# Presentation: 610832

## A Powerful New Step for NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System 

**Dr. Jim Hendee**
**NOAA/OAR/AOML**
**Jim.Hendee@noaa.gov**

- Proposal COL-SE-02 to NOAA’s
- High Performance Computing & Communications Program

## The Integrated Coral Observing Network (ICON)  

- ICON Vision Statement
- 	Our vision is to serve as a model for all of NOAA in establishing the highest quality *in situ* coral reef monitoring network, and to provide the integration of near real-time *in situ*, satellite, radar and other data for ecological forecasting in coral reef ecosystems.

## Goals

**For the next few years, the ICON Program will be focusing upon:**
-   **Integrating data from diverse independent sources**
-   **Ensuring consistency with NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), and the Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System (CREIOS)**
-   **Forging international partnerships**
-   **Facilitating development and transition to operations of promising relevant *****in situ***** instrumentation**

**Notes:**
Data sources will include satellite (NESDIS, Univ. South Florida, NASA), radar (via Princeton collaborator), in situ (CREWS, SEAKEYS, AIMS, etc.) and biological (various sources).

Due to funding constraints, the network can only expand at this time by adding stations paid for by foreign countries.

New instrumentation includes PAM-fluorometer, pCO2 sensor, and Telemetered Instrument Array (TIA) for sending/receiving data via acoustic modems.

## Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System

**C**oral** ****R**eef** ****E**cosystem** ****I**ntegrated** ****O**bserving** ****S**ystem

## Slide 5

##  Site selection

-  Site selection
-  Construction and deployment
-  Information architecture
-  How the CREWS expert system works
-  Research applications
-  Telemetered Instrument Array

## Ecological forecasts predict the impacts of physical, chemical, biological, and human-induced change on ecosystems and their components.

## ICON-relevant ecological forecasts

**  ****Coral disease (high nutrients + high temperatures)**
**  ****Spawning events (fish, coral and other invertebrates)**
**  ****Predicting larval transport and survival**
**  ****Predicting coral reef recovery after disturbance**
**  ****Pollution event and beach closure forecasting **
**  ****Forecasting likely oil spill movement **
**  ****Rainfall and run-off events ( => blooms, sedimentation)**
**  ****etc. (research models drive sensor deployment and forecasts)**

**ICON-relevant **_**ecological forecasts**_
**     ****(existing or planned for development):**

## The integration and modeling architecture funded by HPCC is called G2, and it is also being used by...

-   CIA
-   FBI
-   NSA
-   NRO
-   DOD
-   FAA
-   USAF
-   USN
-   DOE
-   Biosphere II

- The integration and modeling architecture funded by HPCC is called *G2*, and it is also being used by...

-   the Army's Knowledge Engineering Group
-   the Joint Chiefs Decision Support Group
-   the Defense Information Systems Agency
-   the Joint Intelligence Center
-   Boeing
-   European Space Agency
-   Inmarsat
-   Intellsat
-   Lockheed
-   SatComm
-   Iridium, and others.

## New ICON Web interface will integrate data from CREWS, NMFS/CREI, AIMS, and SEAKEYS stations, satellite data, and other resources, using G2, and will still issue ecological forecasts, as before, providing for greatly increased modeling power.

- G2 can also be used for scheduling (good for logistics), and *disaster* *management*, which will make it of use to AOML’s Hurricane Research Division, and hopefully other organizations.

**Notes:**
The screen snap-shot you see is a prototype front-end under development for the new ICON program.  The idea is  that all in situ stations being monitored will have a little icon situated on the map, and a user will be able to click on the icon to learn more about that station and see which data are being collected and integrated from that site.  I’ll show other prototype pages in a few moments, but first a discussion of the philosophy behind the development of the new application.

## ICON Use Cases

**What the heck is a “use case?”**
**Actors play different Roles**
**Actors:**
**	****G2 Developer **
**	****G2 User (external Telewindows users) **
**	****Online Web User**

****

**Notes:**
Software developers facilitate the construction of new applications through “use cases.”   A “Use Case” is simply a scenario in which a user makes use of software for a particular reason  (case).  Software engineers use “Actors” and “Roles” to designate how software is  used.  In our particular case, in building our online software for coral data integration, we have three basic Actors (see slide), with our emphasis for purposes of this presentation on the Online Web User.

## Actor:  G2 Developer 

**Roles:**
**  ****Knowledge Engineer **
**  ****WebLink Administrator**
**  ****Network Administrator**
**  ****Database Administrator**
**  ****System Administrator**

**Notes:**
However, I should briefly mention what the other Actors do so you have an appreciation of what goes on behind the scenes. 

A Knowledge Engineer writes the “rules of thumb” (heuristics or “production rules”) of an expert system.  Basically, this person (for our purposes) implements research models utilizing our real-time sources of data.  For instance, a Knowledge Engineer would write production rules for coral bleaching by looking for all instances of when high sea temperature combine with high light intensity, and perhaps also low winds and low tide, among other possible parameters.  In the case of our first expert system for coral bleaching, the permutations ran to over 10,000 rules.

The WebLink Administrator will design the Web page to constantly reflect the changing environmental data on the Web as we gather them in near real-time.  The other Administrators roles are apparent.

The other administrator terms are self-explanatory.

## Actor:  G2 User (external Telewindows users)

- Actor:  **G2 User** (external Telewindows users)

**Roles:**
**  ****NOAA Colleague**
**  ****Academic Colleague**
**  ****Other Colleagues**
**  ****G2 Consultant**

**Notes:**
Our new system has another way besides the Web to access the products and models:  a system called a Telewindow.  These tools cost about $3.5K for each license and allow various colleagues to design their own implementations of the incoming and integrated data.  The integrated data reside on our server, but the Telewindows users can access the data directly from their PC, just as though they were sitting in front of the server.  There are many capabilities the Telewindow user can have, but the training required is a steep learning curve, yet worthwhile for serious integrated data users, such as research modelers.

## Actor:  Online Web User

- Role:   **Casual User** (i.e., the public)
**Basic Actions:**
**	****Inspect *****operational***** ecological forecasts**
**	****View canned graphs**
**	****Download selected data sets**
**	****Inspect instrument list and info**

**Notes:**
As I mentioned earlier, though, with this presentation we want to concentrate on the Online Web User’s capabilities.  The user of the integrated data on the Web can play several different “roles,” the first being the casual Web surfer or generally, the public.  There are several “basic actions” which all users of the Web can accomplish, listed here.  We define “operational” ecological forecasts as those that have proven to be pretty accurate and repeatable, such as coral bleaching forecasts.

## Role:  Field Maintenance Crew

**Same Basic Actions, plus...**
**	****Update station instrument info, metadata**
**	****Biota observations and feedback**
**	****Miscellaneous observations or info**

**Notes:**
The Field Maintenance Crew has a special password for access and can do all the Basic Actions, plus those shown here.  The biota feedback is critical in validating the ecological forecasts, such as whether or not coral bleaching really occurred.

## Role:  Researcher

**Same Basic Actions, plus...**
- 	**Register as Researcher **
**	****Create new graphs**
**	****Submit special requests (especially new models)**
**	****View *****experimental***** ecological forecasting modules**
**	****Submit biota and/or physical observations**

**Notes:**
The Research again can conduct the same Basic Actions, and then some.  Because we want to make sure they have high quality access to the data, and we want to pick their brains, we ask that they register so that we can then give them special access.  They would hopefully provide new ecological forecasting models based on their research and the research of others.  Also, their feedback on the biota is critical to validating the ecological forecasts.

## Role:  MPA Manager

**Same Basic Actions, plus...**
**	****Update public information**
**	****	****(including automated news alerts)**
**	****View special ecological forecasting modules**
**	****and...?**

**Notes:**
Finally, the MPA Manager is key focal area for the whole program.  He or she can again conduct the same Basic Actions plus ones specific to his Role only.  We envision that the MPA Manager can issue alerts from this space that will go to specific targets, such as the public (email lists), newspaper contacts, magazine contacts, TV and radio.  This, for example, would allow a radio announcer to be apprised of an emergency closing based on model output to the MPA Manager, but which he or she has final decision over (thus, a true decision support tool).

## Example page for Sombrero Key data request, to obtain integrated “raw” near real-time in situ and satellite data, as well as biota data.

-   User clicks on data type and date range for the data, then clicks the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
-   Data are returned in tabular format, and spreadsheet ready (as in IMN).
-   User clicks on image to obtain biological data, and station images (above, below).

## User Login:  different access privileges for other menu choices.

- _User Login_:  different access privileges for other menu choices.
- _Station_:  Details, info updates, links to maps, Landsat and other images.
- _Sensors_:  Metadata, calibration info, updates.
- _Biota_:  Latest monitoring data, links to more info.
- _Graphs_:  Wealth of x/y, scatter and other plots, of all variables.
- _Alerts_:  Latest bleaching, upwelling, and other alerts.
- _Rules_: For Knowledge Engineers, and the curious.

## So how do you go about actually “integrating” all these beautifully-colored satellite images and data with in situ data?

- Sea surface temperature

- Winds speeds and direction

- Chlorophyll ***a***

- Sea Surface Height

- Not to mention CDOM, PAR, rainfall, calibrated radiances, registered radiance, plus ocean and atmosphere circulation models...

## Slide 21

## Our first prototype expert system integrated satellite and in situ SEAKEYS data for Molasses Reef.  This serves as a surface-truth feedback for satellite algorithms.  Output comes as email “alerts.”

**~~ Molasses Reef Satellite/In Situ Report for 05/24/2006 ~~**
**For 05/21/2006**
**NOAA12 satellite period:     local sunset (2211 hrs GMT)**
**NOAA12 satellite SST:        27.78**
**MLRF1 in situ period:        all-day**
**MLRF1 in situ SST:           26.8 (average)**
**----**
**For 05/19/2006**
**noaa15 satellite period:     local sunset (2220 hrs GMT)**
**noaa15 satellite SST:        27.1824**
**MLRF1 in situ period:        daylight-hours**
**MLRF1 in situ SST:           25.7 (average)**

**Notes:**
Every day USF/IMRS uploads five different satellite products for the pixels immediately surrounding the Molasses Reef SEAKEYS station.

## Example ICON Ecological Forecast 

**Conditions possibly favorable for upwelling MID-DAY on 05/21/2006, because**
**  ****tmodis-c satellite chlor_a_2 was > 1.0 (about 1.152),**
**  ****and in situ sea temperature was < 22 (about 21.9),**
**  ****and in situ wind direction was ENE-ESE (about 92.0)**
**----**
**Details for Molasses Reef on 05/21/2006**
**tmodis-c satellite period:  local MID-DAY (1553 hrs GMT)**
**tmodis-c satellite chlor:   local 1.152**
**MLRF1 in situ sea1m:   26.8 (AVERAGE) during ALL-DAY day 141**
**MLRF1 in situ windDir: 92.0 (ENE-ESE) during MID-DAY day 141**

- Example ICON Ecological Forecast
- (utilizing integrated data sources:  SEAKEYS station, USF Satellite chlorophyll data)

## “An MPA Retreat: Establishing Coral Reef MPA Managers’ Requirements to Guide Integrative Observing System ToolDevelopment”

-   To be held at La Parguera, Puerto Rico mid-August
-   Up to 50 MPA Managers from the Atlantic and Caribbean
-   Purpose is gain input from the managers in building new G2-based
- coral data integration Web interface for decision support
-   Data types:  CREWS stations, satellite, radar, biological monitoring, etc.
-   Interesting note:  there are over 350 MPAs in the Caribbean!
-   *Ecological Forecasting* for MPAs will be main goal of the software

**Notes:**
This is a modest proposal funded by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program.  The project will be funded cooperatively with the University of Puerto Rico’s Department of Marine Science.

## G2 Telewindows provide access for developers from anywhere on the Internet.  (This view is not what the Web users see.)  In this way, the integrated pool of data (in situ, satellite, radar, etc.) can be used for various purposes.  Developers can work on their own workspaces, or share the same one.

**G2 Telewindows provide access for developers from anywhere on the Internet.  (This view is not what the Web users see.)  In this way, the integrated pool of data (in situ, satellite, radar, etc.) can be used for various purposes.  Developers can work on their own workspaces, or share the same one.**

**Notes:**
This is an example of one of our current G2 workspaces being developed by Mike Jankulak for our stations through a Telewindow to the G2 server.  This window is what the developer sees and is not what the Web user sees.  Special “hooks” are made from these areas to the Web interface, and change dynamically with what the user wants to see, or as parameters change in near real-time or real-time.

## The application is developed through object-oriented programming techniques; thus, everything (stations, satellites, ships, users, data streams, etc.) is represented as an object.

## Slide 27

**Notes:**
This is another developer’s workspace showing how a station’s instruments are represented as separate objects.  The developer can click on each instrument to see a history of values (up to thousands or years), if so desired, as well as metadata information.  In this particular workspace, the user has right-clicked on the “cmrc3” station icon to get the “Station Subworkspace,” and then right-clicked on the “ctd deep” icon to get a list of the parameters measured by the CTD.  Each of these values can then be graphed for whatever period of time is desired.  The values can also be integrated with data from other sources taken at the same time (e.g., from satellite SST or chlorophyll measurements). The WebLink Administrator then uses these capabilities to provide the functionality to the Web, and with  different capabilities possible depending upon the level of user.

## Slide 28

**Notes:**
This is a view of our G2 workspace showing an incoming satellite data stream from University of South Florida’s Institute for Marine Remote Sensing.  The image depicts data sources for three NOAA satellites for SST, and two MODIS sources for chlorophyll and also SST.  Note the values for the measurements, which can be graphed and also integrated and matched with the in situ SST values from the SEAKEYS monitoring station at Molasses Reef in the Florida Keys.  [We are data managers for the SEAKEYS program, too.] 

## G2  provides facilities for plots and graphs over any length of time.

**G2  provides facilities for plots and graphs over any length of time.**

## Integrated Coral Observing Network

**I****ntegrated ****C****oral ****O****bserving ****N****etwork**