The Continued Development of the Northeastern Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (NERACOOS)

Lead PI: Dr. J. Ruairidh Morrison, Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS)
Start Year: 2011 | Duration: 5 years
Partners: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, University of Maine, University of Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, University of Rhode Island, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, RMC Research Corp., Applied Science Associates & NOAA

This project will continue operation and development of the coastal ocean observing system for the coastal waters of the northeastern United States and Canada. In the last year, the Northeastern Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (NERACOOS) has partnered with regional groups interested in ocean policy, especially the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), and executed an extensive process of consultation among a wide variety of users and user groups. The planned research reflects the priorities developed, which fall into four main categories: Marine Operations, Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health, Ocean Energy Planning and Management, and Coastal Hazards Resiliency. In addition, the New England States have recognized the need for information products that inform Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP), and supporting this need is a NERACOOS priority. Enhancing ocean data management and public understanding of the ocean are national priorities that remain central themes of NERACOOS.

At the core of NERACOOS are multi-use instrument systems making measurements in the ocean. This project will sustain the buoy network in the Gulf of Maine, Long Island Sound and Great Bay. Some of these systems have been deployed for nearly a decade and have documented major changes. The network will be expanded to observe harmful algal blooms and CO₂ concentrations, acquire wind and wave statistics off Rhode Island, establish a program of surface current measurement by drifters, support the delivery of water quality data from Narragansett Bay, and reestablish data acquisition from ferries. A program of at-sea sampling to monitor the ecosystem at sentinel sites and support delivery of satellite data products will also be developed. NERACOOS plans to make effective use of the observation network by continuing to operate a distributed data system, to provide support for a variety of forecasting models, and to outreach to the public.

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