Evolution of a nearshore coastal observatory

We have been constructing a shelf-wide ocean observatory, the New Jersey Shelf Observing System (NJSOS), to characterize the physical forcing of continental shelf primary productivity in the New York Bight (NYB). This effort expands the existing 30-by-30 kilometer research space of the Rutgers Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO) to 300 by 300 kilometers in order to characterize relevant spatial and temporal biogeochemical scales for the continental shelf. The system is anchored by four enabling technologies, which include the international constellation of ocean color satellites; multi-static, high-frequency, long-range surface current radar; real-time telemetry moorings; and long-duration autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). These assets provide the maps of data to be assimilated into the new-generation physical-biological ocean models for hindcast and real-time continental shelf predictive skill experiments. Operation of the observatory is through a centralized computer network dedicated to receiving, processing and visualizing the real-time data and then disseminating results to both field scientists and ocean forecasters over the Internet. Finally, NJSOS will be a central component to the Northeast Observing System (NEOS), a consortium of the major academic-federal-industrial partners spanning from Virginia to Maine. Specifically, we intend to use the NJSOS system to serve both scientific as well as applied operational needs.