Community Planning for Ocean Observations, Long Term Time Series and Observatory Systems

Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Norfolk VA

Investigators

Abstract

Ocean.US was created by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program in late 2000 as a National Office to promote and facilitate the establishment of an integrated and sustained ocean observing system. In March 2002, a planning workshop was held to create a design and implementation plan for an integrated and sustained observing system for the United States. Some 110 attendees participated in discussions, the results of which are summarized in the report titled " An Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System (IOOS) for the United States: Design and Implementation" (Ocean.US, 2002). The PI has played an important role in coordinating these community-planning efforts. His continued participation in the Ocean.US activities will provide the continuity necessary to keep the initiative moving forward. The main effort in the coming year will be to provide technical assistance to The National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations (Ocean.US), to ensure that basic research remains an important element of the integrated ocean observing system implementation planning process, and to continue and expand research community consensus building with respect to ocean observatories. Importantly, the PI will contribute to the continuity of the Ocean.US office as it makes the transition to a new director during the fall 2002. This transition combined with the development of the ten-year implementation plan makes the provision for continuity especially important.