Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association

SECOORA is one of eleven Regional Associations comprising the coastal component of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).

SECOORA Observations

The SECOORA Near Real-time Observations Maps are created hourly from SECOORA member data and ancillary regional datasets. Data include In-situ sea surface temperature, water level, and winds; radar-sensed surface currents; drifter trajectories; and satellite-sensed sea surface temperature, winds, and color.

 

SECOORA Asset Inventory

The SECOORA Asset Inventory is an overview map application of known observation stations monitoring the coastal ocean of the Southeast US. The map and dataset were created as an improvement to the previous SECOORA Asset Inventory completed in Fall 2005. The data were further supplemented and organized into a single dataset containing 543 stations which can be explored and downloaded as a spreadsheet or shapefile.

Map of Fishery and Fish Habitat Conflicts data for the UNC Coastal Wind Energy Feasibility Study

 

SECOORA Newsletter

The SECOORA newsletter is disseminated quarterly via email and focuses on regional, subregional, and national ocean observation topics, events, and success stories. Please send your comments or suggested new items to SECOORA Communications. View the October 2009 Newsletter.  The next quarterly newsletter will be delivered in January 2010.

SECOORA Board Meeting and Planning Retreat  

The SECOORA Board Meeting and Planning Retreat was held September 14-15, 2009 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Welcome to the newest Board members elected at the meeting: Jim Nelson from Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (At-Large Georgia Seat), Bob Weisberg from University of South Florida (At-Large Florida Seat), and Conrad C. Lautenbacher from Computer Sciences Corporation and former NOAA Administrator (Public Seat).

Another major outcome of the meeting was the development of an outline for a SECOORA high-level strategic planning document to be completed by mid-December. This vision for the future will be targeted toward congressional staff and potential partners and will include priorities, system design and operation, state level relevance, and SECOORA's contribution to the national efforts. View the detailed notes from the meeting.

Update on BOB (Basic Observation Buoy) 

The Basic Observation Buoy (BOB) network is growing! BOB, a scaled-down, but operational, floating buoy is an instrumented platform that can carry a suite of environmental sensors. BOB is designed for quiet waters, moored to the bottom or a dock. Another version of the BOB is the Fixed Local Observation (FLO), a device fixed to a piling or dock structure. In January 2009, Doug Levin from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office guided SECOORA researchers and educators through a 2-day workshop to construct 20 BOBs, seven equipped with sensors. The workshop was funded through COSEE SE and hosted at SkIO.

As participants began testing their BOBs, they discovered a need for an online data entry port to post data and share information. A beta version of a data entry port has been developed, thanks to UNC Wilmington and SECOORA. A few people are now pilot testing the port before it goes to the BOB network. Lundie Spence is also currently evaluating BOB user needs through an online survey. This information will be included in the presentation by Spence, Quint White, Lex Waters and Doug Levin at the Oceans '09, October 29, Biloxi, MS. For more information, contact Lundie Spence.

Project Spotlight: Coastal Wind: Energy for North Carolina's Future

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently completed a 9-month study for the N.C. General Assembly to assess the feasibility of installing wind turbines in the sounds and off the coast of North Carolina. This study confirms that, because of a promising wind resource, large areas offshore of the North Carolina coastline are potentially well-suited for wind energy development and worthy of further investigation. To view the full report, brochure, or maps, visit the UNC Energy Services Web site. A pilot project that builds on the study has just been announced. UNC and Duke Energy have signed a contract to place up to three demonstration wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound. View the press release.

Organizational Chart

An organization chart visualizes the relationships of the SECOORA Board of Directors, Stakeholders' Advisory Council, Executive Director, Staff, and various standing and program committees, as established by the Board of Directors in accordance with the SECOORA by-laws. The chart is available for browsing online or may be downloaded in a variety of formats.

SECOORA Members

View the current List of SECOORA Members. A letter from the Treasurer, Cliff Merz, and invoice may be downloaded here for further information.  Please contact Susannah Sheldon at Susannah@secoora.org with any questions.

Business Plan

A Business Plan specifying the framework for the development of the Regional Association was reviewed at the 2007 Annual Membership Meeting. The plan includes a business concept and mission, an operations plan, a marketing plan, a research and development plan, a products and services plan, a governance plan, and an RCOOS design plan.

By-laws

The SECOORA By-Laws were approved the Board of Directors on July 31, 2007.