Liana Talaue‐McManus

Division of Marine Affairs and PolicyRosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

University of Miami

Outline1. Coasts as vulnerable & resilient social‐ecological 

systems2. Coastal ocean observing systems (COOS) can help to 

increase resilience

3. COOS – data requirements and challenges

4. A vision of COOS in developing coastal states

5. Role of GOOS Regional Alliances & similar mechanisms

6. Summary

Community white papers:• Malone et al. Building a global system of systems for the coastal ocean: A strategic action plan for implementing the coastal module of GOOS

• Swail et al. Storm Surge • Sathyendranath et al. ChloroGIN: Use of satellite and in situ data in support of ecosystem‐based management of marine ecosystems

• Brainard et al. An international network of coral reef ecosystem observing systems (I‐CREOS)

VulnerabilityContext

Disease outbreaksMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

VulnerabilityContext

Disease outbreaksMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

(modified from Kotchen & Young, 2007)

HumanSystems Ecosystems

GovernanceFilter

SustainableLivelihoods

VulnerabilityContext

Outbreak of diseaseMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

VulnerabilityContext

Outbreak of diseaseMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

VulnerabilityContext

Outbreak of diseaseMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

VulnerabilityContext

Outbreak of diseaseMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

Power dynamicsGovernmentInstitutionsCultureGenderMarkets

Power dynamicsGovernmentInstitutionsCultureGenderMarkets

Governance

Livelihood intensificationLivelihood diversification

Migration

Livelihood intensificationLivelihood diversification

Migration

Livelihood Strategies 

Poverty alleviationIncreased incomeImproved health

Decision empowermentReduced vulnerabilityIncreased food security

Poverty alleviationIncreased incomeImproved health

Decision empowermentReduced vulnerabilityIncreased food security

Livelihood Outcomes= Human Wellbeing

NaturalPhysicalFinancial SocialHuman

NaturalPhysicalFinancial SocialHuman

LivelihoodAssets

Ecosystem Services= N

P S

F H

VulnerabilityContext

Outbreak of diseaseMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

VulnerabilityContext

Outbreak of diseaseMarket failureClimate changeNatural disastersPolitical instability

Multiple framing bystakeholder groupsat nested scales           

SustainableLivelihoodApproach

(DFID 2000; STEPS 2007)

Coastal ocean observations

• Elucidate vulnerabilitiesCoastal human populationsCoastal ecosystems

• Inform the governance process• Engender in situ capacity building

The coast, up close, is a political forum(the governance challenge)

• Coastal zones are within local to national jurisdictions• Coastal studies and observing systems must address articulated national needs to sustain livelihoods

• Strong national participation especially within a rubric of international partnership

• In‐situ capacity in operational oceanography underpins long‐term success of coastal observing systems

Priority User Issues & GEO Societal Benefit Areas

Priority User Issues GEO Societal Benefit Areas

Coastal Human Populations

Coastal hazards Disasters, Climate

Coastal development & urbanization

Human health, Water, Climate, Agriculture, Energy

CoastalEcosystems

Hydrological & biogeochemical cycles

Water, Weather, Climate

Ecosystem health & resilience

Ecosystems, Biodiversity

( GOOS COOP 2003; Integrated Global Observing Strategy Coastal Theme 2006;Group on Earth Observations Coastal Zone Community of Practice 2008)

Observing Requirements

GEOPHYSICALOcean winds, waves, sea surface height, currents, salinity, temperature, discharge, precipitation, ice cover

BIOLOGICAL & BIOGEOCHEMICAL

Pigments, nutrients, particulate & dissolved matter, aerosol properties, slicks and spills, fluorescence, optical properties, O2, pCO2

MAPPING (Physical, Ecological & Socio‐economic)

Topography, bathymetry, shoreline position & use, high/low tide lines, habitat types & condition, land cover/use, reef maps, coastal population assessments/ demographics

(IGOS Coastal Theme 2006)

Challenges for operational coastal oceanography• Observation systems

High resolution in space and timeLong‐term continuity of operational life of sensors

• Data integrationCommunication and biases among disciplinesData inventory across institutions/ national boundariesSeparation of land and sea data; of remote & in situ data

• Unique challengesSeamless topobathymetric DEMsScale dependent attributes of the fractal nature of coastlinesSocial‐ecological system approaches to identify the nuanced use of coastal observations for prevention and mitigation

Empowering integrated coastal zone management through earth observations (Mission Statement of the GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice)

Utilize the GOOS Regional Alliances Network & establish N‐S & S‐S partnerships to enhance national capacities(GOOS Report 2003)

Netherlands

Northern Egypt

India

Vietnam

National Censuses to update populationattributes in 3D for decision making

Seamless topobathy mapping

Airborne LIDARBathymetric Mapping

Coastal population distribution+ SRTM topography+ LIDAR bathymetry

Population-TopoBathy Map

Coastal Processes Modeling•Storm surge•Tsunami•Local sea level rise

Low elevationCoastal population

(CIESIN 2009)

SRTM Image 2000(NASA/JPL/NIMA)

Digitized BathymetricMaps (USDMA 1982) Tsunami Run-up Model ???

RiskAnalysis???

(Løvholt et al 2009)

SSH (Jason 1)

Bathymetry Wind- & tide-driven Circulation

SST

Gulf of Mexico Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) simulation of SST before & after Hurricane Ivan (Halliwell & Kourafalou2008)

ChloroGIN Leaflet (Groom et al 2007)

(Terrill from DiGiacomo 2005)

The role of GRAs: PI‐GOOSAims to assist sustainable development in member nations by:

1. Facilitating the establishment & implementation of coastal & open ocean observing systems

2. Helping to improve use of data, information & products generated from new & existing programs

FOUR FOCAL AREAS

CommunicationSupport to marine observing programsMarine data access and management

Education and training

CS3

CS1

CSn

CS5

CS4CS2

GRAAssists

FacilitatesCommunicates

Event forecastsImpact forecastsMitigation ScenariosOther operational

products

Global products

Define boundary conditionsfor nested modeling &data assimilation

Elucidate high resolutionfeedbacks & societal response

GRA: GOOS Regional AllianceCS: Coastal State

Summary• The coast is a coupled system, vulnerable & resilient.• Coastal ocean observing systems elucidate vulnerabilities and inform governance to enhance resilience through appropriate mitigation

• GOOS Regional Alliances and similar mechanisms prioritize national capacity building in operational oceanography to sustain coastal livelihoods

• The interactive generation of science at global and local scales makes earth system science robust & highly relevant to coastal states