Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System

Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System
Name	Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System
Abbreviation	MARACOOS
Formation	2003
Type	Regional association
Region served	Mid-Atlantic United States
Leader title	Executive Director
Parent organization	U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System

Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System is a regional ocean observing partnership serving the Mid-Atlantic United States, coordinating a network of observing platforms, modeling centers, and data services to support maritime safety, fisheries, and coastal resilience. It integrates observations from federal agencies, academic institutions, and state bodies to provide near real-time information for stakeholders including coastal managers, shipping industries, and research communities.

Overview

The association operates within the framework of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System and collaborates with agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, United States Coast Guard, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and state oceanographic programs. Regional academic partners include Rutgers University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Delaware, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Temple University. Operational partners encompass Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Maryland, Duke University, Princeton University, and Stony Brook University. Stakeholders include NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Navy, Environmental Protection Agency, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

History and Development

The initiative emerged following national directives from the White House and recommendations in reports by the Ocean Policy Task Force and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, aligning with the creation of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. Early pilots involved collaborations with NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and Naval Research Laboratory instrumentation programs. Funding and pilot deployments were influenced by programs administered by the National Ocean Service, National Sea Grant College Program, and grants from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. The network matured through cooperative ventures with regional port authorities such as the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Port of Virginia.

Organizational Structure and Partners

Governance includes representation from academic institutions, federal laboratories, state agencies, and private sector partners. Key academic nodes include Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Monmouth University, Coastal Carolina University, and University of Rhode Island. Federal laboratories involved include NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic Research Laboratories and the U.S. Geological Survey. Industry partners have included General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and technology firms engaged with sensor deployments. Collaborative networks extend to international organizations like the Global Ocean Observing System and regional alliances such as the Northeast Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems and the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. Advisory input has come from foundations including the W. M. Keck Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Observing Systems and Technologies

The association integrates diverse platforms: surface buoys, gliders, HF radar, autonomous underwater vehicles, moored profilers, and shore-based stations. HF radar arrays are deployed in coordination with National Weather Service forecast offices and ports such as Port of Baltimore and New York Harbor. Glider missions have partnered with the Office of Naval Research and the Monmouth University Underwater Glider Lab. Satellite remote sensing from NOAA satellites, Landsat, Sentinel-3, and missions by NASA augment in situ assets. Instrumentation standards follow protocols from the International Oceanographic Commission and data formats adopted by the Open Geospatial Consortium. Technologies for bio-optical sensing include collaborations with MBARI and Sea-Bird Electronics for CTD and fluorometer deployments. Ocean modeling uses systems like the Regional Ocean Modeling System and data-assimilative frameworks developed at Rutgers Coastal Ocean Observation Lab.

Data Management and Products

Data stewardship aligns with principles established by the U.S. IOOS and employs cyberinfrastructure tools from University of California San Diego and SDSC. The data portal serves stakeholders with products including surface currents, wave forecasts, sea surface temperature, and harmful algal bloom advisories, interoperable with systems such as NOAA CoastWatch and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Data formats and services implement standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium, CF Convention, and THREDDS servers. Visualization and dissemination utilize platforms developed in partnership with Esri, GitHub projects, and academic software from Python and MATLAB communities. Quality control leverages algorithms validated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of Washington groups.

Applications and Impact

Operational outputs support search and rescue operations with the United States Coast Guard, maritime safety for the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Port of Baltimore, and fisheries management for agencies like NOAA Fisheries and regional councils such as the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Environmental monitoring applications include tracking of hypoxia events studied by Smithsonian Institution researchers, algal bloom forecasting relevant to Environmental Protection Agency advisories, and storm surge modeling used by Federal Emergency Management Agency. Science applications include contributions to studies by Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Old Dominion University, and collaborations with international research programs like the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources combine federal appropriations through NOAA Budget, competitive grants from the National Science Foundation, cooperative agreements with Department of Defense entities, and state contributions from agencies such as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Governance structures include advisory boards with members from Rutgers University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Delaware, and representatives of federal partners like NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard. Strategic planning has referenced national initiatives including directives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and recommendations by the National Research Council.

Category:Oceanography organizations