The GoMOOS Observer - Fall 2007

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FALL 2007

Welcome to the fall edition of the Quarterly GoMOOS Observer. We are excited to bring you the latest news and updates on coastal and ocean observations, information products and activities that we’ve been working on. We would appreciate hearing your thoughts and suggestions on any of the topics below, so please send us an email at info@gomoos.org.

View this newsletter online: http://www.gomoos.org/aboutgomoos/GM_report_FAL07.html


CONTENTS
 
GoMOOS Updates
A New Look For GoMOOS.org!
arrow A Closer Look at the New Features
Board Changes
Staff Changes
 
Buoy Program Updates
Buoy Array Status and Updates
Buoy Funding
 
GoMOOS Software Development Updates
OOSTethys.org - Named 'Website of the Month' by the OGC
NOAA CSC Evaluating OOSTethys Cookbooks and SOS Specifications
 
Partnership Updates
NERACOOS Receives Funding From NOAA
ACT Workshop Report
 
Events & Contact
Calendar and Contact Information
 
Glossary of Acronyms

Member Institutions

Atlantic Pilotage Authority
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean
   Sciences
Bowdoin College
Durand and Anastas Environmental
   Strategies
Eastport Port Authority
Federal Marine Terminals
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Gulf of Maine Program – CoML
Horizon Marine, Inc.
Island Institute
Maine Department of Marine
   Resources
Maine Lobstermen's Association
Maine Maritime Academy
Maine Port Authority
Maine State Planning Office
Massachusetts Lobstermen’s
   Association
Massachusetts Office of
   Coastal Zone Management
Massachusetts Water Resources
   Authority
*MetOC
MIT Sea Grant
National Marine Fisheries Service
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
National Undersea Research Center
New England Aquarium
NOBSKA Development Corp.
OEA Technologies, Inc.
Penobscot Bay & River Pilots
   Association
Portland Pipe Line Corporation
RD Instruments, Inc.
Rutgers University - Institute of
   Marine and Coastal Sciences
*Science Applications Int’l Corp.
St. Andrew’s Biological Station
Stellwagen Bank National
   Marine Sanctuary
United States Geological Survey -
  Woods Hole Field Center
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts
University of New England
University of New Hampshire
University of Rhode Island
  Graduate  School of Oceanography
Woods Hole Oceanographic
   Institution

*New Members


GoMOOS Updates


A New Look For GoMOOS.org!

We are pleased to introduce the latest release of the GoMOOS web site!

The new site features many behind the scenes upgrades and several visible enhancements including:

  • New home page designed to better highlight new site features, the depth of products available on the site, and what our users think of GoMOOS

  • View the buoy reporting the highest waves and the fastest winds. Look in the 'Real-time Data' box on the top left of the home page.

  • High resolution buoy data at more frequent intervals (data received every 30 minutes instead of every hour)

  • New site navigation designed to make locating relevant products on the site more intuitive

  • Two new observing stations are available - the UNH Great Bay Buoy and the WHOI Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (http://www.gomoos.org/data/recent.html)

  • A new wind and wave forecast
    (http://www.gomoos.org/waveforecasts/windwaveforecast.html)

  • A new "Text-a-buoy" product allowing you to receive current observations via SMS text-messages from mobile phones (http://www.gomoos.org/howto/textabuoy.html)

  • A new site-wide search feature and email list sign-up are available on every page

The site was available in "beta" test mode for a few months to allow users a period of time to give us their feedback and for us to adjust the site appropriately based on that feedback. In addition, we assembled a panel of active GoMOOS users to help evaluate and test the new site during this period. We'd like to thank everyone who helped test the site and provided us with useful feedback!

Read the next article for closer look at the new features...

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A Closer Look at the New Features

The Wind and Wave Forecast - Thanks to a grant from CICOR, GoMOOS and partners at NOAA NEFSC were able to add a wind forecast to our already popular wave forecast tool. Using wind data from NOAA's NCEP program, the wind forecast provides a forecast wind speed and direction for 48-hours for each GoMOOS and NDBC buoy in the Gulf of Maine. We updated the wave forecast to provide direction as well as wave height and dominant wave period. For both forecasts, you can also track the accuracy of the forecast by comparing observation (real-time buoy data) to forecast data.
Tell me more...



Text-a-Buoy - Expanding on the successful NOAA Dial-a-Buoy program, GoMOOS now offers the ability to receive real-time buoy data from GoMOOS and NOAA buoys on your SMS enabled cell phone. Simply send a text message to the buoy's address, and quickly receive a text message with the latest conditions.
Tell me more...




Site-wide search
- We are pleased to bring you one of the most commonly requested enhancements by our users. As a regular user, you know that GoMOOS.org is full of useful information. Now it's easier than ever to find it. On every page, you will see a search box. The search feature is powered by Google.



New observation stations
- As GoMOOS continues to work with ocean observing partners in the region, we are happy to announce the latest data integration. The UNH Great Bay buoy and the WHOI Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory are now online at GoMOOS.org. As more observing resources become available in the region, we hope to continue to integrate them into our products and services offerings to make Gulf of Maine data 'one stop shopping' for our users.
Tell me more...

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Board of Directors Changes

GoMOOS welcomes new board member Bruce Carlisle from Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management.

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GoMOOS Staff Changes

This past May, GoMOOS bid farewell to Office Administrator Jodi Clark. After 5 years of outstanding service to the organization, Jodi felt it was time to move on. Jodi was an integral part of GoMOOS almost from the beginning. Her hard work was evidenced by the smooth running of the organization; from managing the daily goings-on at the GoMOOS office, to communication with the board and membership, to organizing workshops and meetings, and countless other behind the scenes efforts that made all of our jobs easier. We all wish her the best in her future endeavors.

After a long search through many qualified candidates, we are pleased to introduce our new Office Administrator, Lisa Preble. Lisa began working at the Portland office in July. She brings over 20 years of experience in office management from the private sector, as well as a great interest in the GoMOOS mission, and we are all very happy to have her join the team!

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Buoy Program Updates


Buoy Array Status and Updates

The University of Maine Physical Oceanography Group reports that the spring turnaround of the GoMOOS buoy array was completed in May 2007. A cruise in March 2007 on the R/V Delaware II serviced buoys A, B, C and N. The R/V Argo Maine serviced E, F, I, L, and M in May 2007. Buoys E, F, and I were converted this spring to use digital phones to make internet connections for high speed data transfer (buoys A, B, C, and D already used digital phones).

The buoys deployed in May sample meteorological data every 10 minutes throughout each hour; the buoys deployed in March sample meteorological information every 30 minutes. All of the buoys sample waves and 1m temperature/salinity every 30 minutes.

This high-resolution data is available on the real-time buoy page at GoMOOS.org, and a description of the measurements are available at http://gyre.umeoce.maine.edu/text_reports.php. High resolution post-recovery data (samples every 3 minutes) are also available from the recovered SBE37 instruments starting with the spring 2007 recovered buoys.

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Buoy Funding

Last year GoMOOS faced a significant decrease in federal funding, which seriously threatened our buoy program. Many organizations and individuals throughout the region have come to rely on GoMOOS for real-time ocean and weather conditions. Thanks to significant contributions from the University of New Hampshire, the University of Maine, the State of Maine, along with the efforts of many of our members, we were able secure the funds needed for buoy operations and maintenance through the summer of 2007. The federal funding outlook going forward continues to be challenging and uncertain. However, the GoMOOS executive committee and staff are working on diversifying buoy funding sources so that we can maintain our successful and valuable system well into the future.

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GoMOOS Software Development Updates


OOSTethys named Website of the Month by OGC!

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has named OOSTethys.org as the "Website of the Month" for the July/August issue of OGC News. OOSTethys is a software development initiative made up of partners from SURA SCOOP (including GoMOOS) and MMI to further develop data integration among ocean observing systems.

An excerpt: '"The OOSTethys website describes developments in ocean-observing systems, with a focus on progress toward a system-of-ocean-observing-systems. OOSTethys provides a community-developed set of software tools that implement OGC specifications. It also offers guidance documents ("cookbooks") to help data providers get started using standards-based data-exchange capabilities."

Read the full newsletter on the OGC website: http://www.opengeospatial.org/pressroom/newsletters/200708

Read more about the OOSTethys project: http://www.oostethys.org

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NOAA CSC evaluating OOSTethys cookbooks and SOS specifications

The NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC) Data Transport Lab (DTL) has started an evaluation of the OOSTethys cookbooks and use of the OGC SOS specifications.

From the website: "The mission of the Data Transport Laboratory (DTL) is to support the employment of data transport technologies that are compatible with Ocean.US Data Management and Communications (DMAC) guidance at the local and regional levels. This is accomplished through the identification, evaluation, and documentation of relevant data transport technology candidates. In following that mission, the DTL is exploring the OOSTethys implementation of the OGC Sensor Observation Service (SOS)."

For more information: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/DTL/dtl_proj3_oostethys.html

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Partnership Updates


NERACOOS Development

The Northeast Region’s successes in coordinating ocean observing infrastructure from Connecticut to Nova Scotia have resulted in a $1.2 million award from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Ocean observation efforts, such as moored buoys, CODAR stations, satellites, and sea sampling, provide valuable information on oceanic conditions. Sailors, fishermen, and other mariners rely on this information for surface conditions, while researchers study what is happening below the surface for clues on environmental health.

Overall, ocean observing systems result in numerable benefits to society and the environment. In an effort to make these systems even more useful to society, researchers, managers, and many others throughout the region are partnering in new and meaningful ways. This coordination will feed into a national Integrated Ocean Observing System, which will ultimately aid in better prediction of hurricanes, increased understanding of the effects of climate change, and much more.

For the first time ever, eight research institutions from throughout the region coordinated a single, cohesive, ocean observing system competitive proposal to NOAA, resulting in a $1.2 million award to the region this year. Additionally, the Northeast region was one of five of eleven regions to receive a multi-year awards of up to $3.5 million per year, dependent upon future appropriations.

For more information, including meeting notes, presentations, and a list of contributors to this effort, visit www.neracoos.org.

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ACT Workshop Report Available

GoMOOS hosted an ACT workshop on “Enabling Sensor Interoperability” in Portland last fall. This workshop addressed the need for protocols at the hardware, firmware, and higher levels in order to attain instrument interoperability among and between observing systems. A cross-section of the ocean observing science community, consisting of operation managers, industry representatives, and researchers, attended the workshop to tackle these issues.

A report from the workshop that outlines essential issues, enabling technologies and standards, and current obstacles to achieving interoperability, as well as a series of short and long-term solutions is now available on line at www.act-us.info.

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Glossary of Acronyms:


ACT - Alliance for Coastal Technology
CSC - NOAA's Coastal Services Center
DTL - NOAA CSC Data Transport Lab
CICOR - Cooperative Institute for Climate and Ocean Reseach (a NOAA Cooperative Institute)
IOOS - Integrated Ocean Observing System
MMI - Marine Metadata Interoperability
NDBC - National Data Buoy Center
NERACOOS - Northeastern Regional Association of Ocean Observing Systems
NEFSC - NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center (a NOAA program)
NMFS - NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
OGC - Open Geospatial Consortium
OOSTethys - Not an acronym; a data integration project between MMI and SCOOP/OpenIOOS
OpenIOOS - a data interoperability demonstration representing a coastal sciences community effort
SOS - OGC specification for Sensor Observation Service
SURA - Southeastern Universities Research Association
SCOOP - SURA's Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction

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Calendar


October 19, 2007 - GoMOOS Annual Meeting, Portland, ME

November 29, 2007 - NERACOOS Advisory Committee Meeting, Location TBA

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Contact


Please send comments and suggestions to:

GoMOOS Observer

GoMOOS
350 Commercial Street
Suite 308
Portland, Maine 04101

Phone (207) 773-0423
Fax (207) 773-8672

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