Abstract:

I will address key concepts and directions influencing the incorporation of ecological and ecosystem forecasting into the newly developed service delivery framework of NOAA, which includes pressures on the regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to focus efforts on stakeholder-driven requirements. The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) is one of eleven of these regional associations and is known for funding legacy networks of high-frequency radar and autonomous gliders to deliver data to critical operational and R&D platforms. Thinking beyond physical parameters and imagining an end-to-end observing system optimized for ecosystem prediction and seasonal-to-subseasonal forecasting requires a strategic design that capitalizes on funding pulses and emerging societal initiatives (e.g. marine carbon dioxide removal). I will illustrate how the biological and biogeochemical elements of SCCOOS, some flagship and some more fledgling, are being deployed to meet the practical needs of resource managers while also supporting cutting edge scientific progress across an array of subjects.