Development of a Regional Physical/Bio-optical Coastal Observing System for Rapid Environmental Assessment in the New York Bight.

The Rutgers University Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15) located offshore Tuckerton, New Jersey will host the third in an on going series of Coastal Predictive Skill Experiments in July 2000. The annual NOPP/ONR supported CPSEs focused on improving nowcast skill via data assimilation in July 1998, and on improving forecast skill through improved boundary conditions and turbulent closure in July 1999. The purpose was to provide guidance for the adaptive sampling with ships and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) of the recurrent upwelling centers that occur each summer along the southern New Jersey coast. The July 2000 CPSE will further test Rapid Environmental Assessment techniques to guide the physical and bio-optical sampling of these coastal upwelling centers, the adjacent Mullica River estuary, and the freshwater plume from the Hudson River. Over 170 scientists, students and researchers from over 20 institutions will participate.

Rapid Environmental Assessment methodologies use a combination of model forecasts and real-time datasets to optimize sampling scenarios. The forecasting system for July 2000 includes both operational Navy and locally-run high-resolution atmospheric and oceanic models for the atmospheric forcing and the coastal ocean response, bottom boundary layer models for sediment transport, and radiative transfer models for remote sensing reflectance. Real-time datasets include an expanded constellation of satellite sensors (AVHRR, SeaWiFS and FY-1C), surface currents from HF-Radar, subsurface data from ships and a cross-shelf array of moorings transmitted to shore via Freewave modem, and meteorological forcing data from shore-based towers/SODARs and offshore buoys. The forecasts and real-time data will guide an expanded physical/bio-optical adaptive sampling network including ships, AUVs, aircraft and divers. The new aircraft-based sensors include the hyperspectral PHYLLS (NRL) and AVIRIS (NASA) sensors for high resolution ocean color, the Microwave Salinity Mapper (NRL) to map the Hudson river plume, two aircraft altimeters (JHU/APL) to map the sea surface height, and an airborne LIDAR (NAVAIR) to map the subsurface optical structure. Several of the observation systems to be tested during the July 2000 CPSE will be used to construct a regional observatory for the New York Bight (LEO-NYB). An overview of CPSE highlights will be presented.