects/980002.html

NOAA Coastal Services Center's Role

This was a grant project and NOAA did not have substantial involvement with the work.

Grantee Overview

The Florida Marine Research Institute, forerunner to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, was founded in 1955 by the University of Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Research Institute was originally established to investigate the red tides that plagued Florida’s west coast. The Division of Wildlife’s research oriented beginnings date from the late 1940’s when federal funding under the Pitman-Robertson Act facilitated the hiring of biologists to work on wildlife restoration projects (primarily restocking deer and turkeys) and to establish wildlife management areas. The Division of Freshwater Fisheries also, with roots dating to the post-war era, hired its first fishery biologist in 1946, and at the time funding was based entirely on fishing license sales. As Florida's human population and the associated environmental stresses have increased, its need for information about natural resources became urgent. FWRI strives to fill that need by being the leader in providing the scientific foundation for wisely managing Florida’s fish and wildlife resources. FWRI is organized into five broad, interrelated science sections: Marine Fisheries Research, Freshwater Fisheries Research, Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration, Wildlife Research, and Information Science and Management. The principal liaison between the Institute and the public is their Outreach Coordination office.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute is headquartered in St. Petersburg and is the home base for 285 staff members and 245 employees operating out of field laboratories throughout the state at key inland and coastal locations. The largest concentration of freshwater fisheries staff is located in Eustis, and most wildlife research staff is located in Gainesville. Approximately 530 staff statewide makes up FWRI. The operating budget for the Florida Fiscal Year 2003-2004 was approximately $31 million derived from saltwater fishing license revenue, state general revenue, and federal grants.

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