R & D Breakout Group

R & D Breakout Group

Input to SECOORA Business Plan

(Jacksonville, July 27-28, 2005)

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.)

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)

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

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

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

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.

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

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.)

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

R & D Breakout Group

Summary

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

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)

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

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

R&D - 5

• Education– Graduate degrees in operational

oceanography– Train next generation w/COOS technology