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ENABLING
OCEAN
RESEARCH IN THE 21 ST CENTURY
Implementation of a Network of
Ocean Observatories
Committee on the Implementation of a
Seafloor Observatory Network for Oceanographic Research
Ocean Studies Board
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS · 500 Fifth Street, N.W. · Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board
of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the
National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of
Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their
special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract/Grant No.56-DKNA-1-95107 and 56-DGNA-1-00001
between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opin-
ions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of
the authoress and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that
provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number 0-309-08990-5 (Book)
International Standard Book Number 0-309-52645-0 (PDF)
Library of Congress Control Number 2003112526
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth
Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the
Washington metropolitan area); or on the Internet, http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2003 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Stienre, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating soci-
ety of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedi-
cated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general
welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863,
the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on
scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National
Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter
of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding
engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its mem-
bers, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advis-
ing the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors
engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education
and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A.
Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of
Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in
the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The
Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences
by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon
its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr.
Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sci-
ences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with
the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal gov-
ernment. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National
Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing
services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering commu-
nities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of
Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair,
respectively, of the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
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COMMITTEE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF A SEAFLOOR OBSERVATORY
NETWORK FOR OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
ROBERT S. DETRICK, OR. (Chair), Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, Massachusetts
ARTHUR B. BAGGEROER, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge
EDWARD F. DELONG, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute,
Moss Landing, California
FRED K. DUENNEBIER, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
ANN E. GARGETT, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
G. ROSS HEATH, University of Washington, Seattle
JASON I. HYON, ret Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of
Technology, Pasadena
THOMAS C. JOHNSON, University of Minnesota, Duluth
DREW L. MICHEL, TSC Holdings, Inc., Houston, Texas
JOAN OLTMAN-SHAY, NorthWest Research Associates, Inc.,
Bellevue, Washington
SYLVIE POULIQUEN, Institut franc~ais de recherche pour ['exploitation
de la mer, Plouzane, France
OSCAR M.E. SCHOFIELD, Rutgers University, New Brunswick,
New Jersey
ROBERT A. WELLER, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Massachusetts
Staff
JOANNE BINTZ, Study Director
NANCY CAPUTO, Senior Project Assistant
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OCEAN STUDIES BOARD
NANCY RABALAIS (Chair), Louisiana Universities Marine
Consortium, Chauvin
ARTHUR BAGGEROER, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge
JAMES COLEMAN, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
LARRY CROWDER, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina
RICHARD B. DERISO, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission,
La rolla, California
ROBERT B. DITTON, Texas A&M University, College Station
EARL DOYLE, Shell Oil (ret.), Sugar Land, Texas
ROBERT DUCK, Texas A&M University, College Station
VADM PAUL G. GAFFNEY, II, Monmouth University, West Long
Branch, New Jersey
WAYNE R. GEYER, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Massachusetts
STANLEY R. HART, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Massachusetts
MIRIAM KASTNER, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla,
California
RALPH S. LEWIS, Connecticut Geological Survey (ret.), Hadlyme
WILLIAM F. MARCUSON, III, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (ret.),
Vicksburg, Mississippi
JULIAN P. MCCREARY, OR., University of Hawaii, Honolulu
JACQUELINE MICHEL, Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, South
Carolina
SCOTT NIXON, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett
SHIRLEY A. POMPONI, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution,
Fort Pierce, Florida
FRED N. SPIESS, Univerisity of California, San Diego
ION G. SUTINEN, University of Rhode Island, Kingston
NANCY TARGETT, University of Delaware, Lewes
Staff
MORGAN GOPNIK, Director
JENNIFER MERRILL, Senior Program Officer
SUSAN ROBERTS, Senior Program Officer
DAN WALKER, Senior Program Officer
JOANNE BINTZ, Program Officer
TERRY SCHAEFER, Program Officer
ROBIN MORRIS, Financial Officer
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JOHN DANDELSKI, Research Associate
SHIREL SMITH, Administrative Associate
NANCY CAPUTO, Senior Project Assistant
SARAH CAPOTE, Project Assistant
BYRON MASON, Project Assistant
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Preface
In the ocean sciences, new technology inevitably leads to new discov-
eries and to fundamental advances in basic knowledge. In the years fol-
lowing World War II, for example, the first global-scale mapping and
sampling of the seafloor by oceanographic research vessels led directly to
the discovery of seafloor spreading and the development of the theory of
plate tectonics which has since revolutionized ideas of earth structure and
evolution. A decade later, the first exploration of mid-ocean ridges using
deep-towed vehicles and manned submersibles resulted in the remark-
able discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities with previ-
ously unknown forms of life and a vast, still largely unexplored microbial
biosphere below the seafloor. Over the past two decades, ocean physi-
cists, chemists, biologists, and geologists have used a variety of tools,
from instrumented buoys to deep-sea drilling, to redefine their under-
standing of the ocean's role in controlling weather and longer-term cli-
mate change.
The ocean sciences are now on the threshold of another major techno-
logical advance as the scientific community begins to establish a global,
long-term presence in the oceans in order to understand the temporal
variability of ocean systems on time scales ranging from seconds to de-
cades or longer. This opportunity arises from the confluence of a number
of emerging new technological capabilities, including:
· telecommunications technology (e.g., satellites, fiber-optic subma-
rine cables) that makes possible real-time telemetry of vast quantities of
. .
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. . .
vlll
PREFACE
data to shore as well as real-time interactive control of instruments in
even the most remote parts of the deep sea;
· telecommunication cables that enable significant levels of power to
operate instruments from the sea surface to the deep seafloor;
· new sensors that make possible in situ measurements of physical,
chemical, and biological processes;
· computational and modeling capabilities to build more realistic,
multidisciplinary, and predictive models of ocean phenomena;
· data archival systems that can store, manipulate, and retrieve huge
volumes of data from arrays of sensors; and
· computer networks that can bring real-time data to the desktop,
which could potentially vastly increase participation of researchers, stu-
dents, educators and the general public in ocean research and discovery.
The National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Implementation
of a Seafloor Observatory Network for Oceanographic Research (Appen-
dix A) was charged with addressing a number of issues related to the
implementation of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Ocean Obser-
vatories Initiative (OOI). The OOI would establish an observatory net-
work, including coastal, regional, and global observatories, in order to
facilitate basic research into physical, chemical, biological, and geological
processes in the oceans. The goal of this report is to evaluate the readiness
of the ocean science community, both scientifically and technically, to
move ahead with the establishment of a research-driven ocean observa-
tory network and to highlight the outstanding issues that must be ad-
dressed in order to successfully implement this observatory system. These
issues include the status of scientific planning and technical development
of ocean observatory systems, factors that might affect the timing of ob-
servatory construction and installation, the cost and logistical require-
ments for observatory maintenance and operations, observatory needs
for sensor development and data management, the impact of ocean obser-
vatories on ships and deep submergence facilities available to the U.S.
academic community, and the role of research-based observatories within
the Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and other
international ocean-observing systems being developed and implemented
primarily for operational purposes. The committee agreed that it was
outside the scope of this study to evaluate the scientific merit of ocean
research observatories, to carry out a detailed systems engineering design
study, or to develop a comprehensive implementation plan and cost
analysis.
The NRC Committee included representatives from both academia
and industry with expertise in a wide range of ocean sciences, as well as
in data management and commercial ship and remotely operated vehicle
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PREFACE
lX
(ROY) operations. This report builds on a previous NRC report titled
Illuminating the Hidden Planet: The Future of Seafloor Observatory Science
(National Research Council, 2000), which outlined a broad range of fun-
damental scientific questions that would benefit from long-term, fixed
ocean observatory sites. In arriving at its findings and recommendations,
the NRC Committee also considered various reports on future ocean sci-
ence research priorities, ocean observatory planning documents, recom-
mendations from several recent workshops, and input from the ocean
research community. At its first meeting in October 2002, the NRC Com-
mittee held an open day-long information gathering session with presen-
tations on recent workshops and observatory planning efforts by leaders
in the ocean science community. During the first day of its second meet-
ing in December 2002, the NRC Committee again held an open meeting;
as a result, various individuals with interest or expertise in ocean obser-
vatories attended and participated.
This report makes clear that many significant technical, logistical, and
organizational challenges will have to be addressed in order to establish a
research-driven ocean observatory network. However, the NRC Commit-
tee is optimistic that these challenges can be met and that the infrastruc-
ture provided by the Ocean Observatories Initiative will enable a new era
of ocean research and discovery, facilitating major advances in basic
knowledge of the oceans in the coming decades. The NRC Committee
hopes this report will act as a useful first step in ensuring that the great
potential of ocean research observatories is realized.
Robert S. Detrick
Chair
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Acknowledgments
The committee would first like to acknowledge the contributions and
support of its sponsor, the National Science Foundation.
This report was greatly enhanced by the input of those invited speak-
ers who gave presentations at the NRC Committee's first meeting: Larry
Atkinson, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, and Ocean.US,
Washington, D.C.; Peter Cornillon, University of Rhode Island, Narragan-
sett; John Delaney, University of Washington, Seattle; Scott Glenn, Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Alexandra Isern, National Sci-
ence Foundation, Arlington, Virginia; Richard lahnke, Skidaway Institute
of Oceanography, Savannah, Georgia; John Orcutt, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, La Tolla, California; Sarah Schoedinger, Consortium for
Oceanographic Research & Education, Washington, D.C.; and Uwe Send,
University of Kiel, Germany. These talks helped set the stage for fruitful
discussions in the closed sessions that followed.
The committee is also grateful to a number of people who provided
important discussion and/or material for this report: Anna Boyette, Alan
Chave, Lawrence Clark, Tommy Dickey, William Fornes, Kim Fulton-
Bennett, Bruce Howe, Carolyn Keen, Andrew Maffei, Kathleen Patterson,
Nancy Penrose, Emmeiline Romana, and Todd Walsh.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for
their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with pro-
cedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose
of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments
that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as
xl
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. .
xll
A CKNO WLEDGMENTS
possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for
objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review
comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integ-
rity of the deliberative process. In addition, Margaret E. Sheer provided
valuable copyediting assistance.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in
their review of this report:
Mary Altalo, SAIC, Potomac, Maryland
Neil Bergano, Tyco Telecommunications, Eatontown, New Jersey
Philip Bogdon, Gulf of Maine Ocean-Observing System(GoMOOS),
Portland, Oregon
William Boicourt, University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science, Cambridge
Harry Cox, Orincon Corporation, Falls Church, Virginia
Kirk Evans, SAIC, McLean, Virginia
Glen R. Flierl, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Mark Johnson, BP Deepwater Production, Houston, Texas
David Martin, University of Washington, Seattle
Mary Jane Perry, University of Maine, Walpole
lack Sipress, Sipress Associates, Holmdel, New Jersey
Fred N. Spiess, University of California, San Diego
Sharon Walker, J.L. Scott Marine Education Center & Aquarium,
Biloxi, Mississippi
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many construc-
tive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the re-
port's conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of
the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by
John E. Flipse, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University,
College Station, appointed by the Divison on Earth and Life Studies, who
was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of
this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures
and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility
for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring com-
mittee and the National Research Council.
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Study Scope, 2
Key Issues, 3
Findings and Recommendations, 3
1 INTRODUCTION
The National Science Foundation's
Ocean Observatories Initiative, 16
Community Input to Ocean Observatories
Initiative Planning, 21
Purpose of This Study, 26
Report Structure, 26
2 LESSONS FROM EXISTING OCEAN OBSERVATORIES
Program Management, 30
Sensors, 30
Construction, Installation, and Testing, 32
Operation and Maintenance, 32
National Security, 35
Data Management, 35
Education and Public Outreach, 36
. . .
x///
1
13
28
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xlv
3 STATUS OF PLANNING FOR PROPOSED
RESEARCH-ORIENTED OCEAN OBSERVATORIES
Global Observatory Planning, 37
Regional Observatory Planning, 55
Coastal Observatory Planning, 64
4 IMPLEMENTATION OF A NETWORK OF
OCEAN OBSERVATORIES FOR RESEARCH
Program Management, 72
Defining "Infrastructure" for Ocean Observatories, 79
Sensors and Instrumentation Needs, 82
Construction and Installation, 89
Operation and Maintenance, 101
National Security Issues, 107
Data Management, 110
Education and Public Outreach, 123
Phasing of Observatory Construction and Installation, 126
5 RELATED FACILITY NEEDS FOR AN
OCEAN OBSERVATORIES NETWORK
Ships, 138
Deep Submergence Assets, 148
Maintenance and Calibration of Instrumentation, 151
Other Enabling Technologies, 152
Role of Industry in Ocean Observatories, 154
6 RELATIONSHIP OF THE OCEAN OBSERVATORIES
INITIATIVE TO OTHER OBSERVATORY EFFORTS
Relationship between the Ocean Observatories Initiative
and the Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing
System, 157
Relationship between the Ocean Observatories Initiative
and Other National Ocean and Earth Observing
Systems, 163
Relationship between the Ocean Observatories Initiative
and International Research-Driven Observatory
Programs, 165
CONTENTS
37
72
138
157
7 FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 168
Findings, 168
Conclusions and Recommendations, 176
REFERENCES
185
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CONTENTS
APPENDIXES
A Committee and Staff Biographies, 189
B Acronym List and Glossary, 194
C Observatory Workshops and Workshop Reports, and
Selected Reports/Documents on Ocean Observatory
Science, 206
D Ocean Observation Programs Mentioned in This Report, 211
E Time-series Group Global Observatory Sites, 216
xv
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