Quarterly Report

Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: Completed.

Background: The Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) is one of the most complete, quality controlled datasets of ocean surface observations. The ICOADS is the latest release, extending back to 1784 and forward to 2002, and includes several new sources of data. The COADS is invaluable for forming environmental index time series that can be used in analyses of fish populations, marine mammal populations and protected resources.

Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: The COADS is in a format designed for synoptic analysis – extracting a time series for a region would involve reading through the entire dataset. A number of years ago, PFEL developed a data base system plus software that allowed for rapid extraction and summarization of time series in a local region from the raw COADS data. Access to the raw data is important, as it allows for variables, such as wind speed cubed, not included in the summary files, to be calculated, and also allows for control of various flags, such as instrumentation type or country of origin, that can be important for removing biases when using the data to develop index series. The purpose of this activity was to put the new ICOADS release into the PFEL data base organization and to update the relevant software.

Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: The ICOADS has been sorted and put into the database system developed at PFEL, and the extraction software has been updated. Several extracts have already been performed for various scientists within NOAA Fisheries.

Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): Improved ability to perform ecosystem based management of fish populations, marine mammal populations, and protected species due to improved access to relevant environmental data.

Problems: None.

Key Contact: Roy Mendelssohn, (831-648-9029, rmendels@pfeg.noaa.gov)