Real-Time Coastal Ocean Data Products for Tampa Bay, West Florida, and the Southeast US

Mark E. LutherCollege of Marine ScienceUniversity of South Florida

Tampa Bay PORTSPhysical Oceanographic Real-Time System

Operated in collaboration with NOAA/NOS/Center for Operational Ocean Products and Services (CO-OPS) and local maritime interestsFunding for operations from State and County trust funds and local users

Voice: 1-866-TB-PORTSwww.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov

orompl.marine.usf.edu/PORTS

Winds, Currents, Water Level Updated every 6 min

Uses/Users of PORTS InformationSafe and Efficient Navigation/Tampa Bay Pilots,

Tampa Port Authority, Shipping Agents, USCG, Recreational Boating and Fishing

Hazardous Material Spill Response/FDEP, NOAA-HAZMAT, USCG, Private Sector

Environmental Protection&Management/FDEP, FWC, EPCHC, Dept. of Health

Storm Surge Prediction&Mitigation/County Emergency Managers, FDEM

Red Tide Studies&Prediction/FWC, FDEPFisheries Management/FWC, NMFSSediment Transport Studies & Mitigation/USGS,

FDEP, USACOE

Pilot Carry-on Units Display Real-Time PORTS Data aboard ships as part of an operational Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS)

Since PORTS became operational in 1992, ship groundings have decreased by 60%

August 1993 Oil Spill

Goal of PORTS and VTIS is to prevent this

PORTS data and early version of model successfully used to predict spill trajectory – Now written into USCG Area Contingency Plan – NOAA/HAZMAT has special access

to data and model products

Forecast Animation September 12, 2002

http://ompl.marine.usf.edu/TBmodel

+ Piney Point Phosphate Plant

Real-time observations are combined with a model of currents and water level to provide a predictive capability for storm surge, search and rescue, or hazardous material spills

Sewage Spill Trajectory

Phosphate Discharge Trajectory

Desal Plant

+

West Florida Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMPS)

Real-time data from buoys, coastal towers, HF radars merged with models and satellite observations

COMPS observations are available thru NDBC

http://comps.marine.usf.edu or http://ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

Offshore COMPS buoys send information on currents, winds, temperature, and salinity by radio and satellite to shore-based computers and the Internet

Coastal sites send water levels and other oceanographic and meteorological data by satellite and radio

Shell Point

New Port RicheyCape Sable

Surface Current Mappers use radio waves to measure ocean currents over large areas off west FloridaIndian Rocks Beach

SCM antennas

The US Integrated Ocean Observing System National System

• Satellite remote sensing• Reference, Sentinel Stations• Link to global module• Data standards & exchange protocolsRegional Systems

• Land-based inputs• State & Regional Priorities• Greater resolution• More variables

TB-PORTS and COMPS are building blocks of both the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS) and the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS).

SEACOOS and GCOOS are actively partnered with SeaGrant Extension Network to engage private sector collaborators/partners in both regions – see www.seacoos.org and www.gcoos.org

SEACOOS

Ultimate goal of IOOS is to provide useful products for anyone who makes

decisions in coastal regions of the US - see http://ocean.us