Supporting a Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership

The low-lying coasts of the Gulf of Mexico region, subject to increasing coastal development, population growth, and habitat degradation, face a complex blend of management issues. By coordinating and integrating new and existing projects, the U.S. Ocean Action Plan Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership provides an opportunity for NOS to work with multiple partners to address many of the challenges facing the Gulf, while helping to build ocean observation capabilities in the region and strengthening NOAA relationships with the coastal community.

Overview

Scientists currently collect information on the status of the oceans and coasts, making observations on variables such as sea surface temperature, tidal cycles, species distribution, and nutrient inputs. Observational data is analyzed or used in models to assess or predict environmental changes. Often, observational data is collected and applied on a case-by-case basis to meet a specific need, such as improving the safety of maritime navigation. Although the oceans impact millions of lives, unlike monitoring of weather or atmospheric conditions, there is no continuous national system that provides integrated data needed to monitor ocean conditions. Thus, while a family living in Nebraska can check a week in advance what the weather will be like the week they will be vacationing in Florida, they can not receive such a forecast on ocean conditions, such as wave height or water temperature, around which to plan their activities.

Recommendations in the U.S. Ocean Action Plan and U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Final Report and from members of the ocean and coastal management and research community support the need to integrate ocean observations to better monitor and predict changes in coastal and ocean ecosystems, much as the meteorological community currently monitors and predicts changes in the weather. While the anticipated benefits of such a system range from improved safety in coastal areas to enhanced coastal environmental and economic health, building an integrated ocean observing system is not a small endeavor.


Coordinating Federal Support for the Gulf of Mexico Alliance

In response to actions called for in the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, thirteen federal agencies have been brought together under the coordination of NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to form the Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership Federal Workgroup. This workgroup provides a venue for focused collaboration and integration of federal support to address priority coastal and ocean issues identified by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, which includes the Gulf States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Issues identified by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance include: reductions in nutrient loading, healthy beaches and shellfish beds, coastal wetland restoration, identification of Gulf habitats to inform management (biogeographic assessment), and environmental education.

During the regional partnership, NOS, in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, will work to coordinate and integrate new and existing programs for gathering, analyzing, and distributing ocean observation data and information to begin building a regional ocean observing system. By assessing the socioeconomic impacts of decision-making tools developed through the regional partnership, NOS aims to demonstrate the value of integrated ocean management and build support for such an approach.

To download additional information on the Gulf of Mexico Federal Workgroup, click here.

To learn more about the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, click here.


The Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership and NOS Priority Themes

Through Gulf of Mexico regional partnership activities, NOS will illustrate the interconnectivity of its six priority themes (observations, modeling, coastal communities, technology, partnerships, and an expert workforce) in successful integrated ocean management. Throughout the partnership, observations such as water levels and wind speed, collected by NOS and multiple partners will be coordinated and merged. The compiled data can be used in models to generate improved model outputs and results. Collecting, analyzing, and modeling observational data will rely on technology, such as satellites, autonomous underwater vehicles, and high-speed computers. A main objective of this type of integration is delivering information and services, such as storm surge forecasts or harmful algal bloom prediction, to coastal communities.

Storm surge pushing water ashore during a hurricane can cause extensive and costly damages to property.

Ultimately, by working with multiple partners, NOS hopes to gain a better understanding of the status and trends of ecosystem conditions in the Gulf of Mexico region, including the causes and consequences of these trends, the ability to forecast future changes, and the ability to predict how different management actions will impact the Gulf region. Lessons learned and technological innovations developed during the partnership can be applied towards developing a larger-scale, ongoing integrated ocean observing system.


Building on Existing Capabilities

The Gulf of Mexico is already the site of many ocean observation collection activities, allowing the NOS and regional partners to learn from and build upon existing capabilities. For example, NOS scientists are using three different kinds of sensors, including Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), a digital camera, and a new type of remote imaging that continuously collects images across the light spectrum (hyperspectral imaging), to map areas along the Florida coast. Satellites, aircraft, sonar, and diver surveys are being used by scientists at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to characterize the ecological features of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys. Sea level elevations are being monitored along the coast of Louisiana using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

Many current NOS projects throughout the Gulf of Mexico are managed successfully with an integrated approach; highlighting these programs will allow NOS to demonstrate the value of integrated ocean management. Also, understanding how and why these projects are successful can aid in developing a common framework needed for integrating and applying ocean observations at larger scales.


Demonstration Projects: Illustrating the Value of Integrated Ocean Management

To support the U.S. Ocean Action Plan Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership and to clearly illustrate the scientific and socioeconomic value of ocean observations in integrated ocean management, NOS is funding two projects in the Gulf of Mexico region through its Partnership Program. The NOS Partnership Program funds projects that bring together federal, state, and local partners to address coastal and ocean issues. By employing the systematic collaboration and integration of effort specifically called for in the Ocean Action Plan, the partnership projects will help federal, state, and local Gulf of Mexico partners address management issues identified by the Gulf States as key priorities.

The Storm Surge Partnership Project will assess the needs of coastal communities for storm evacuations and planning and will in turn use this assessment to drive the acquisition and integration of data and observations to improve current storm surge forecasts and inundation maps. Improving the accuracy and timeliness of storm surge forecasts will ultimately improve the ability of coastal communities to mitigate coastal storm impacts, thus reducing loss of life, property damage, and ecosystem destruction. To download additional information on the storm surge project, click here.

The Harmful Algal Bloom Partnership Project will integrate existing tools, capabilities, and resources, increasing the ability of coastal resource managers and officials to predict harmful algal blooms, which have a direct impact on tourism and fishing industries as well as on public health. A major result of the project will be an improved Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast System that will identify the onset of blooms sooner, and predict the transport of the blooms better, than the existing system. To download additional information on the harmful algal bloom project, click here.

The NOAA Ship GORDON GUNTER collects observational data in the Gulf of Mexico.

By bringing together partners from NOS, NOAA, other federal and state coastal organizations, and the academic community, the partnership projects will increase the resources and expertise available to manage coastal flooding and harmful algal blooms. Using input from local user communities will help project partners to apply these resources to develop and deliver products that are accessible and useful in improving the economic and ecological health of coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Analyzing the socioeconomic impacts of decision-making tools tools developed during the course of the projects will allow NOS to demonstrate the value of integrated ocean observations in decision making. For example, improved forecasting of harmful algal blooms as a result of the harmful algal bloom partnership project will allow fisheries managers and aquaculturalists to better plan their harvests to mitigate adverse economic impacts; the harmful algal bloom project will attempt to quantify the benefits to the shellfish industry from such improved forecasting. Enhancements to storm surge model outputs developed through the storm surge project, combined with higher resolution data collected during the project, may allow emergency managers to decrease the size of their evacuation zones during hurricanes, potentially saving coastal communities millions of dollars from unnecessary evacuations.

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