Using the MARACOOS OceansMap Portal to Understand Relationships Between the Cold Pool and Coastal Community Resilience

Michael F Crowley, Rutgers University, Marine and Coastal Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ, United States, Kelly Knee, RPS Ocean Science, South Kingstown, United States, Gerhard Kuska, Mid Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System, Newark, DE, United States and Mary Ford, Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System, Newark, DE, United States
Abstract:
The Mid-Atlantic Reginal Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS), is one of 11 government-certified U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Regional Associations. MARACOOS works in the Mid-Atlantic region from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, to collect unique ocean and coastal data and create information products that support the safety, environment, and economy of the more than 78 million people living, visiting, and working in the Mid-Atlantic region. Key focus areas for MARACOOS include maritime commerce and safety, coastal hazards, water quality, fisheries, and energy.

A unique feature of the Mid-Atlantic, the cold pool, has a measurable influence on coastal hazards, fisheries, and energy. The cold pool is a band of cold bottom water that extends the length of the Middle Atlantic Bight from spring through early fall. Because of it’s influence in the Mid-Atlantic, MARACOOS closely monitors the location and extent of the cold pool and resulting impacts on the region.

The MARACOOS OceansMap Portal (oceansmap.maracoos.org) can be used to visualize the location and extent of the Cold Pool and to explore it’s impacts. MARACOOS OceansMap is a dynamic data visualization tool that integrates near real-time observational assets and model forecasts to provide a complete picture of met-ocean conditions in the Mid-Atlantic. Included among the many data products in Oceansmap are three-dimensional model forecasts of water temperature that show the predicted extent, intensity, and migration of the cold pool and glider data that show actual temperature measurements from within the cold pool. Understanding the Cold Pool is critical for supporting resilient coastal communities because of it’s influence on storm intensity, fisheries and related economic stability, and energy use and generation. MARACOOS OceansMap can be used to help stakeholders understand the relationships between this unique ocean feature and their communities’ safety, economy, and environment as well as support decision making by state, local and federal government agencies.

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