Regional NVODS Project for the Gulf of Mexico

Status Report2003 NVODS Workshop

Worth D. Nowlin, Jr.Matthew K. Howard

Texas A&M University

Outline

• Background

• Project Objectives

• Workshops

• Progress with Data Sharing

• Regional Pilot Project

• Coordination Structure

Background

• The TAMU project is entitled “Installation and use of DODS servers for the Gulf of Mexico region".

• Focused on developing NVODS activities for the Gulf of Mexico region.

• Worth Nowlin is a member of the NVODS project Executive Committee and assists in national coordination of NVODS with other ocean data management activities.

Project Partners include

AOML/NOAA Mar. Science Inst./Univ. Texas

University of South Florida Florida State University

Univ. Southern Mississippi TAMU/Corpus Christi

Louisiana State University University of Alabama

Texas General Land Office LUMCON

Mississippi State University University of New Orleans

TX Water Develop. Board Naval Oceanographic Office

NCDDC/NOAA NDBC/NOAA

Project Objectives

Objectives

• Identify significant sources of data;• Entrain data owners into the program as data

providers;• Provide resources needed to enable willing

providers to serve regional data sets via DODS;

• Carry out regional pilot project;• Identify required activities of a Gulf of

Mexico regional data information center; and• Agree on a regional coordination structure.

Workshops

Gulf of Mexico Regional NVODS WorkshopStennis, MS, 31 Oct - 2 Nov 2000

• To introduce regional data providers to DODS

• To share information regarding regional data archived and that being collected

• To obtain commitments for data sharing

• To assess future needs for data sharing

Gulf of Mexico Regional NVODS Workshop[Continued]

• 41 participants representing 25 organizations.

• 16 formal presentations describing data holdings

• 12 commitments by workshop participants to serve selections of their data holdings via DODS-enabled servers

• Agreement on post-workshop activities to promote data sharing

• As follow up, Nowlin contacted the Gulf of Mexico regional partners to inquire regarding resources that might be needed to serve their data sets.

Meeting Attendees and Affiliations

• Tony Amos, University of Texas Marine Science Institute• Landry Bernard, NAVOCEANO• John Blaha, NAVOCEANO• Jim Bonner, TAMU-CC/TEES• Jim Braud, NAVOCEANO• Richard Campanella, Tulane/Xavier Center for

Bioenvironmental Research• Jim Corbin, MSU ERC/CCS• Steve Foster, MSU ERC/IDSL• Jim Fritz, TPMC• Mike Garcia, SAIC/NDBC• Norman Guinasso, GERG/Texas A&M University• Martha Head, NAVOCEANO• Dan Holloway, University of Rhode Island• Matthew Howard, Texas A&M University• Stephan Howden, University of Southern Mississippi• George Ioup, University of New Orleans/Stennis• Peter Lessing, NDBC• John Lever, NDBC• Alexis Lugo-Fernandez, Minerals Management Service• Mark Luther, University of South Florida• Melanie Magee, Gulf of Mexico Program

• Robert “Buzz” Martin, Texas General Land Office

• Eugene Meier, Gulf of Mexico Program

• Patrick Michaud, TAMU-CC/CBI

• Bob Molinari, AOML/NOAA

• Steve Morey, COAPS/Florida State University

• Frank Muller-Karger, University of South Florida

• Doug Myhre, University of South Florida

• Worth Nowlin, TAMU/NAVOCEANO

• Jim O’Brien, COAPS/Florida State University

• George Rey, LEAG/CBR

• Reyna Sabina, AOML/NOAA

• Mitch Shank, NAVOCEANO

• Ruben Solis, Tx Water Development Board

• Susan Starke, NCDDC/NOAA

• Vembu Subramanian, University of South Florida

• Molly Sullivan, Tulane University

• Jack Tamul, NAVOCEANO

• William Teague, NRL

• Nan Walker, Lousiana State University

• Patti Walker, DATASTAR/NDBC

National Virtual Ocean Data System Meeting

25-27 April 2001,Washington, DC

Nowlin organized, chaired, and prepared meeting report

Gulf of Mexico Workshop for Managers of Observing System Activities

Stennis Space Center, 14-15 January 2003

• Describe aids to data sharing:

– OPeNDAP data transfer protocol

– NDBC offer to QC and distribute real time data

– NCDDC offer of portal to distributed data sets

• Review ongoing observing system activities

• Agree on resolution to establish regional ocean observing system beginning with sharing of data and products

• Agree on Vision for regional ocean observing system

• Agree on provisional structure for regional system

• Agree on nominees to represent region at First National Ocean.US Summit

Gulf of Mexico Workshop for Managers of Observing System Activities

[Continued]

• 52 participants• Representation of state agencies in AL, FL, LA,

MS, and TX• Representation of federal agencies in Gulf region,

including Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, NASA, Navy, and NOAA

National Virtual Ocean Data System Meeting

10-12 September 2003,Washington, DC

Nowlin organized and chaired

Progress with Data Sharing

Sharing Data in Real Time

• National Data Buoy Center has agreed to receive, quality control, and distribute appropriate real time data.

• Most major Gulf producers of such data now are providing through this path, including:– Texas Automated Buoy System

– Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System

– Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network

• Other systems committed to using this approach include:– Wave-Current Surge Information System

Regional ServersAOML: Physical Oceanography Group (Molinari & Sabina) Installed DODS server on existing AOML website Site opened to public in August 2003 Serving 41,500 XBT profiles from years 1966-2000 Serving 138 drifter trajectories Plan to add XBT profiles as time permits

DISL: Dauphin Island Sea Lab (Keri Duvall & Melissa Kincke) Received DODS configured server from TAMU Server is online Working on format conversion of sensor data LUMCON: Marine Consortium (Brenda Babin) Received DODS configured server from TAMU Server is online Have developed suitable netCDF format conversion software In process of populating server

Regional Servers [Continued]USF: Satellite Group (Muller-Karger & Brock Murch) Servers purchased by NVODS and configured Currently serving proprietary SeaWiFS images Currently serving full-swath AVHRR data in hdf Plan to serve public domain SeaWifs images Plan to serve archived AVHRR data.

USF: Coastal Observations (COMPS Group Luther & Subramanian)

Servers purchased by NVODS and configured Scripts to automate serving of near-real-time data are

under development Serving 8 coastal stations Serving test data for 4 offshore buoys Serving nowcast and forecast model data Plan to serve offshore buoy archived data Plan to install Live Access Server

Regional Servers [Continued]NDBC: National Data Buoy Center Server online Serving all Gulf of Mexico buoy & CMAN stations Serving meteorological and wave data Sept-2001 to Mar 2003

TAMU: Dept. of Oceanography (Nowlin & Howard) Server up - new interface and aids to data selection Serving historical data: 9500+ CTD/STD/Bottle profiles,

29000 XBT, 8 Million hours current meter time series,and 33 river discharge data sets from northern Gulf of

Mexico

GERG: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (Guinasso & Lee)

Server online Serving archived Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS) data Working on scripts to append near real time data Thinking about using FreeForm server

Regional Servers [Continued]

TWDB: Texas Water Development Board (Dale Crockett) Currently developing netCDF format conversion routines for their Bay Model Circulation Data Sets

UTMSI: Coastal Observations Group (Tony Amos) NVODS supported for recovery of data in archives Server purchased and configured by TAMU FreeForm data format designed and tested Data population in progress Should be online in early September

Other existing DODS servers in Gulf of Mexico region

• Florida State University, Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS). Serving NSCAT Winds, QuikSCAT Winds, FSU Winds, WOCE Ship Data

• Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). Serving SWAFS circulation model output, wave model output, bathymetry, MCSST

• Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC). Serving MMS-DeSoto Canyon Moorings Eddy Instrusion Study

Regional Pilot Project

Regional Pilot ProjectCirculation Model for Oil Spill Response

• The Pilot Project is an end-to-end application of OPeNDAP technologies designed to provide Oil Spill Response Team Managers 24/7 access to oil spill model predictions.

Background:• TAMU maintains an operational circulation forecast model for the

Texas General Land Office (TGLO) - the Texas State Agency responsible for Oil Spill Response. – Model is forced by NCEP Eta-12 nowcast/forecast wind fields. – Model output is website maps and flow fields used to drive oil spill

models.

• TX Water Development Board maintains models of circulation in bays and estuaries.

• Results from these operational models should be combined for enhanced areal coverage.

TAMU/TGLO

Pilot Project (cont.)

Issues:

• Eta-12 GRIB files are large - 5GB daily ftp burden - only 50Mb used.

• Several machines and modules used to get winds into circulation model

• Several machines and modules used to get model output delivered

• TGLO wants to adopt NOAA/Hazmat oil spill model which uses LAS

• TGLO wants to use new circulation model w/assimilation

• TGLO & NOAA/Hazmat Managers want more control over “what if” senarios.

Pilot Project (cont.)

Solutions:• GrADS-DODS servers can handle GRIB files!!!• Eta-12 fields can be subset by GrADS-DODS server at NCEP

– Only desired parameters (U & V) pulled down from NCEP– Only Gulf of Mexico regional subset pulled down from NCEP– Faster, increased reliability, smaller burden for us and NCEP

• Simplified Data Fetch and Delivery– Using DODS-enabled netCDF calls, the model can fetch its own

subset winds– Using DODS-enabled netCDF calls, the model can fetch its own

buoy data– netCDF used to deliver data to local DODS-enabled LAS server

• LAS server will serve Coastal Circulation Model Output– NOAA/Hazmat and TGLO can access model output through LAS

using GNOME (General NOAA Oil Modeling Environment) a free oil trajectory tool.

Pilot Project (cont.)

Status:

• New model (ROMS) configured and running in test mode.

– Wind field extraction modified to conform to new grid.

– Wind grid to computational grid interpolation completed

– Expected operational deployment late October 2003

• DODS wind retrieval

– Local GrADS-DODS server installed for local testing of concept

• Some GRIB Grids not servable (thinned - non-rectangular)

• Eta-12 available on other GRIB grids explored

– NOMADS opens test site with access to Eta-12 data

• Currently testing retrieval software built with DODS-enabled netCDF

• Will incorporate with ROMS model in October

– Buoy Data for assimilation won’t make it into new Model this year

Pilot Project (cont.)

Status (cont.):

• Data delivery - LAS - GNOME

– LAS being moved from SGI to new Linux server dods.tamu.edu

– Output Grid scheme for GNOME/LAS integration specified but not tested - needs LAS

• Target Date for demonstration is mid Nov-2003

Coordination Structure

Key Organizational Steps for Gulf Resulting from NVODS Project

• Interested parties have signed a Resolution agreeing to work to establish a Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS).

• Agreed to broad data sharing in real time and via DODS.• Working to complete inventory of data and products as

potential elements of GCOOS.• We are working to identify the user base and their

requirements for GCOOS. • A Regional Association will be formed for the governance of

the GCOOS. It will become part of the National Federation of such associations.

• The GCOOS Regional Association will prepare a business plan for the operation and funding of the GCOOS.

ResolutionSection C, Implementation, reads:The Signatories hereby resolve to work together toward establishment of a Gulf of Mexico Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS); to work toward development of regional governance structures and coordination; to work towards common data management standards; and to openly share non-proprietary data and metadata, non-commercial data and products, model code, and related information. GCOOS will not compete with the private sector because it will not distribute commercial products and services, which are those produced by commercial enterprises. The Signatories will actively seek collaborations with other nations bordering the Gulf of Mexico in the design and implementation of this regional observing system. The Signatories will work toward implementation of specific action items decided upon at the workshop held at Stennis Space Center, MS, January 14-15, 2003, a summary of which is included herein by reference.

SignatoriesVernon Asper, University of Southern Mississippi

Peter Betzer, University of South Florida

Jim Byous, Gulf Fiber Corporation

Jim Cato, Florida Sea Grant

George Crozier, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program and Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Dean Dunn, National Coastal Data Development Center

Norman Guinasso, Texas A&M University

Gregg Jacobs, Naval Research Laboratory

Gary Jeffress, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Mark Luther, University of South Florida

Robert (Buzz) Martin, Texas General Land Office

Douglas Meffert, Long-term Estuary Assessment Group

Avichal Mehra, Mississippi State University

Patrick Michaud, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Paul Moersdorf, National Data Buoy Center

Christopher N. K. Mooers, University of MiamiFrank Muller-Karger, University of South FloridaWorth D. Nowlin, Jr., Texas A&M UniversityJames J. O’Brien, Florida State UniversityJohn Ogden, Florida Institute of OceanographyShirley Pomponi, Harbor Branch Oceanographic

InstitutionDavid Prior, Texas A&M UniversityNancy Rabalais, Louisiana Universities Marine

ConsortiumMary Jo Richardson, Texas A&M UniversityMitchell Roffer, Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting

Service, Inc.Kerry St. Pe, Louisiana Universities Marine

ConsortiumRobert Stickney, Texas Sea Grant ProgramLaDon Swann, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant

ConsortiumJohn W. (Wes) Tunnell, Jr., Texas A&M University

Corpus ChristiJan van Smirren, Fugro GEOS Inc.Nan Walker, Louisiana State University

Questions?