Priorities for NDBC Platform Augmentation

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SECOORA would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide regional input concerning priorities for NDBC station enhancements. In an effort to get substantial input from scientific and operational perspectives, SECOORA conducted two workshops and provided additional opportunities for direct feedback from those who were unable to make the meetings. As a result, we received substantial input from throughout the Southeast region including the South Atlantic Bight, the East Florida Shelf, and the West Florida Shelf.

While we did not attempt to get unanimous consent concerning the specific upgrades to all regional assets, we did get general consensus concerning recommended strategies that should be applied to the prioritization process. The following recommendations represent those strategic approaches:

1. The southeast U.S. region supports immediate priority for the return of hurricane-damaged C-MAN stations LKWF1 and DRYF1 to operational status. The loss of these stations has operational impacts that will become increasingly significant as the next hurricane season approaches. Before investing in new capabilities, we would like to ensure that existing capabilities are restored and adequately maintained.
2. SECOORA would like to host a series of workshops with regional observing partners, NDBC, and NOS to examine issues of sensor accuracy and mooring designs for all sensors. This will help in refining priorities as well as establishing long-term national backbone and regional enhancement strategies. During regional discussions, a number of issues concerning sensor capabilities, mooring designs, NDBC mooring attributes (e.g., capability to moor in the Gulf Stream over the continental margin), maintenance requirements, robustness of system standards for permissible data gaps, and related topics were all found to have significant impacts on establishing planning priorities. In addition, technology test-beds and validation requirements present potential technology development opportunities that need to be pursued with future operational goals in mind.
3. The development of formal partnerships between the southeast U.S. region and NDBC should be investigated to support operations, maintenance, sustainability, telemetry, etc. As the variables and related instrumentation are expanded, there will be increased need to enhance efficiency of operations through such partnerships. For example, salinity sensors require a maintenance schedule that is far more frequent than the current NDBC schedule. Partnerships with regional programs could provide more cost-effective solutions to meeting such requirements.
4. There is a desperate need for greater density of buoys and C-MAN stations in the region. While this prioritization request does not specifically address the addition of new stations, regional participants were adamant that the issue be brought forward as something that requires extensive discussion. In some instances participants felt that strategically improving the dearth of coverage of existing variables is a more urgent need than the addition of some variables to isolated platforms. We will address these requirements in more detail as part of our regional planning process and wish to work closely with NDBC in future planning efforts.
5. Of the three variables discussed (ADCP, salinity, and directional waves), regional input placed the heaviest emphasis on directional wave enhancements. Based on the fact that there are unproven technologies associated with directional wave measurements on the NOMAD buoys, we would not place high initial priorities on enhancements to those platforms. While we are very interested in use of directional wave measurements on deep water buoys for use in validation of the offshore oceanic models, we would prefer to see the technology further developed before investing too heavily in those additions. Instead, we would recommend that directional wave measurements be added first to the 3m discus buoys in the region with priorities given to those locations with the highest validation partnership potential. These priorities would include:

   • First Order Priorities

   • Station 41004 – Edisto and Station 42036 – W. Tampa
     • Significant opportunities for regional validation partnerships
     • Directional wave spectra needed to complement existing regional inshore wave spectra measurements
     • Essential for future wave forecasting development with region-wide benefits
     • Supports specific NWS rip current forecasts and search and rescue needs.

   • Second Order Priorities

   • Station 41012 – St. Augustine and Station 41008 – Grays Reef
     • Support specific NWS rip current and forecasting needs
     • Potential issues associated with ability to add directional wave to 3m discus buoys currently supporting ADCP measurements. If such limitations still exist it may not be possible to add directional waves to these platforms.
   • Station 42040 – Mobile South and Station 42039 – Pensacola

   • Third Order Priorities

   • Station 41013 – Frying Pan Shoals and Station 41025 – Diamond Shoals
     • Due to the location of these stations in the shoals, directional wave measurements here may be less applicable as model input.
6. ADCP enhancements were recommended to be prioritized initially for a few shelf platforms where regional test-bed partnerships can be established for validation purposes. Again, while we are very interested in expanding the currents data to offshore platforms for use in validating offshore oceanic models, we would prefer to approach this expansion systematically, ensuring the validity and utility of the new measurements before expanding them offshore. Since ADCP measurements have not yet been tested for viability on NOMAD platforms, we recommend starting with the 3m discus buoys as well.

   • First Order Priorities

   • Station 42036 – W. Tampa and Station 41004 – Edisto
     • Significant opportunities for regional validation partnerships
     • Existing/planned HF Radar coverage
     • Potential issues associated with ability to add directional wave and ADCP to 3m discus buoys. Since these sites are also a first priority for directional wave measurement, it may not be feasible to support both.

   • Second Order Priorities

   • Station 42040 – Mobile South and Station 42039 – Pensacola
     • Potential issues associated with ability to add directional wave and ADCP to 3m discus buoys. Since these sites are also a second priority for directional wave measurement, it may not be feasible to support both.
7. Based on the significant maintenance requirements for salinity sensors, we would not place the highest initial priorities on adding those observations to deep water platforms that regional partners could not help to maintain. Instead, we recommend that these enhancements be added initially to a few shelf platforms where partnerships could be established between NDBC and regional association colleagues for the purpose of setting up test-bed interactions to assess the validity and utility of the new measurements and the viability of maintenance partnerships.

   • First Order Priorities

   • Station 41025 – Diamond Shoals and 41013 – Frying Pan Shoals: Due to the location of these stations, the measurement of surface salinity is critical in understanding the water movement between the Mid-Atlantic and South-Atlantic Bights.

   • Second Order Priorities

   • Station 41004 – Edisto and Station 42036 – W. Tampa: Significant opportunities for regional validation partnerships

   • Third Order Priorities

   • Station 41040 – Mobile South, Station 42039 – Pensacola, and Station 41009 – Cape Canaveral: The opportunity for regional maintenance/validation partnerships may be more limited.
8. As discussed several times above, our main priorities are to provide enhancements initially in locations that can maximize regional partnership potential and provide adequate validation to support further enhancements. However, one of the big gaps that currently exists in the region for both regional and national backbone observations is along the east Florida coast. It is a high priority for the region to find the resources necessary to fill that gap. Many participants in our prioritization discussions identified Station 41009 – Cape Canaveral as a critical site for the addition of new measurements, although there are no major regional assets in the area to use for validation purposes. Also, since it is a NOMAD buoy, there is a great deal of uncertainty associated with the use of ADCP and directional wave measurements. As we think about an overall strategy to improve the coverage of this area, we may want to consider establishing a future test-bed for examining the use of these sensors on a NOMAD buoy and seeking additional resources for validation opportunities that might serve as a starting point for expanded regional coverage in the area.

Once again, on behalf of SECOORA and the observing system partners in the Southeast U.S. region, we thank you for providing us with an opportunity to comment. We look forward to hearing from you concerning your future plans and hope that we can work closely with you as you continue to expand your capabilities and services in our region.

Sandy Bernard, SECOORA Program Coordinator