Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System: Difference between revisions

'''Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System''' ('''GCOOS''') is a nonprofit Regional Association certified by NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) under the Department of Commerce, coordinating ocean and coastal observations across the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System manages a network of observing assets to provide real-time and historical data on the Gulf of Mexico, supporting safety, environmental protection, and economic resilience, aiming to deliver reliable, accessible data products to diverse stakeholders, from researchers to emergency managers, enhancing understanding and management of Gulf coastal and ocean systems. Key features include its operation of over 2,000 data streams via the GCOOS Data Portal as of 2025, its leadership in the Smart Great Lakes Initiative since 2019, and its support for over 30 seasonal buoys and glider missions, notably aiding hurricane forecasting and tracking harmful algal blooms (HABs).

The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System nonprofit, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, oversees the program, certified by NOAA as an IOOS Regional Association in 2016. GCOOS manages a network of buoys, gliders, and high-frequency radars, integrating data from federal (NOAA, USGS), state, academic, and industry partners via the Seagull platform launched in 2021. Funding primarily comes from NOAA IOOS grants—$3–4 million annually—supplemented by membership dues and project-specific awards like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program’s leader is the GCOOS Executive Director, currently Jennifer Boehme as of 2025, guided by a Board of Directors from diverse sectors.

GCOOS was founded in 2005 as a member-driven organization, formalized under the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, which established IOOS and its regional components, building on earlier Gulf monitoring efforts. It incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2013 and achieved NOAA certification in 2016, affirming data quality standards. Milestones include launching the GCOOS Data Portal in 2010, responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with enhanced observations, and initiating the Smart Great Lakes Initiative in 2019 for modernized data systems. GCOOS continues to expand, with 2024 efforts focusing on climate change data and a proposed Great Lakes Mapping Act for lakefloor mapping.