SEA GRANT/NWS COLLABORATION
Sea Grant Engagement for a Weather Ready Nation
A North Atlantic Regional Team (NART) FY 2013 and 2014 Project
REGIONAL COLLABORATION TEAMS• Are a network of senior NOAA
representatives in the region• Tackle issues that are cross-
organizational in nature• Help NOAA implement
priorities relevant to the unique needs of each region by having the ability to link the ‘right’ people, ideas, and projects
• Are directly connected to NOAA HQ leadership
NORTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL TEAM
George McKillop, NWS/ER, HSD
Jason TuellNWS/ER
Adrienne Antoine, OAR/CPO, COCAAndrew Larkin,
NMFS/NCBO; NOS/OCS
Ellen Mecray, NESDIS/NCDC
Colleen CooganNMFS/NERO
Betsy Nicholson, NOS/CSC
Nicole BartlettNART Coordinator
Tony Siebers,NWS/NCEP
Jennifer Samson,NMFS/NEFSC
Kevin Friedland, NMFS/NEFSC
Catalina Martinez,OAR/OER
Sylvain DeGuise,OAR/CT Sea Grant
Paul Ticco,NOS/ONMS
Sim AbersonOAR/AOML
Rich OkulskiNWS, Caribou WFO
Beth Turner, NOS/NCCOS
WEATHER READY NATION• Position information from the National Weather Service
(NWS) to better assist successful decisions• Forecast data, even if very accurate, are not sufficient;
need forecast information that will fuel successful outcomes for people
• Thus, NWS strives to leverage advances in science and technology to provide a higher level of decision support services– Not just the numbers but what do they mean for people’s
lives and livelihoods– Impact based
EXAMPLES
• December 13, 2007– Outstanding forecast– Horrific impact
• Coastal Flooding from storm surge– Few understand the
numbers– Many more can understand
the threat expressed in a map of forecast inundation
WHY COLLABORATION
• Coastal resiliency important to both sets of stakeholders
• Project seeks to leverage Sea Grant/NWS collaboration for more integrated approach to achieving coastal resiliency– Premise is we can accomplish more working together
than separately• Build upon current level of collaboration – Spotty but increasing as targets of opportunity arise– Opportunity for new best practices
STAKEHOLDERS
• Sea Grant– Coastal Program Managers– Community Land Use Planners– Conservation agents– Industry representatives concerned with coastal
storms and climate change• NWS– Emergency managers
COLLABORATION IDEAS• Add Sea Grant to Customer Advisory Boards
– Can help vet new products/services• Sea Grant Extension Agents can help:
– Identify specific coastal vulnerabilities – Introduce new people to NWS services– Provide coastal storm impact info
• Including assistance at identifying inundation areas in post storm coastal surveys
• Documentation of impacts via Storm Reporter tool
• NWS Forecast Services– Pending storm info to help with mitigation actions – Forecast info to assist with shellfish closure decisions– Weather impact knowledge that might influence longer term
planning decisions
NWS familiarity with SEA GRANT
• 100% have heard of Sea Grant and 25% have worked with Sea Grant
• About half think Sea Grant is in NOS, only 2 knew that Sea Grant is in OAR
• Most (72%) had interacted or collaborated very few times over the past 10 years, the rest had never
• 90% had rarely used any Sea Grant products• 82% were not aware of Sea Grant’s work in climate change
and coastal resiliency • Most know that Sea Grant is associated with Universities
SEA GRANT familiarity with NWS
• 100% know that NWS is part of NOAA• All were able to provide a brief, accurate
description of NWS• About half had heard of the “Weather Ready
Nation” initiative.• 90% named a Weather Office in their area• 9 (~25%) were able to name a NWS employee
NWS suggestions for collaboration
• Coastal inundation, flooding and storm surge and wave run up impacts• Hurricane / tsunami preparedness• Rip currents• Communicating increasing risk of severe storm events• Beach hazard statements and warnings• New partnerships with fisheries and other coastal industries• High resolution visualizations of areas that are vulnerable to storm surge
and inundation • Web portals to access forecast information• Sea Grant can host information seminars featuring NWS experts• Interlinks between program web sites to connect Sea Grant stakeholders
to NWS products and services.
SEA GRANT suggestions for collaboration
• Formal and informal education about coastal hazards (rip currents, inundation, etc.)
• Sharing existing products with stakeholders• Assessment of potential impacts and how to
manage them• Help communities to better understand the
difference between weather and climate• “Shadow a NWS scientist” for students• Access to on-line data sources for communities
NWS/SEA GRANT COLLABORATIONRecent Success in the Northeast
• Two NWS/Sea Grant Focus Group Meetings in Eastport and Bangor
• Follow-up on NWS/Sea Grant Marine Survey• WFO Taunton Outreach Team working with
MIT Sea Grant on weather kit• MIT and Woods Hole Sea Grant attended last
WFO Taunton Marine Advisory Board meeting
NWS/SEA GRANT COLLABORATIONMORE EFFORTS UNDERWAY
• MIT Sea Grant assisting NWS on planning team for Boston Harbor High Water Seminar– November 22, 2013 at Boston College
• Sea Grant-funded UMaine Dept of Engineering study on nearshore waves– Better understand nearshore wave dynamics – Investigate high resolution modeling of nearshore
waves– Applications of study can be used for input to
wave runup equations and enhancement of coastal hazard resiliency efforts
NWS/SEA GRANT COLLABORATIONMORE EFFORTS UNDERWAY
• MIT and Woods Hole Sea Grant working with WFO Taunton on new NHC product outreach– Forecast inundation map prototype to be
introduced to Stakeholders in eastern MA• Buzzards Bay and Boston’s South Shore areas targeted
– Opportunity for input from stakeholders impacted by both tropical and extratropical cyclones
– Perhaps consider for other areas
SEA GRANT ENGAGEMENT FOR A WEATHER READY NATION
Questions/Ideas
Sowing a Fertile Ground