Hosting the Inaugural Ocean Prediction Center’s Mariners’ Hazards Workshop

Protecting life and property at sea is at the forefront of the Ocean Prediction Center’s (OPC) mission. OPC hosted the inaugural Mariners’ Weather Hazards Workshop from April 14-16, 2024, bringing together more than 200 people in the marine industry in a hybrid format, which successfully brought together local, state, and federal agencies, as well as non-profit organizations, military, private sector, and international meteorological agencies and users. OPC and attendees learned from industry experts how weather directly impacts operations at sea, which include avoidance measures, hazard mitigation, and vessel type selection. Interactive breakout sessions occurred several times over the course of the workshop that allowed for users to ask questions and receive information on what goes into creating weather forecasts and charts (including tropical cyclones), what the future of marine information at sea looks like, specifically within the S-100 interface–including weather forecasts, analysis charts, and weather hazards–and how sea ice is forecasted and analyzed.

Throughout the workshop participants were able answer poll questions to help guide feedback to OPC, with hopes of improving future products and services in addition to being able to ask panelists direct questions in real-time.. This poster seeks to summarize some feedback from the maritime customers and provide some insight into the future of marine weather forecasting, specifically related to improved customer interaction.