scholarly journals Maximizing Benefits From Punctual Ocean Infrastructure: An Ethical Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Whoriskey ◽  
Michele Barbier ◽  
Mackenzie Mazur ◽  
Tobias Hahn ◽  
Jacob Kritzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Ethical Dilemma ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Original Intent ◽  
Transient Nature ◽  
Ocean Science ◽  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

Ethics are becoming a component of best practices in ocean science and observing systems, with the research community facing a duty to society to maximize the efficient use and benefits that stem from investments in ocean science/monitoring. Sustained ocean observing systems on issues of global importance are coordinated, internationally sanctioned and making the most out of the resources accorded to them and consequently fulfilling their duty to society. However, globally huge investments are made annually in establishing infrastructure for shorter-term, punctual studies that address targeted as opposed to broad science needs. More could be done to maximize the benefits and impacts of these punctual efforts. Given punctual infrastructure’s small and frequently transient nature, connections to enable sharing will probably be done locally, and both potential additional users and owners of the infrastructure will need to be energetic, receptive and flexible. The accommodation of new uses will have to be balanced against any costs of these additional activities, which could pose an ethical dilemma in themselves if they compromise the infrastructure’s ability to meet its original intent. However, such adaptive infrastructures may be the most efficient way to provide the resources needed to identify and monitor emerging or new ocean stressors.

scholarly journals Consistency of the current global ocean observing systems from an Argo perspective

Ocean Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. von Schuckmann ◽  
J.-B. Sallée ◽  
D. Chambers ◽  
P.-Y. Le Traon ◽  
C. Cabanes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Tropical Ocean ◽  
Steric Sea Level ◽  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

Abstract. Variations in the world's ocean heat storage and its associated volume changes are a key factor to gauge global warming and to assess the earth's energy and sea level budget. Estimating global ocean heat content (GOHC) and global steric sea level (GSSL) with temperature/salinity data from the Argo network reveals a positive change of 0.5 ± 0.1 W m−2 (applied to the surface area of the ocean) and 0.5 ± 0.1 mm year−1 during the years 2005 to 2012, averaged between 60° S and 60° N and the 10–1500 m depth layer. In this study, we present an intercomparison of three global ocean observing systems: the Argo network, satellite gravimetry from GRACE and satellite altimetry. Their consistency is investigated from an Argo perspective at global and regional scales during the period 2005–2010. Although we can close the recent global ocean sea level budget within uncertainties, sampling inconsistencies need to be corrected for an accurate global budget due to systematic biases in GOHC and GSSL in the Tropical Ocean. Our findings show that the area around the Tropical Asian Archipelago (TAA) is important to closing the global sea level budget on interannual to decadal timescales, pointing out that the steric estimate from Argo is biased low, as the current mapping methods are insufficient to recover the steric signal in the TAA region. Both the large regional variability and the uncertainties in the current observing system prevent us from extracting indirect information regarding deep-ocean changes. This emphasizes the importance of continuing sustained effort in measuring the deep ocean from ship platforms and by beginning a much needed automated deep-Argo network.

scholarly journals Autonomous Surface and Underwater Vehicles as Effective Ecosystem Monitoring and Research Platforms in the Arctic—The Glider Project

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 6752
Author(s):  
Lionel Camus ◽  
Hector Andrade ◽  
Ana Sofia Aniceto ◽  
Magnus Aune ◽  
Kanchana Bandara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Ecosystem Monitoring ◽  
High Biological Activity ◽  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

Effective ocean management requires integrated and sustainable ocean observing systems enabling us to map and understand ecosystem properties and the effects of human activities. Autonomous subsurface and surface vehicles, here collectively referred to as “gliders”, are part of such ocean observing systems providing high spatiotemporal resolution. In this paper, we present some of the results achieved through the project “Unmanned ocean vehicles, a flexible and cost-efficient offshore monitoring and data management approach—GLIDER”. In this project, three autonomous surface and underwater vehicles were deployed along the Lofoten–Vesterålen (LoVe) shelf-slope-oceanic system, in Arctic Norway. The aim of this effort was to test whether gliders equipped with novel sensors could effectively perform ecosystem surveys by recording physical, biogeochemical, and biological data simultaneously. From March to September 2018, a period of high biological activity in the area, the gliders were able to record a set of environmental parameters, including temperature, salinity, and oxygen, map the spatiotemporal distribution of zooplankton, and record cetacean vocalizations and anthropogenic noise. A subset of these parameters was effectively employed in near-real-time data assimilative ocean circulation models, improving their local predictive skills. The results presented here demonstrate that autonomous gliders can be effective long-term, remote, noninvasive ecosystem monitoring and research platforms capable of operating in high-latitude marine ecosystems. Accordingly, these platforms can record high-quality baseline environmental data in areas where extractive activities are planned and provide much-needed information for operational and management purposes.

Ocean observing systems demystified

OCEANS 2009 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Bermudez ◽  
Eric Delory ◽  
Tom O'Reilly ◽  
Joaquin del Rio Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

Introduction to Coastal Ocean Observing Systems

2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonggang Liu ◽  
Heather Kerkering ◽  
Robert H. Weisberg
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Ocean ◽  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

SEACOOS Program Management

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey E. Seim ◽  
James Nelson ◽  
Madilyn Fletcher ◽  
C.N.K. Mooers ◽  
Lundie Spence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Coastal Ocean ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Unified Approach ◽  
Annual Budget ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

The management of the SEACOOS program and its evolution over a five-year period are reviewed. The topics included pertain to the mechanisms used to create a consortium, define its mission, develop and manage its annual budget and tasking cycle; and the history of its focus over a five-year period. The management of SEACOOS was complex and required significant efforts to develop new approaches and collaborative mechanisms. Changes in management were made as weaknesses were identified and to enable a more unified approach to the evaluation, operations, data management and outreach efforts. A number of programmatic lessons learned are summarized that may be of value for future development of regional coastal ocean observing systems.

scholarly journals GPS–Cellular Drifter Technology for Coastal Ocean Observing Systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 1381-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Carter Ohlmann ◽  
Peter F. White ◽  
Andrew L. Sybrandy ◽  
P. Peter Niiler
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Coastal Ocean ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Position Data ◽  
Ocean Observing ◽  
Ocean Observing Systems ◽  
Observing Systems

Abstract A drifter for observing small spatial and temporal scales of motion in the coastal zone is presented. The drifter uses GPS to determine its position, and the Mobitex terrestrial cellular communications system to transmit the position data in near–real time. This configuration allows position data with order meter accuracy to be sampled every few minutes and transmitted inexpensively. Near-real-time transmission of highly accurate position data enables the drifters to be retrieved and redeployed, further increasing economy. Drifter slip measurements indicate that the drifter follows water to within ∼1–2 cm s−1 during light wind periods. Slip values >1 cm s−1 are aligned with the direction of surface wave propagation and are 180° out of phase, so that the drifter “walks” down waves. Nearly 200 drifter tracks collected off the Santa Barbara, California, coast show comparisons with high-frequency (HF) radar observations of near-surface currents that improve by roughly 50% when the average drifter values are computed from more than 25 observations within a 2-km square HF radar bin. The improvement is the result of drifter resolution of subgrid-scale eddies that are included in time–space-averaged HF radar fields. The average eddy kinetic energy on 2-km space and hour time scales is 25 cm2 s−2, when computed for bins with more than 25 drifter observations. Comparisons with trajectories that are computed from HF radar data show mean separation velocities of 5 and 9 cm s−1 in the along- and across-shore directions, respectively. The drifters resolve scales of motion that are not present in HF radar fields, and are thus complementary to HF radar in coastal ocean observing systems.

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