NOAA PORTSNOAA PORTS®® PartnershipsPartnerships
MARACOOS Annual MeetingMARACOOS Annual Meeting12/15/201112/15/2011
Darren WrightDarren WrightMaritime Services Program ManagerMaritime Services Program Manager
Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Physical Oceanographic Real-Time SystemSystem
PORTSPORTS®®
Why Do We Need Why Do We Need PORTSPORTS®®??
May 9, 1980 May 9, 1980 Tampa Bay, FloridaTampa Bay, Florida
• Accurate real-time information to improve safety
• Avoided groundings, Safer vessel maneuvers
• Efficiency of maritime commerce
• Increased cargo, Reduced delays
• Improved SAR performance
• Environmental Protection and Planning Assistance
• Improved hazardous material response
• Improved environmental restoration activities
• Improved Forecasts
• Marine weather forecasts
• Storm surge forecasts
• Recreational Planning Assistance
PORTSPORTS®® Provides: Provides:
PORTSPORTS®®
Physical Oceanographic Real-Time SystemPhysical Oceanographic Real-Time System®®
PORTSPORTS®® Products Products
• Predicted and observed water levels
• Meteorological information including wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, visibility
• Currents (speed and direction)
• Water density, salinity/temperature
• Waves
• Bridge air gap
Technology Infusion: Technology Infusion: VisibilityVisibility
Photo taken at the trade center in downtown Mobile, looking south down the ship channel:
3/24/10 ~8:30am CDT Episode: 00:00 to 10:30 CDT
3/23 21:30 – 3/24 15:30 CDT
Technology Infusion: Technology Infusion: WavesWaves
• Partnership with USACE and SCRIPPS CDIP to integrate wave buoy data into PORTS®
MyPORTSMyPORTS(Build your own pages)
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/myports/
PDA PORTSPDA PORTS®® Text Screen Text Screen
http://mobile.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/
Radar Water Level SensorsRadar Water Level Sensors
MW radar
• Many throughout the sea level community have identified benefits of radar water level sensors.
• small, remote sensors; no contact with water• less expensive than existing sensors• less hardware, easier to install and maintain• EM waves not impacted by temperature gradients
• CO-OPS conducted a 3.5 year series of lab and field tests to assess suitability of using radar in NWLON
• Field test results to date have led CO-OPS to start a transition to operations; first operational installations completed in Mobile Bay, AL, Jul 2011.
acousticsystem
NWLON ‘Sentinel’, St. Louis Bay, MS example of reduced hardware requirements
CO-OPS recommended Waterlog® H3611 radar for operational use•26 GHz pulse signal•0.8 ns pulse width •10º dispersive beam•12V input power •SDI 12 interface
radar system
• NOAA - Program Management; Data collection Infrastructure; Data Dissemination (Web, Voice); 24/7 Quality Control; National Standards; Development for future enhancements
• Partner - Site selection for user defined system; Funds for Equipment, Installation, and Annual O&M
PORTSPORTS®®
PORTS® is a partnership with responsibility shared between NOAA and the local maritime community.
Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network (TCOON) sharing water level data
Installed and maintained to NOAA standards
Data collected at TCOON stations are sent directly to NOAA for QC and dissemination
Several of these stations are part of the Houston/Galveston and Sabine Neches PORTS
®
NOAA and TCOONNOAA and TCOON
Project request came from through NY/NJ
Harbor Ops Committee Existing PORTS® with an additional
requirement NOAA and Stevens Institute have a signed
agreement in place to share current
meter data. Working on data format issues
NOAA and StevensNOAA and Stevens
Future PartnershipsFuture Partnerships
PORTS® designed for navigation support 90 plus percent up time (backup required) High Standards
Specific instrumentation (Only sensors we’ve tested thoroughly)
Maintenance schedule Agreement to maintain sensors to schedule NOAA will stand behind data
Thank you!Thank you!Darren Wright
[email protected] 301-713-2981301-713-2981
PORTS URL
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports.html