Back ||NOAA Home "An Integrated Earth Observation System—A Public-Private Partnership" Vice Admiral (Ret.) Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., U.S. Navy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans & Atmosphere Oceanology International Americas, 2003 Conference New Orleans, June 4 2003 Good morning. It is a great pleasure and privilege to be with you. I thank The Oceanography Society and Oceanology International for inviting me to meet with you here in New Orleans for this year's conference. Thanks also to the co-chairs of this conference, Dr. Tim Stanton of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Dr. Rick Spinrad. Dr. Spinrad has just left the Oceanographer of the Navy to join our NOAA team as Assistant Administrator of the National Ocean Service. We are honored to have you aboard, Rick. I am impressed by the list of sponsors and exhibitors for this conference, and by the agenda, which reflects important issues of significant interest to a broad range of the parties in attendance. By covering marine science, technology, operational oceanography, policy and education you have successfully gathered thousands of professionals to make progress on coastal and ocean issues of common concern. I am pleased to see the private and public sectors side by side, as it is only through inclusive partnerships that we will move our technology and management of natural resources forward. I. NOAA's Unique Perspective I speak to you today from a somewhat unique perspective as head of what might be described as the United States' "operational ecosystem science agency." The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration is the largest agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce, 65% in budget terms, and carries out a daily mission of monitoring and understanding our oceans, coasts, fisheries and weather as well as developing forecasts and disseminating that information for economic and public benefit. We operate a complex network of observing systems. Our geostationary and polar- orbiting satellites provide continuous coverage of the Earth 24-hours a day, and these space assets are complimented by an extensive surface network of towers, balloons, buoys, ships, and aircraft. During my tenure as the Head of NOAA, I have come to be most impressed by the current and future potential of this network. Having all of these technical capabilities as well as a complete roster of first class Earth scientists of all disciplines under one roof offers enormous possibilities. This comprehensive set of resources enables us to concentrate expertise and technology to address the significant Earth environmental and resource management issues that are emerging on the horizon of our collective future. I am also pleased to see so many of NOAA's partners in the audience. It is only through these partnerships that we will extend the value of our internal skills to a meaningful national level of collaboration where indeed we all must be to meet the challenges we face this century. II. Observing Systems I noticed that the seven themes of this year's conference match the seven themes of the Ocean.US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). So I think it is fitting that my remarks today focus on the importance, the benefits, and the way ahead for what I will refer to as a comprehensive, integrated, and sustained Earth observing system. I strongly believe we have reached a time for an "Earth Science Renaissance" a new era in which human ingenuity must be applied to developing a deeper understanding of the complex systems of Planet Earth. That understanding begins with observations. All of us are aware that every day we reap the manifold benefits of satellite, aircraft, and ground-based measurements that document environmental changes across the globe. These measurements are essential to every nation to assist in such essential tasks as monitoring crops, exploring the oceans, improving weather forecasts, managing fisheries, or assessing disasters. However, collectively, we can and we must do much more. The forces of social change and global development present a number of serious issues for the world's leaders, decision-makers, and international societies. We are confronting a future that will require advancing our existing observing systems to the next level of Earth Observation that is, to build a system of systems that will give us the tools we need to "take the pulse of the planet." You are the people who can help us achieve this landmark in earth sciences. III. Three Classes of Imperatives for an Integrated Earth Observation System The way I see it, there are three large classes of imperatives for creating such an Earth observing system social, economic and scientific. Social Perhaps the most pressing set of social needs stems from a growing population that will continue to demand access to crucial resources like clean water and plentiful food. Trends show that the concentration of populations is shifting from rural areas to the urban centers, which will dramatically alter the distribution of goods, services, and land use. And many of these cities are located in coastal regions the very regions we rely upon for healthy fisheries, and reliable transport and navigation. In the United States, more than half of the population lives within 50 miles of the coasts and that number continues to climb. With this kind of increased crowding comes increased potential vulnerability to natural disasters and we have seen the considerable damage that is caused by floods and hurricanes, especially in those areas in proximity to coastlines. New Orleans provides a noteworthy example of this vulnerability as the state of Louisiana loses up to an average of 25 square miles of coastal land each year due to subsidence and erosion. As a result, oil production and transportation infrastructure in coastal Louisiana are at an increasing risk of damage from natural hazards and human activities. This land loss also threatens over 30,000 oil wells and associated oil infrastructure located in the Louisiana coastal zone. Coastal Louisiana produces 18% of the Nation's oil. Physical hazards to these facilities come from erosion and subsidence, putting above ground facilities and buried or once-buried pipelines at risk for physical damage. The consequences of such hazards include economic and natural resource loss from petroleum spills and chronic releases, as well as damage to facilities themselves. In response, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration has initiated a program called Infrastructure at Risk a partnership with Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) and the Louisiana Office of the Governor's Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (LOSCO) to identify potential oil spill risk from coastal infrastructure because of land loss. Under these conditions, we must improve our understanding of the complex workings of Earth systems in order to manage our resources in a more efficient way. While this is a most pressing local issue, it is clearly connected to a regional and global understanding of the underlying causes. Economics With shifting population centers and population growth, we see shifts in competition for resources that affect our economies: Twenty-Five percent of the Earth's biological productivity and an estimated 80-90% of the global commercial fish catch is concentrated in the coastal zones - where our populations are rising. Gulf of Mexico fisheries are economically very valuable. In 2001, Gulf fisheries landings were 1.6 billion lbs with an ex-vessel value of over $800M. Shrimp accounted for over half that value ($500M). There are currently over 2000 active vessels operating in the Gulf shrimp fishery. For the United States, weather and climate sensitive industries, both directly and indirectly, account for about 1/3 of our nation's GDP - $2.7 trillion - ranging from agriculture, finance, insurance, and real estate, to retail and wholesale trade, and manufacturing. Statistics compiled from insurance companies from 1950-1999 show that major natural catastrophes across the globe caused economic losses of $960 billion. However, over the same period, loss of life in countries with good observation systems for warning and preparedness has fallen. (Source: Obasi, WMO) I must point out that the benefits from weather forecasting do not end with early warnings for natural disasters. In pure economic terms, studies show that national institutions that provide weather, climate, and water services to their citizens contribute an estimated $20 - $40 billion dollars each year to their national economies. Clearly, the return on our current investments for Earth observation has brought great benefits to the general public. Imagine then, the return on our investment for a fully networked observing system of Earth information for all nations . Just think what that return might be. Science Improved management of resources cannot be achieved without a much more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the Earth's physical, chemical, and biological systems on a global scale. A truly integrated and sustained Earth observation system will be needed to provide the sound science necessary to make policy decisions in the global context of social and economic change. Sound science is based on robust datasets that are consistent and standardized. Currently, we have too many individual data sets and limited observation systems that lack integration and consistency. Additionally, we also have too many "blind spots" such as in our oceans as well as upper atmosphere. Sustained data from these "blind spots" will be essential to unraveling the complexities of the carbon cycle, the water cycle, and numerous biological processes. We need to know much more... We are faced with a number of pressing science questions. How are all of Earth's "life systems" interrelated? In terms of climate, a major need is to distinguish the human influences from the natural variability. This calls for an interdisciplinary Earth Science approach. It also means a collective approach to preparing a plan and pressing for the resources to achieve this giant step forward in advancing the capability of Earth Science to support the difficult policy issues facing world leaders. In many respects, this is an organizational, not a technical challenge. The sciences are moving towards a Systems focus. We need to ask how the parts fit together and function as a whole. A well-connected global integrated information and data management system is the first step. I do not underestimate the difficulty of organizing and building the next level Earth observing system - it is an enormous challenge that will require a profound change in the way we work. Governments, professional societies, international institutions, industry, and academia need to work together in new ways that have been paved by the successes of the past. But as this audience knows, the real issue is not whether this should be done, but HOW and WHEN it will be done. IV. Fitting the Pieces Together on a regional basis How will we achieve a truly global integrated observation system? No one agency or entity represented here can do this alone. We must work through partnerships to inventory, coordinate and integrate existing regional, national and international systems as well as build future systems. Currently, in the oceans, we are working with Ocean.US to facilitate their efforts to coordinate the development of an operational and integrated and sustained ocean observing system. The Ocean.US plan for implementation of the observing system provides the first steps in defining the governance of the system, from research through operations. Additionally, NOAA's Coastal Services Center has begun an inventory of existing regional coastal observing systems. As you can see there are already numerous regional coastal observing systems in the U.S. These regional observing systems employ many different data collection platforms, such as moored and drifting buoys, meteorological towers and stations, bottom-moored instruments, stand-alone instruments, ship survey cruises, satellite imagery, and remotely and autonomously operated vehicles. Some of these regional systems are primarily research systems and others are primarily operational. Some of the components are NOAA-owned and operated and many others are not. These types of inventories indicate that there are already a lot of systems out there, but that they are not well coordinated. Here is a snapshot of all the observing systems that exist in this region the Gulf of Mexico. These various observing systems are owned and operated by different federal agencies, by universities, by state and local governments, and others. There is no one entity overseeing the coordination and integration of these various systems. Data from these systems are not consistent, nor standardized with other systems. There may be redundancy and there are very likely gaps in the data we need collected. This lack of integration has to end for us to take the next step in developing a true understanding of ecosystem dynamics. NOAA can help provide this integration and coordination. Coastal Observation Technology System (COTS) For example, in an attempt to create a coordinated, integrated national network consistent with the principles of national federation of regional coastal observing systems, the Coastal Services Center has established the Coastal Observation Technology System (COTS). Seven organizations around the US currently receive funding from NOAA with the goal of creating a model for an integrated coastal observing network using their existing regional observing systems as the components. All seven grantees have agreed to form a federation that may serve as a model for the larger Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) effort. Initially the federation has agreed to focus on data management as a common theme, and will work together to ensure that national data standards and protocols are followed. To this end, the federation is working with NOAA to adopt NOAA data collection standards and protocols to integrate specific COTS assets into NOAA data streams. This type of integration ensures NOAA-funded projects are not only furthering the efforts of the partners, but also benefiting NOAA owned and operated observing systems. While I have emphasized NOAA data standards, the real issue is to ensure that we develop these in such a way that they become national and international standards Locally, the member of this federation is the Wave Current Surge Information System or WAVCIS. NOAA funds the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) at Louisiana State University to coordinate this observing system, which provides near real-time wave, current, and meteorological information off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. There are three active CSI stations with another ten planned, two National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) C- MAN platforms, and four NDBC moored buoys included in this network. When additional components are added to WAVCIS, it will be a state-of-the-art monitoring program, which will provide a unique online information database for multiple uses. This type of regional observation system directly benefits coastal communities and infrastructure by providing many services, such as: An emergency response decision tool for agencies faced with decision making during storm threats. An archived database for use in long-term monitoring of barrier island and wetland restoration projects around the entire state. Information necessary to assist in decision making during oil spill response coordination. Information useful for assisting operations support for offshore industries, commerce and trade. National Water Level Observation Network NOAA also directly assists this region's efforts to predict and prepare for water level changes through installations of various gauges throughout the State of Louisiana. There are two water level stations just off the coast of Louisiana that are part of the National Water Level Observation Network, or NWLON, which serves as the backbone of a national observing system, and consists of 175 long-term, continuously operating water level stations throughout the United States and its island possessions and territories. There are many uses for accurate water level information connected to known geodetic elevations. They are necessary for navigation through supporting hydrographic surveys and updating navigational charts. They can inform sea level rise assessments, aid restoration efforts, support marine boundary and shoreline delineations. They can provide data for risk assessments, and contribute to storm surge flood warnings (evacuation decision-making and emergency preparedness). All of these applications support the NOAA mission. Additionally, NOAA is partnering with St. Charles Parish here in Louisiana to help save lives and property through the establishment of a local, real-time water level monitoring system. This afternoon I will dedicate two new water level stations that will supplement the National Water Level Observation Network. The data from these two new stations will be displayed on a local data acquisition system in the Parish and will be linked to the NOAA NWLON network and the NOAA National Weather Service to help improve storm surge and hurricane modeling efforts. This partnership exemplifies local commitment to support a local observation system that will have direct benefits to a community prone to storm surge and flooding. In addition to protecting lives and property, the data will also be beneficial for coastal restoration and sea level rise assessments. American Petroleum Institute-NOAA Loop Current NOAA has recently engaged in a partnership with the oil and gas industry that has great potential for building on NOAA's observing systems and expertise to benefit both the public and private sector. NOAA and the American Petroleum Institute are discussing the development of a joint initiative to improve both short-term and long-term forecasts of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current and the associated eddies. The Loop Current System and its associated eddies are characterized by high-velocity, mid-depth currents that can have a significant affect on offshore oil and gas operations, including riser deployment problems. Often, operations must be curtailed or postponed, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars per day in site-operation costs. Improvements to Loop Current and eddy forecasts would improve the efficiency and safety of offshore exploration and development operations and significantly reduce operational costs. Moreover, the improved forecasts would help prevent accidents and the adverse environmental effects that could result from such operations performed at a high-risk time. Circulation models resulting from an enhanced system would be helpful in any Gulf of Mexico clean-up operation should a spill occur. There would be many other benefits of a Gulf of Mexico Loop Current forecast model system and the Gulf-wide observation system that would support such a model. The applications include improved predictive capabilities for fisheries stock assessments, improved boundary conditions for NOAA's Ocean Service port and harbor forecast models, and improved analysis and modeling of Gulf harmful algal blooms. This type of a system would represent an excellent example of the importance of NOAA's effort to transition research to operations. The products from this system would benefit this region and NOAA in that it would help us achieve our mission. V. Research to Operations: How do we get there? One of the pieces that is often lost in the push for more observations is how we handle data. Data Management is a critical component of the overall continuum of providing sound science for sound decisions. In the long run, it is not only the sensors and the data that count, but also the communication network, including the partners, that is necessary to manage economic development, assets, and natural resources. When we talk about Global Observing and Ecosystem approaches, it requires tying together separate data formats, various space and terrestrial data collection systems, and different policies regarding access and sharing of data. There is also a continued need for investment in high-performance computing necessary to ingest, distribute, analyse, model, and store comprehensive Earth data that will result from current and increased observing systems. NOAA is upgrading our computing capacity. This Friday, NOAA's National Weather Service is dedicating a new IBM supercomputer that leverages state-of-the-art processing, networking, and storage technologies to provide a performance enhancement of two and a half times the capabilities of the Class VIII supercomputer it replaced. With increased capabilities, NOAA will deliver better forecasts to benefit citizens of the United States and people throughout the world. NOAA has invested a considerable amount of time investigating the transition of research to operations as it applies to us. To this end, NOAA and NASA, cosponsored a study (that was just released in March) by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council (NAS/NRC) entitled "Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations." The primary recommendation of the study proposed a high-level joint NOAA/NASA planning and coordination office that would focus specifically on the transition process of satellite research to operations. NOAA is currently examining the implications of that and other recommendations before making decisions on what steps to take, but the study provides a reliable, external impetus to move forward with that transition. Satellite data is of course not the only research area that needs to be transitioned into operational status. Much of what we do in NOAA stems from research and as you know we are involved in research stretching from the bottom of the ocean to the surface of the sun. A good example of NOAA research that has become operational is our Tsunami (Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting) research. Associated model and mapping of potential tsunami trajectories allows for coastal communities to prepare areas that will be impacted, therefore allowing for coastal communities to plan for tsunami hazards and limit loss of lives and property. Although established around 2000, this research is ongoing and has been transitioning to the NWS National Data Buoy Center for past 2 years and will be complete by end of 2003. Another example of how NOAA is transferring research to operations is by using a regional observing network to monitor temperature and air quality that feeds into forecast models. The NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL) is conducting a pilot in New England, which will dramatically improve the accuracy of air quality forecasts and mesoscale numerical models. The ETL will also deploy two ozone profiling lidars in the New England region. These lidars will be used to assess the impact of upwind ozone and ozone transport on air quality forecast performance and will facilitate decisions on the components and density of observations needed for operational air quality systems. This new capability will expand your temperature and precipitation forecast to include a multi-day high resolution air quality forecast, assisting decision makers to protect human health and the wise use of electrical energy sources. One of the changes I have made since I've been on board at NOAA is to establish an internally science-focused Research Council. The Research Council has been tasked with looking at the way we conduct research in NOAA and how we integrate research into operations within our own organization. The Council is currently preparing a general report entitled "The Way Forward". The document examines whether or not we have an effective ratio of research to operations within NOAA and it outlines how we can better manage the proportion of research to operations within NOAA as we strive to do a better job of getting our scientific and research expertise into operational status. That is to say, we have a responsibility not only to push the research that is ready for operations, but also to allow other mission-driven research to mature before it is transitioned into operations. Supporting the resources necessary to make this concept a reality is critical. I encourage you to take a look at the report when it is finalized. VI. What are the missing pieces of an Integrated Earth Observation System? Recently NOAA has established an observing system architecture effort. The first step in creating this architecture was to inventory the NOAA-owned observing networks. We found that we have 99 separate observing systems measuring 521 different environmental parameters. We also found that we have room to further optimize the system. We are now in the process of identifying where duplication exists, and where critical gaps remain. Understanding and cataloguing user requirements will be a major part of this effort. As we develop an integrated system, fully wired and networked together without duplication, we will install needed new observing stations as well as add new sensors to current platforms to fill the gaps in our coverage. In addition, and most importantly, user data will be easier to process, distribute, and archive in an accessible and affordable. We will be looking into new technology to fill these gaps with the most advanced products you can provide. I realize that you are both data users and data providers. NOAA is looking to you to help us get there. VII. Earth Observation Summit To further the objective of achieving an integrated and sustained Earth observing system, I am pleased to announce that the U.S. will host an Earth Observation Summit on July 31 in Washington DC to bring together Government Ministers of the G-8 and other interested nations, as well as established international organizations to promote the concepts I have discussed with you today. The summit will provide a chance to explore and discuss what is needed to commit on the political level to building a comprehensive, integrated and sustained observing system for the Earth. In addition to the Ministerial level meeting, the plan is to establish an international Ad Hoc Working Group, which will meet the next day and throughout the rest of the year that follows. This group will begin development of an international ten-year plan for fielding such a system of systems. Documents pertaining to the Summit can be found on the "url" on the slide. The Summit has White House support. During the current G8 Summit, one of the three items the President brought to the G8 Partners' attention was the need to build a better integrated global observing system over the next 10 years, which will be kicked off at this Earth Observation Summit. The United States believes that the combined global observations of terrestrial, ocean, and atmospheric phenomena around the world will move us closer to providing "Sound Science for Sound Decisions" to our national and international decision-makers. Conclusion The driving social, economic and scientific imperatives that I have described put us in a race against time. We need to take effective collective action now. Across the ages, the human species has endeavored to predict the future and thanks to national and international partnerships, many represented here today, we have reached a great measure of success with such important products as weather forecasts, fishery management plans and coastal zone management regimes. It is time to move forward into the full range of Earth sciences observation. The task is difficult, but the stakes are high and the benefits will accrue many-fold to all the nations of the world. Just as medical doctors must understand the pulse, temperature and blood pressure of their patient, as well as the interrelation of those vital signs to make an accurate diagnosis — we must also look at the Earth as a complex and interrelated system. We have an historic opportunity before us to truly "take the pulse of Planet Earth" and address the significant challenges of the 21st century. I invite you to play a significant role in meeting this challenge. You are the technology and science experts who have laid the foundation for this system; we are counting on you to step up to the challenge of helping us to make this system a reality. We rely on you for your feedback and look to you as a partner in achieving this goal of an integrated Earth observing system. Thank you for your time and attention.