NERACOOS Projects

OVERVIEW: NERACOOS is the Northeastern “branch” or Regional Association of U.S. IOOS, a program of NOAA, and our primary directive–you could say it’s our main project– is fulfilling the goals set forth by IOOS. Learn more about IOOS here.

The ways in which we fulfill our and IOOS’s mission are driven by the needs our stakeholders communicate to us; using buoys, high frequency radar, gliders, tide stations, coastal monitoring stations, and models, NERACOOS provides support for ocean scientists to:

-Produce ocean observations and models: We launch and maintain equipment that can gather and transmit information about ocean conditions, and support models that increase our understanding of past and future weather events

-Integrate new and historic data/information: We provide people with tools that make it easy to access and visualize data of all kinds, from real-time ocean conditions to forecasts to historical trends

-Facilitate regional collaboration: We bring together other people and groups who are working on similar things to make all of our efforts better and more impactful

WHO’S INVOLVED: Get to know our Partners and System Operators

TIMELINE: 2010-2021; renewed in 2021 to fund through 2026

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: U.S. IOOS

OVERVIEW: Regional scientists, resource managers, and members of the fishing industry have come together to identify and address vulnerabilities posed by ocean acidification. NECAN is developing information that can be used by all who may be impacted by ocean acidification. Visit the NECAN site for more information, or click here to learn more about ocean acidification.

WHO’S INVOLVED: Many people! See NECAN.org/about-necan for the full list.

TIMELINE: Ongoing

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: NOAA, IOOS

MORE: visit the NECAN site for information on projects, partners, and learn how to get involved.

DON’T MISS: 2025 Ocean and Coastal Acidification Monitoring Priorities

OVERVIEW: A regional node of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) to understand long-term change in the Gulf of Maine marine ecosystem with a focus on plankton biodiversity and cascading food web impacts to keystone species.

WHO’S INVOLVED: University of Maine, Bigelow Institution of Oceanography, University of New Hampshire, St. Joseph’s College, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Rhode Island and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: NOPP, MBON, NOAA/IOOS, BOEM

TIMELINE: The MBON project began in 2019 and is ongoing, but earliest time-series observations predate award and began in 2005.

OVERVIEW: Founded in response to the 2009 FOARAM Act, the Ocean Acidification Information Exchange (oainfoexchange.org) is an online community for professionals interested in or working with ocean and coastal acidification. The community’s mission is to respond and adapt to OCA by fostering an online environment built on trust, where our members feel empowered to ask, answer, and learn from one another.

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management

WHO’S INVOLVED: NOAA OAP

TIMELINE: 2018 – ongoing

MORE: Go to oainfoexchange.org to request an account and join the conversation!

OVERVIEW: Climate change, more frequent and powerful storms, and sea level rise all pose massive challenges to which coastal communities need to prepare and adapt. It’s essential that resource managers and city officials have access to forecasting models that can accurately predict the effects of changing conditions, whether it’s short-term flooding effects from a Nor’easter, or the longer-term effects of a rising sea on safe housing. The Coastal Ocean Model Testbed (COMT) is a national program working to unify the modeling efforts of federal and research communities to create the most comprehensive forecasting models possible. Through participation in the COMT program, we and our partners are working to merge two powerful forecasting models, one for river overflow and one for ocean inundation, to make a unified model that can more accurately predict storm effects on our coasts.

WHO’S INVOLVED: UMass Dartmouth, University of New Hampshire, Gulf of Maine Research Institute

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: NOAA/IOOS

TIMELINE: Originally launched in 2005; revamped in 2016; project ongoing.

See the project outputs and learn more on the COMT page

OVERVIEW: PORTS is a nationally-available information system that measures and disseminates the oceanographic and meteorological data that mariners need to navigate safely. PORTS mitigates risk by integrating real-time environmental data and meteorological parameters with forecasts and other geospatial information, and tailoring the output to the needs of local communities.

WHO’S INVOLVED: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Mass Maritime Academy, Woods Hole Group, NOAA National Ocean Service, NERACOOS, U.S. Coast Guard, & U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

TIMELINE: Established nationally in 1991; NERACOOS project established 2016- ongoing

Learn more about PORTS in Cape Cod and see NERACOOS project outputs on the PORTS project page

The NOAA PORTS site has a data portal and information about other national efforts.

The Northeast Water Level Network is enhancing coastal resilience through improving access, quality, and coverage of water level observations in the face of storm surges, extreme rainfall, and rising sea levels.

WHO’S INVOLVED: Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), Gulf of Maine Research Institute, University of Rhode Island, Brown University, University of New Hampshire, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, National Weather Service, USGS, and many more. See the full list of partners.

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: NROC, CDS, NSF EPSCOR

TIMELINE: Originally launched in 2023; project ongoing.

Learn more on the Water Level Network project page.

The Webcam Coastal Observation System (WebCOOS) project is developing a webcam coastal observing network for quantitative analysis, public safety, and resource management for coastal municipalities and local communities.

WHO’S INVOLVED: Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA), Maine Geological Survey,  National Weather Service, Coastal Resources Management Council, and The University of Rhode Island

FUNDING PROVIDED BY: IOOS/NOAA

TIMELINE: Launched in 2024; project ongoing.

LOCATIONS: 
Saco, Maine
Westerly, Rhode Island

OVERVIEW: NERACOOS is also a sub-awardee on a number of collaborative efforts throughout the region. For these projects we serve a different roles, such as providing a hub for data, project management assistance, or access to other partners’ resources. Currently, we’re partnering on:

• MERHAB: HABON-NE, An Adaptive Observing Network for Real-Time, In Situ HAB Monitoring and Data Sharing Across New England
  • Project Lead: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Primary Investigator (PI): Dr. Michael Brosnahan
  • Funding: NOAA NCCOS
• Operationalizing Real-Time Telemetry Onboard Commercial Fishing Vessels in the Northeast
  • Project Lead: Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
  • PIs: Erin Pelletier, Dr. James Manning
  • Funding: U.S. IOOS
• Assessment of the Observing Network to Identify Processes Relevant to the Predictability of the Coastal Ocean of the Northeast on Centennial Time Scales
  • Project Lead: University of Connecticut
  • PI: Dr. Samantha Siedlecki
  • Funding: NOAA