Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI): Advances in Observing Technologies for Ocean-Atmosphere Exchange Research

The Ocean Observing Initiative (OOI) is a multi-decadal, NSF-funded program to provide continuous and near-real time ocean measurements to study climate variability, ocean circulation, ecosystem dynamics, air-sea exchange, seafloor processes, and plate-scale geodynamics. The OOI will enable powerful new scientific approaches for exploring the complexities of Earth-ocean-atmosphere interactions, thereby accelerating progress toward the goal of understanding, predicting, and managing our ocean and planetary environments. The OOI will foster new discoveries that, in turn, move research in unforeseen directions.

OOI will be composed of deployed fixed and mobile assets (with over 700 operational instruments) in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The entire water column, including benthic layers and air-sea interface will be measured by 49 different “families” of instruments. High power (19Kv) and high speed data (10Gb) cables contribute to this permanent observing system. The data (including HDTV of hydro-thermal vents) collected from the OOI will be transported, processed and stored in a flexible and user-friendly cyber-infrastructure. Data (Level 0 and Level 1), derived products (Level 2) and all algorithms are provided in a free, interactive and open environment. Extensive metadata and provenance enables search and discovery.

This poster will depict the major science goals and architectural features of the OOI, its schedule for deployment and the opportunities for unprecedented oceanographic, benthic and air-sea research.