Economy
Economy: IOOS unlocks the economic & business benefits of the ocean.
- Enables forecasts mariners can use to optimize shipping routes
- Improves predictions farmers can use to decide what crops to plant
- Information decision-makers can use to optimize zoning & offshore oil & gas operations
Optimizing Marine Operations
IOOS provides tools mariners can use that are critical to the safe passage of vessels and efficient harbor navigation for port managers and the maritime community. For example, IOOS paired currents data from radar systems with existing wave data into a user-friendly website providing tankers with up-to-date sea conditions as they enter the Port of Long Beach, California, one of our nation’s busiest ports. This information reduces the risk of accidents in such high-traffic areas.
High frequency radar systems, such as the one shown here, are used to measure ocean surface currents and are one component of the Integrated Ocean Observing System.
Enhancing Oil Spill Response
IOOS enables tracking of oil spills and other pollutants so responders can minimize harmful impacts. The explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana in April of 2010, unleashed the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Using new technologies, IOOS partners across the nation captured data to assist in the response. Unmanned, underwater gliders and shore-based radar stations helped locate and track oil at various levels within the water column as well as on the surface. This reduced the need for valuable response resources and improved safety by reducing the number of people sampling from surface vessels. This was the first U.S. oil spill response to apply underwater gliders in the response.
Read More: High Frequency Radars
Compatible, easily accessible data from multiple sources are increasing understanding of how oceans drive storms to enable earlier, more accurate weather predictions. This allows people to get to safety before disaster strikes.
Predicting Severe Weather
Compatible, easily accessible data from multiple sources are increasing understanding of how oceans drive storms to enable earlier, more accurate weather predictions. This allows people to get to safety before disaster strikes. For example, Northeast fishermen use IOOS weather and water data to make informed decisions about when it is safe to head to sea, while Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural Resources relies on IOOS-derived coastal flooding maps to plan for and respond to hurricane storm surge.
Forecasting Hazards
Integrated ocean data are enhancing scientific ability to forecast environmental changes and hazardous events, so decision makers can take targeted action, such as closing a beach to avoid illnesses caused by blooms of harmful algae. Hourly ocean temperatures, currents, and other data also alert West Coast oyster growers and East Coast shellfish harvesters to conditions that trigger toxic algae outbreaks, which can make shellfish unsafe to eat.