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| Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing System | |
|---|---|
| Name | Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing System |
| Abbrev | SECOORA |
| Formation | 2004 |
| Type | Regional association |
| Headquarters | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Region served | Atlantic coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida |
| Parent organization | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing System The Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing System coordinates coastal ocean observing, modeling, and data services for the southeastern United States and adjacent Atlantic waters, linking regional stakeholders, federal agencies, and academic institutions. It integrates observations from moorings, satellites, and coastal radars to support decision-making by service users such as the National Weather Service, United States Coast Guard, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA National Ocean Service, and regional universities. SECOORA partners with national programs including the Integrated Ocean Observing System and engages with state authorities like the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
SECOORA operates as a regional association that connects observational assets, modeling centers, and data portals to provide operational products for coastal stakeholders; it interacts with organizations such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Miami, Duke University, and Georgia Institute of Technology. The system supports maritime industries represented by entities like the Port of Charleston, Port of Jacksonville, and the U.S. Maritime Administration, while aligning with federal frameworks including NOAA programs and the National Science Foundation. SECOORA’s network spans the coastal shelves influenced by features such as the Gulf Stream, Cape Hatteras, and the Florida Current, and provides data relevant to events like Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and routine navigation used by the United States Navy and National Aeronautics and Space Administration operations.
SECOORA emerged from regional efforts in the early 2000s to implement the national Integrated Ocean Observing System vision promoted by NOAA and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with formative contributions from institutions like Rutgers University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of South Carolina. Funding and programmatic guidance were provided by federal initiatives including the U.S. Coastal Research Program and grants from the National Science Foundation and NOAA. Early deployments mirrored projects run by Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System and Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System, while collaborations included the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and state research consortia. Over successive planning rounds, SECOORA expanded observational capabilities, formalized governance with boards drawn from universities and agencies like Florida Sea Grant and South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, and coordinated responses to coastal hazards such as Hurricane Irene and Tropical Cyclone impacts.
SECOORA’s mission centers on advancing coastal resilience, maritime safety, and ecosystem protection by providing sustained observations, modeling, and data services to users including the National Ocean Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and regional emergency managers. Objectives encompass monitoring oceanographic conditions relevant to fisheries overseen by NOAA Fisheries, informing coastal planning enacted by state coastal zone management offices like North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, supporting maritime commerce at ports such as Savannah, Georgia and Port of Miami, and enabling research by partners like Smithsonian Institution and National Aquarium. The program emphasizes interoperable data practices consistent with standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and the U.S. IOOS Program Office.
SECOORA integrates an observing network composed of surface moorings, bottom-mounted sensors, autonomous gliders, HF radar arrays, and satellite remote sensing products from platforms like GOES and MODIS. Instrumentation and deployments have involved manufacturers and research groups associated with Teledyne Webb Research, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown, and the R/V Savannah, while regional monitoring projects coordinate with the Gulfstream National Marine Sanctuary and the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Coastal radar installations provide real-time surface current maps used by U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue; glider missions have been conducted in coordination with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Rutgers University for synoptic transects across the Southeast Continental Shelf.
SECOORA’s data management system delivers observational and modeled products—temperature, salinity, sea level, currents, and ecosystem indicators—through web portals and APIs compatible with standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and the Marine Metadata Interoperability Project. Products support forecasting services similar to those of the NOAA National Water Center and modeling efforts such as Regional Ocean Modeling System and HYCOM, and they feed decision-support tools used by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planners and FEMA emergency responders. Data stewardship aligns with practices from the National Centers for Environmental Information and interfaces with regional data repositories like university-hosted archives at University of Miami Rosenstiel School and College of Charleston.
Governance is provided by a board of directors and advisory panels that include representatives from universities, state agencies, and federal partners such as NOAA, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Coast Guard. SECOORA’s partnership network includes academic institutions like Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Florida State University, and University of North Florida, non-profits such as The Nature Conservancy and Ocean Conservancy, and industry stakeholders including port authorities and commercial fisheries associations. Collaborative programs have linked SECOORA to national initiatives like IOOS and international efforts through contacts at institutions such as the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Dalhousie University.
Research supported by SECOORA underpins applied studies in coastal hazards, fisheries management, and water quality used by agencies such as NOAA Fisheries and the Environmental Protection Agency. Applications include oil spill response coordination with U.S. Coast Guard District 7, HAB (harmful algal bloom) monitoring involving Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partners, and navigation safety for commercial fleets operating from Port Everglades and Port of Savannah. SECOORA-enabled observations have informed scientific publications from researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, contributed to coastal resilience planning in municipalities like Charleston, South Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida, and supported education programs run by entities such as NOAA Education and regional sea grant programs.
Category:Oceanographic organizations