Provided by the NSF/UNOLS Ocean Observing Science Committee (OOSC)
The NSF Ocean Observing Science Committee (OOSC) formed over three years ago to provide community input to the NSF as the Ocean Observing Initiative was being created. It has come to our attention that more information on OOI needs to be available to researchers. To meet that need the UNOLS/OOSC is maintaining this website that will provide timely information on the OOI for researchers.
Since OOI is such a large, complex and leading edge ocean observing system we also include some background information so researchers might better understand and use the OOI ocean observing assets.
Some background on OOI
OOI has two phases: Construction and Operation and Maintenance (O&M). OOI is still in the Construction phase. By summer 2015 all OOI systems should be in O&M phase.
During the construction phase of OOI there was little to no opportunity to affect the design of OOI. This is not a criticism – just a reality of the way OOI was funded by NSF and the constraints of the Federal procurement system.
The OOI design was determined over a decade ago. Please read these References to understand why it looks like it does.
Operating Institutions – Four institutions were funded to construct the OOI: SIO, OSU, UW, WHOI, Rutgers. They will be funded to operate the systems they constructed and installed. They are not funded to do science with the data –just maintain the system and provide free data access. Data will flow thru a system being created at Rutgers University under the OOI funding.
OOI has three components:
- Regional Scale Nodes
- Coastal and global scaled nodes
- Cyberinfrastructure – Educational and Public Engagement