Coastal Services Center

IOOS Applications

The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) has been in existence and collecting data for a number of years. However, many of the potential benefits of the system are not widely demonstrated or known. This website is aimed at showing how IOOS data are playing critical roles in helping managers address real-world issues. Some sample applications that utilize IOOS data to meet manager needs are introduced below. If you would like to see your application featured here, contact Dave.Eslinger@noaa.gov.

	Chesapeake Bay Oyster Larvae Tracker (CBOLT) The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Larvae Tracker (CBOLT) is a decision-support tool that provides coastal managers with information to make better-informed decisions on the introduction of non-native oysters into Chesapeake Bay. CBOLT comprises an integrated system of components that allows users to control a particle-tracking model, driven by IOOS data sets from a variety of sources, and then examine the output as geospatial features in a Web-based map interface. The net result is a Web-based tool for the prediction of oyster larvae transport through the Chesapeake Bay through the integration of IOOS data with existing operational oceanographic models. More information can be found at: www.csc.noaa.gov/cbolt
	Oregon Coastal Inundation Visualization Tool The Oregon Coastal Inundation Visualization Tool uses ocean observation data to generate a near real-time visualization of inundation along the northern Oregon shoreline. The tool collects near real-time wave and tide data from the National Data Buoy Center and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services. A geometric model is used to calculate the combined effect of wave run-up and tides on the shoreline. Users can identify shoreline that is susceptible to erosion or flooding, especially during storms. More information can be found at: www.csc.noaa.gov/cspPNW
	Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast System Each year the Gulf of Mexico experiences harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. These HABs are responsible for human health impacts, shellfish bed closures, dolphin and manatee deaths, and fish kills. The HAB Forecasting System relies on the integration of real-time in-situ and satellite observations, modeling output, and monitoring data to provide information on the location, extent, and potential for development or movement of K. brevis blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. A comprehensive analysis and graphics are provided in a bulletin to coastal resource managers twice a week during a bloom. A conditions report is available to the public on the HAB Forecasting System website. More information can be found at: www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf/
	Coastal Climatology Highly complex and unique weather and ocean phenomena such as the sea breeze circulation, nor'easters, sea fog, and the upwelling of cool subsurface water to the ocean surface all contribute to the unique climate of the coastal zone. These phenomena are the result of the contrast between land and sea when measuring and forecasting elements such as air and water temperature, humidity, and wind. To fully understand coastal climatology or the climate of a coastal region, you must analyze terrestrial, oceanographic, and meteorological data together. IOOS data are critically important in the study of these phenomena, as climate can vary dramatically over a short distance, particularly in the coastal margin. Pilot coastal climatologies have been developed to integrate these data in the coastal region and provide a more complete view of these complex interactions. More information can be found at: www.csc.noaa.gov/climatology/products.html
	Water-Level Data Provided Via RSS This new application provides IOOS data of the Charleston, South Carolina, area. Dual sources of information—U.S. Geological Survey stream gage data and tide-level data from NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services—are provided via Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds in a graphical format. The application demonstrates how this popular method of receiving Web updates can be used to supply near-real-time IOOS data. More information can be found at: http://maps.csc.noaa.gov/waterlevels/