A SURA Initiative To Create An Open-Access Distributed Scientific Laboratory

SURA Initiative | About SCOOP

Background
The southeastern United States is home to roughly 80 million people and encompasses more than half of the nation's tidal shores. The region supports five naval bases, over a dozen major ports, essential commercial shipping and fishing enterprises, major oil and natural gas reserves, and thriving tourist industries. However, environmental and ecological concerns threaten the health and safety of the region's inhabitants as well as the sustainability of its economies and marine resources. The region suffers from significant inputs of sediments and nutrients from rivers and chronic deficiencies of dissolved oxygen. Storms, hurricanes and other extreme events regularly challenge and endanger the coastal communities. There is an urgent need to improve our ability to predict critical coastal phenomena within the region on both short and long time scales.

Proposal
SURA proposes the creation of an open-access network of distributed sensors and linked computer models for the southeastern coastal zone. This SURA initiative supports the national agenda to establish an integrated, sustained ocean observing system. Existing systems, including several in the SURA region, are not integrated and are not fully compatible. SURA's Southeastern Coastal Ocean Observing Program will integrate and extend comparable observations from the Gulf of Mexico, the Southern Atlantic Bight (from Miami to Cape Hatteras), the Middle Atlantic Bight (from Cape Hatteras to Delaware), and the Chesapeake Bay. The network will provide comprehensive coverage of the southeast and will serve as a key component of a larger national system.

Goal
The primary goal is to implement a comprehensive observing system that will validate accurate and timely short- and long-term predictions. These predictions will guide coastal stewardship, enable planning for extreme events, facilitate safe and efficient maritime operations, and support coastal military security. The network will provide simultaneous measurements of winds, waves, currents, water density, nutrients, water quality, biological indices and fish stocks under all conditions. Open access to basic and analysed data and linked numerical models will be available in real-time and at high-speed through a SURA web portal.

Vision
When fully implemented, the coastal ocean of the entire southeastern region will function as a single, tightly integrated laboratory, providing an unparalleled window to new scientific frontiers while addressing a host of immediate socioeconomic issues and applications.

Funding
To launch the proposed initiative, SURA is seeking a $15 M enhancement of the Defense Budget through the Office of Naval Research. The funds will support the articulation of the overall plan, building stakeholders involvement, and design and prototyping of sensors and related subsystems for high-speed telecommunications support. The Office of Naval Research has expressed interest in working with SURA on this regional initiative.