US GLOBEC Transitions

Mike Fogarty discussed the transfer of GLOBEC technology to an operational setting within NOAA and other programs. NOAA-Fisheries has set up an eight node cluster of linux computers. These machines have been used for forward bio-physical modeling for sea scallops along the east coast and for data assimilation using the Georges Bank mooring array (Schlitz and Smith). It is hoped that this cluster can be used in a successful demonstration project to highlight the utility of GLOBEC modeling capabilities in operational oceanography.

NOAA-Fisheries currently conducts a number of surveys from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine each year. One potential question is how these surveys can benefit from the high resolution sampling conducted on Georges Bank. Can the survey designs be altered such that the main features observed in Georges Bank GLOBEC are captured. To this end, Georges Bank Broadscale data are being used to examine the statistical properties of the estimates under different spatial sampling regimes. The focus of this is to examine how changes in sampling intensity influence abundance and distribution estimates. This project is also using MARMAP and Ecosystem Monitoring data in a comparison with the Georges Bank time series.

Mike also discussed Coastal GOOS. US GLOBEC is very interested in interfacing effectively with this program. Mike is a member of the Coastal GOOS panel and will work to ensure this occurs.

The Video Plankton Recorder has been very successful in US GLOBEC. Efforts are underway to bring this technology into routine monitoring conducted by NOAA. A short cruise is planned in the Gulf of Maine to compare VPR to Bongo sampling. The bongo has a large sample volume, but provides no spatial resolution within a tow. The VPR provides excellent spatial resolution but has a very small sample volume. It may therefore undersample rare taxa. If the effort is successful we may develop a proposal to the Ocean Exploration Program to continue this work.

Cisco Werner suggested that another avenue may be to conduct a number of OSSEs in Phase IV to examine the intensity and distribution of sampling required to meet NOAA-Fisheries monitoring objectives.

Although many of the examples that Mike provided were derived from the Georges Bank Program, which is entering its synthesis phase, it is hoped that we can find even more applications for US GLOBEC technology in the other regional programs.