NOAA announced today two significant additions, waves and visibility, to its suite of observations available through the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) program. These new data are available at five of the nation's twenty heavy-traffic regions where PORTS® is available.
Accurate, real-time oceanographic and meteorological data made available by PORTS® is essential for moving goods, services, and people throughout the 25,000 miles of waterways, ports, and other navigable waters of the U.S. marine transportation system. These data will enhance the existing suite of PORTS® parameters including real-time observations of water levels, currents, salinity, wind, atmospheric pressure, air and water temperatures, and air gap (bridge clearance).
"The need for real time wave and visibility information have been high priorities for the user community," said Richard Edwing, director of NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services and close collaboration between the federal government, research community and state governments, helped deliver these new measurements. New capabilities added to PORTS® will enhance local weather and coastal marine forecasting for use by emergency rescues and coastal managers.
Wave information is being delivered through four PORTS® regions in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and real-time data observations from buoys operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The new stations with wave data available are San Francisco Bar, (San Francisco Bay PORTS®), San Pedro, Calif. (Los Angeles/Long Beach PORTS®), Clatsop Spit, Ore. (Lower Columbia River PORTS®) and Cape Henry, Va. (Chesapeake Bay South PORTS®). The cooperative relationships fostered by the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) provided the underpinning for this mutually beneficial project.
"The Army Corps is excited to partner with NOAA in the delivery of this important new product. Inter-agency collaborations such as this exemplify how agencies can work together to serve our constituents," said Robert Jensen, Ph.D., of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
"We are excited to serve mariners by linking ocean observing with on-the-ground execution of high quality wave data and products," said Julie Thomas of Scripps' Coastal Data Information Program.
Fog is also a major concern for maritime traffic. Mobile Bay, Ala. is susceptible to heavy fog throughout fall and winter months, leading NOAA and the Alabama State Port Authority to select Pinto Island and Middle Bay Port as sites for two operational visibility stations. In addition to visibility sensors giving mariners the ability to see clearly, these two stations also contain air temperature and relative humidity sensors to supplement visibility measurements. The visibility sensor has been extensively tested, evaluated, and selected in a collaborative effort between NOAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, USACE, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Additional visibility installations are planned for other PORTS® including Narragansett and Chesapeake Bays.
NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit: http://www.noaa.gov.
On the Web:
NOAA's Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) http://www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports/
NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services http://www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/