Caribbean Regional Association CaRA:

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Caribbean Regional Association (CaRA) meeting
coastal ocean observing needs in the
Caribbean The Integrated Ocean Observing
System (IOOS) is a system of systems that
routinely and continuously provides quality
controlled data and information on current and
future states of the oceans and Great Lakes from
the global scale of ocean basins to local scales
of coastal ecosystems. It is a multidisciplinary
system designed to provide data in forms and at
rates required by decision makers to address
seven societal goals PIs J. Morell (UPRM),
J. Corredor (UPRM), R. Watlington (UVI) Steering
Committee Associated Experts J. Capella
(CaRA), A. Mercado (CRC-PR), D. Wilson (NOAA),
N. Idrisi (UVI), C. Von Hillebrandt (PRSN-UPRM)
Scott Strippling (NOAA-NWS), R. Chaparro (PR Sea
Grant)
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• INFORM STAKEHOLDERS OF THE RCOOS OPPORTUNITY
  (http//cara.uprm.edu)

• IDENTIFY USERS AND NEEDS FOR COASTAL OCEAN DATA
  AND PRODUCTS
• Meeting with state and federal agencies,
  academics, maritime industry etc.
• Interviews and polls (CIEL and Sea Grant
  recreational and tourism sectors)
• Documentation (Harbor Assessments USCG)

CaRAs governance structure stakeholder council
were formalized during CaRAs first general
assembly, December 4, 2007
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• Identified observational and forecast needs
• coastal winds
• coastal waves
• coastal currents
• coastal inundation
• water quality
• temperature, salinity optical properties
• bathymetry
• benthic habitats

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• available data and products
• (http//caricoos.org)

SST NOAA CoastWatch
Naval Research Laboratory Ocean Dynamics and
Prediction
NASA/JPL's SeaWinds Scatterometer - QuikSCAT
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• on going pilot projects
• ocean color imagery (in collaboration with USF)
• WRF-wind forecasts (J. Gonzalez-DMS/S. Strippling
  NWS-SJ)

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• Proposals
• NOAA-CSC CaRA renewal
• Department of Homeland Security HF radars
  (CODAR)
• real time wave and surface currents
• search and rescue, pollutant dispersion
• CarICOOS implementation (observations and
  forecast)
• coastal winds (NWS)
• coastal circulation (UVI, RSMAS)
• inundation (storm surge, CRC-PR )
• water quality (r. sensing, NOAA CoastWatch)
• Autonomous underwater glider observations
• (Rutgers Coastal Ocean Observing Lab)

WW-III SWAN, U. Hawaii
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• next steps..
• Implementation of pilot projects
  (graphic-display)
• ocean color weather displays at hotels y
  marinas
• Development of regional modeling and forecast
  capabilities
• Alianza para Modelaje Numérico y Pronóstico
  Costero del Caribe CaRA and UPRM
• The PR Department of Environmental and Natural
  Resources has contracted the Alliance to perform
  Coastal Zone inundation modeling using ADCIRC and
  SWAN

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Questions?