PORTS/COMPS Examples of Extension Efforts on

the West Florida Shelf Clifford Merz, COMPS Program Director

Mark Luther and Robert Weisberg, Principal Investigators

SEACOOS/SECOORA Extension Outreach Workshop

Raleigh, North Carolina

September 29, 2004

Presentation Approach

• Discuss Extension Efforts in the West Florida Coast Ocean Observing Arena, including:

• Descriptions of how the programs were formed and have evolved, and

• Personal accounts of customer interaction, dependency, and challenges, where applicable.

Tampa Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time

System (PORTS)

Tampa Bay PORTS• Implementation recommended as part of a

comprehensive evaluation into the cause of the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge Collision, 35 deaths.

• Traditional tide tables provide information about astronomical tides and currents but do not include effects of wind, river flow, and other meteorological forces.

• Real-time measurements, enriched by nowcasts, were identified as critical requirements for safe navigation in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay PORTS

• Developed by National Ocean Service (NOS), NOAA in collaboration with the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science (USF/CMS) during 1990 and 1991.

• Managed, operated, and maintained by The Greater Tampa Bay Marine Advisory Council-PORTS under a cooperative agreement between NOS and USF/CMS.

• Funding provided by several ports and municipalities surrounding Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay PORTS

• The Tampa Bay PORTS observing array system consists of 6 stations of varying equipment located within Tampa Bay.

• Receiving Station physically located USF/CMS St. Petersburg.

• Provides essential real-time information to improve navigational safety, hazardous material,oil spill prevention and response, search-and-rescue, and scientific research.

Tampa Bay PORTS

Meteorological sensor

Visibility sensor

Receiving station

Temp/Salinity sensor

Old Tampa Bay

Port Tampa

TampaClearwater

St. Petersburg

Egmont Channel SunshineSkyway Bridge

Port Manatee

Tampa Bay PORTS

Bradenton

Gulf of Mexico

Tampa Bay

Water level sensor

Wave gage

ADCP (currents)

Figure 1 : Map of the Tampa Bay region showing the sensor complex that makes up thePhysical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS).

2

Operated in collaboration with NOAA/NOS/USF and local maritime interests

Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMPS)

COMPS Observing Array System

• Florida is the US’s 4th most populated state with 80% of the population living a coastal county.

• Coastal Sea Level Response to Extra-Tropical and Tropical Storms result in wind forcing over entire Continental Shelf.

• As a result, local Sea Level Response can be effected by both local and spatially distant storms, e.g.,

– March 1993 Extra-Tropical “Storm of the Century’s” unexpected 6-9 foot Storm Surge

– October 1996 Tropical Storm Josephine, a modest spatially distant storm, that produced unpredicted flooding in the Tampa Bay Area

– August/September 2004 Hurricane’s Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne as well as Tropical Storm Bonnie

COMPS Observing Array System

• The COMPS Program was implemented as a State of Florida legislative initiative in 1997 with continuing support to date. This support has been supplemented by other state and federal programs.

• COMPS Overall Program Goals are:– To provide real-time data for Emergency Management, – To improve description and understanding of relevant

physical processes controlling shelf circulation, hydrography, and coastal flooding,

– To Foster Continued Educational Outreach

COMPS Observing Array System • Coupled with complementary funding from numerous sources,

the COMPS observing array system has grown to 6 offshore buoys and 11 land based coastal stations located along the West Florida coast with more planned.

• Designed to support a variety of operational and research efforts, including storm surge prediction, search and rescue efforts, sediment transport, red tide research (ECOHAB, MERHAB), Hyperspectral satellite remote sensing of Coastal Ocean Dynamics (HyCODE), the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEA-COOS), and the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observations Regional Association (SECOORA).

COMPS Collaborating AgenciesState of Florida

– Florida Department of Environmental Protection – Florida Department of Emergency Management– Florida Marine Research Institute – Florida Institute of Oceanography – Citrus, Pasco, Pinellas, Wakulla, Lee , and Monroe Counties – City of Tarpon Springs– South West Florida Water Management District

Federal– Office of Naval Research – National Weather Service– National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration– United States Geological Survey – Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEA-COOS)– Southeast Coastal Ocean Observations Regional Association

(SECOORA)

COMPS Real-time Air-Sea Interaction Buoys

• Customer/Funding Sources:• COMPS Program (2)• State of Florida Emergency Management

Trust Fund (EMTF) Competitive Grant (1)• ONR (1)• MERHAB/ECOHAB (1)• SEACOOS (1)

COMPS Real-time Air-Sea Coastal Stations

• Customer/Funding Sources:• COMPS Program (3)• State of Florida Emergency Management

Trust Fund (EMTF) Competitive Grant (4)• FIO/COMPS (1)• Citrus County EM/COMPS (1)• City of Tarpon Springs EM/COMPS (1)• Pasco County EM/COMPS/NWS (1)

CODAR Surface Current Monitoring Program

• Will ultimately consist of 3 sites along the West Florida Shelf:

• Reddington Shores (North) – SEACOOS Funded – Status: Complete

• Venice (Middle) – Rutgers/Mote Marine Funded – Status: Complete

• Naples (South) – SEACOOS Funded – Status: In-Progress

Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR)

Surface Current Mapping

HF Radar Radials Redington Shores North Site

HF Radar Radials Venice Middle Site

HF Radar Combined Vector Plot

PORTS/COMPS Observing Array System

• Both the PORTS and COMPS programs arose from an identified societal need.

• Since their inception, the PORTS and COMPS Programs have grown steadily in both size and constituent usage utilizing funding from various sources.

• Through partnering efforts, they have forged “grass roots” Networks of Direct Maritime and Public Support as well as providing a Platform for Scientific and Educational Outreach Purposes.

• Both the PORTS and COMPS Programs provide examples of the practical value of University Research.

PORTS/COMPS Observing Array System

• Challenges:

• Continuing Operations and Maintenance funding (i.e., Ship time, Instrument Calibrations, Instrument Repair/Upgrades).

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU!