CeNCOOS: Integrating Marine Observations for Decision Makers and the General Public

Lead PI: Dr. David Anderson, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Start Year: 2011 | Duration: 5 years
Partners: Hopkins Marine Lab, University of California Santa Cruz, University of California Los Angeles, Naval Research Laboratory, Stanford University, San Francisco State University, CSUMB, University of California Davis, Science Applications International Corporation, Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, California Polytechnic Institute, Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center, Sonoma State University, Naval Postgraduate School, Humboldt State University & Farallones Institute

Covering over six hundred miles of coastline from the California-Oregon border south to Point Conception, the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) encompasses a dynamic ocean environment and a large, diverse group of stakeholders.

Looking forward to for 2011-2016, CeNCOOS has established a multi-purpose observational scheme that collectively addresses user needs in the general categories of climate and ecosystem health, water quality, marine operations, and coastal hazards. The core observation suite used to address these issues includes automated pier stations, coastal buoys, the HF radar surface current mapping network, and a coast-wide network of autonomous vehicles. High resolution bottom maps from towed and autonomous vehicles also make a valuable contribution. The data are moved in real time to the CeNCOOS Data Management and Communications (DMAC) system and assimilated into numerical models for now-casts and forecasts of ocean conditions. For this project, CeNCOOS plans to maintain and expand this network as well as incorporate more innovative approaches such as environmental sampling from marine mammals and fish. The modeling and prediction capability will be advanced from the physical to the ecosystem level. The complete observing system will be used to understand and preserve the health of the ocean for generations to come.

Annual PI Reports:
FY 2011 PI Report
FY 2012 PI Report
FY 2015 PI Report
FY 2016 PI Report