The Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) is the regional solution to integrating coastal and ocean observing data in the Southeast United States to inform decision makers and the general public. The SECOORA region encompasses four states, over 42 million people and spans the coastal ocean from North Carolina to the west Coast of Florida. SECOORA creates customized products to address these thematic areas: Marine Operations; Coastal Hazards; Ecosystems, Water Quality, and Living Marine Resources; and Climate Change.
SECOORA emphasizes coordinating a multidisciplinary suite of coastal ocean observations with numerical models so that societally important phenomena may be described, understood and ultimately predicted via applications of best science practices. This work provides foundational observing, modeling and data management capabilities to predict and support preparedness to changing conditions, thus enabling resiliency.
Contact Information: Debra Hernandez, Executive Director, debra@secoora.org
About the Southeast Atlantic Region
SECOORA’s footprint covers both the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic Bight, which are connected by the Loop Current- Florida Current- Gulf Stream continuum. SECOORA’s members include a cross-section of regional interests from private industry, academia, non-governmental organizations and state and federal government. SECOORA integrates observations, models, data management and outreach to sustain and advance an end-to-end, regional coastal ocean observing system (RCOOS) responsive to societal needs. An information management system transforms and delivers value-added products and services consistent with priorities identified through stakeholder needs assessments.
Activities that SECOORA undertakes are as follows:
SECOORA’s highest priorities are to continue supporting coastal ocean observing assets and models that provide real-time information to users, and generate long-term datasets necessary to detect, analyze and predict environmental and ecosystem changes in the SE coastal ocean.SECOORA activities include ensuring the operation of:
- Fifteen existing HFR installations throughout the region;
- Twenty-one existing in situ stations along the Carolina and WFS coasts;
- A new coastal water quality and meteorological station in Charleston Harbor;
- An initial South Atlantic Bight glider observatory
In addition, SECOORA supports the development and operation of models and products, including:
- SECOORA-wide daily Nowcast/Forecast system for currents, waves, and primary production,
- Downscaling model for the West Florida Shelf,
- A statistical beach and shellfish water quality prediction