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The overarching goal of this project is to build a robust, user-driven, sustained, operational Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS). The specific goals of this project are to maintain the existing GCOOS capabilities and, as funding allows, to augment the existing observations to fill gaps and provide enhanced products and services. GCOOS capabilities include components to integrate data sets from diverse providers; assure consistency, quality, and accuracy of the data; create new products needed by users; and provide in a timely and efficient manner the data, products, and services needed by decision-makers, diverse stakeholders, and the public. Physical, meteorological, biogeochemical, and bathymetrical data are major components of the data system.

Our global long-term goal is making further progress in understanding of the mixing processes in the ocean on large and small scales. To achieve this goal, we develop theories of anisotropic turbulence and dispersive waves in different environments, test them, compare them with data and implement them in ocean models. In this project, the goals were to extend the QNSE theory of turbulence to flows with solid body rotation, conduct a comprehensive study of the spectral characteristics of such flows, to develop a theory of the combined effect of rotation and stable stratification which may shed new light upon the Garrett-Munk spectrum, and to test these theories in oceanic models.

Our long-term goals are to advance the understanding and modeling capabilities of the dynamics and mixing in oceanic and atmospheric turbulent flows on small and large scales. The main emphasis is put on the development of analytical tools and their transition to practical applications useful for Navy operations. Our objectives encompass three areas: improving understanding of geophysical turbulent flows affected by anisotropy and waves using analytical tools; improving understanding of the physics of transition between 2D and 3D turbulence and the mechanisms of zonation, and improving performance of practically used ocean models by supplying them with advanced schemes for subgridscale parameterization.

The goal of our work is to develop a system for optical communications through the sea-air interface and to provide a predictive performance model for the system for different environmental conditions, source power levels, receiver range, etc. The scientific objectives of the project involve understanding the spectral and temporal effects of water constituents and surface characteristics on trans-interface communication. This involves the development of a system that utilizes several, separated, redundant, sources to reduce the data drop-out rate due to wave refraction. Engineering objectives of the project are the design and development of an intelligent optical receiver that can identify the positions of redundant sources within video imagery and control a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device to direct radiance from only those sources to a high-speed sensor for demodulation. This spatial filtering should reduce interference from surface reflection of skylight.

The main long-term goal of the project is two-fold: to further develop a new venue in modeling of turbulent mixing using a new spectral theory of turbulence, the quasi-normal scale elimination (QNSE), and to improve the nowcasts and forecasts of the state of the ocean on sub-meso- and mesoscales. The QNSE theory brings turbulence modeling to a new level as it allows one to obtain analytical results in situations not amenable to analytical treatment within the Reynolds stress closure modeling approach. The QNSE theory is particularly useful in describing anisotropic turbulence with waves, the flows of central importance to oceanic and atmospheric circulations. We consider this theory as a viable alternative to the Reynolds stress modeling and we expect it to find a wide range of applications in the long range., The original document contains color images.

The goal of our work is to develop a system for optical communications through the sea-air interface and to provide a predictive performance model for the system for different environmental conditions, source power levels, receiver range, etc. The scientific objectives of the project involve understanding the spectral and temporal effects of water constituents and surface characteristics on trans-interface communication. This involves the development of a system that utilizes several, separated, redundant, sources to reduce the data drop-out rate due to wave refraction. Engineering objectives of the project are the design and development of an intelligent optical receiver that can identify the positions of redundant sources within video imagery and control a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device to direct radiance from only those sources to a high-speed sensor for demodulation. This spatial filtering should reduce interference from surface reflection of skylight.

The long-term goals of this research are to develop the control methodology for active cloaking of underwater assets and the initial hardware concepts to test the proposed cloaking approach. This work is a natural extension of ONR Project N00014-02-1-0211 (Optical Variability and Bottom Classification in Turbid Waters: HyMOM Predictions of the Light Field in Ports and Beneath Ship Hulls) where the perceptibility of underwater assets was modeled. The initial objective of this work is to extend the existing 3-D Hybrid Marine Optical Model (HyMOM) to determine the three-dimensional light structure of representative marine environments in order to calculate the character of the radiance field needed to remove asset contrast with the background. A secondary objective is to develop a practical method to provide the additional radiance necessary to accomplish this task and to make the asset "self-aware" of its background contrast. Only in this manner will the asset be able to change radiance fields with environmental conditions.

Our long term goals are the development of robust model nesting strategies for coupling regional and global ocean circulation models and the implementation of data assimilation schemes suitable for the regional ocean models. From the perspective of advancing coastal ocean science we seek to improve our understanding on how the deep-ocean and the coastal ocean interact., The original document contains color images.

The top-level goals of this effort are to apply the QNSE (quasi-normal scale elimination) technique of parameterization of turbulent modeling to represent ocean mixing and to test and validate the emerging QNSE-based models against the data and other models. The new mixing schemes are expected to improve the prediction of the state of the ocean on sub-meso- and meso-scales., The original document contains color images.

The long-term goal of this project is to determine sources, sinks and dynamics of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) optical properties on spatial and temporal scales relevant to physical/biogeochemical/optical modeling efforts on the West Florida Shelf. Predictive capability is needed for modeling in-water light attenuation and visibility in coastal regions. CDOM is one of the most significant and least understood light attenuating components, hence improved understanding of its optical properties, dynamics and spatial and temporal variability will result in improved radiance models in the littoral zone., The original document contains color images.

The goal of our proposed work is to develop a system for optical communications through the sea-air interface and to provide a predictive, performance model for the system for different environmental conditions, source power levels, receiver range, etc., code 1 only.

The long-term goals of this research are to develop the control methodology for active cloaking of underwater assets and the initial hardware concepts to test the proposed cloaking approach. This work is a natural extension of ONR Project N00014-02-1-0211 (Optical Variability and Bottom Classification in Turbid Waters: HyMOM Predictions of the Light Field in Ports and Beneath Ship Hulls) where the perceptibility of underwater assets was modeled. The initial objective of this work is to extend the existing 3-D Hybrid Marine Optical Model (HyMOM) (Reinersman and Carder 2004; Carder et al, 2005; Carder and Reinersman, 2007) to determine the three-dimensional light structure of representative marine environments in order to calculate the character of the radiance field needed to remove asset contrast with the background. A secondary objective is to develop a practical method to provide the additional radiance necessary to accomplish this task and to make the asset self-aware of its background contrast. Only in this manner will the asset be able to change radiance fields with environmental conditions., code 1 only. This report is an extension of ONR Project N00014-02-1-0211 (Optical Variability and Bottom Classification in Turbid Waters: HyMOM Predictions of the Light Field in Ports and Beneath Ship Hulls).

Our research is directed toward development of an automated sensor for capturing 3-D images of manmade and natural objects in aqueous environments. We strive to construct a compact instrument capable of real-time imaging and classification of imaged objects using state-of-the-art optoelectronic technology. We expect that this work will have relevance to the in-water investigation and surveillance needs of branches of the U.S. Military, U.S. Intelligence agencies, as well as state and local law-enforcement agencies.

The long-term goal of this research effort is to develop a method to predict the visible and ultraviolet radiance distribution in complex three-dimensional marine environments as found in ports, anchorages, and coastal waters. Effective deployment of AUV- or ROV-mounted sensors to inspect ship hulls and port facilities will depend on accurate, real-time prediction of the sub-surface optical environment at the time and place of inspection. Furthermore, since the active or passive camouflaging of divers, AUVs, and bottom objects is quite dependent upon masking the effects of three-dimensionality, 3-D optical models to evaluate such problems are being developed and implemented. While HyMOM will be used to calculate light fluxes to the bottom for foreign-object detection near structures such as coral heads, seawalls, and pilings, it is equally useful in ecological models dealing with the bleaching of corals and foraminifera and the photosynthesis of benthic plants.

The long-term goals of this research are to develop the control methodology for active cloaking of underwater assets and the initial hardware concepts to test the proposed cloaking approach. This work is a natural extension of ONR Project N00014-02-1-0211 (Optical Variability and Bottom Classification in Turbid Waters: HyMOM Predictions of the Light Field in Ports and Beneath Ship Hulls) where the perceptibility of underwater assets was modeled. The initial objective of this work is to extend the existing 3-D Hybrid Marine Optical Model (HyMOM) (Reinersman and Carder 2004; Carder et al, 2005; Carder and Reinersman, 2007) to determine the three-dimensional light structure of representative marine environments in order to calculate the character of the radiance field needed to remove asset contrast with the background. A secondary objective is to develop a practical method to provide the additional radiance necessary to accomplish this task and to make the asset "self-aware" of its background contrast. Only in this manner will the asset be able to change radiance fields with environmental conditions., The original document contains color images.

The long-term goal of this project is to determine sources, sinks and dynamics of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) optical properties on spatial and temporal scales relevant to physical/biogeochemical/optical modeling efforts on the West Florida Shelf. Predictive capability is needed for modeling in-water light attenuation and visibility in coastal regions. CDOM is one of the most significant and least understood light attenuating components, hence improved understanding of its optical properties, dynamics and spatial and temporal variability will result in improved radiance models in the littoral zone. The short-term goals are to characterize spatial and temporal variability in optical properties by determining sources and sinks of CDOM and Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) for the West Florida Shelf. The loss of CDOM by dilution/physical mixing and photobleaching will also be investigated. Photodegradation rates and effects of sunlight on CDOM optical properties and CDOC/DOC relationship as a function of CDOM source will be determined. This information will be applied to bio-optical and predictive light field models., The original document contains color images.

Real-time determination of the optical and bathymetric climate available for operation of various Navy and Coast Guard assets in the coastal zone using a mixture of AUV, ROV, surface-vessel, fixed moorings/towers, and air/space-borne observational assets. This includes advanced heat-budget modeling applicable to coastal regions, methods for early detection of K. brevis (red-tide) and other algal blooms, remote determination of optical properties (absorption and scattering) of the water, harmful algal blooms, depth and bottom albedo. These provide model inputs and validation data for predicting visibility and the performance of optical systems as well as heat budget and primary production models, useful in asset selection for Homeland Security operations., The original document contains color images.

Our group is investigating the inner west Florida shelf to determine 1) the distribution of sediments and the associated bathymetry, 2) forcing mechanisms (processes) for particle erosion, vertical particle mixing, and sedimentation, and 3) the effects of these processes on the optical properties of the water column in terms of remote-sensing. These tasks are being performed using innovative sensor and sampling methodologies that provide synergy among the following: optical and acoustical measurements of the distribution of suspended sediment, bottom albedo and microtopography, bathymetry, bottom type, hydrodynamics, and particle dynamics. Measurements of forcing, observed both locally and from as far away as 60 km, will be related to observations of suspended particles and optical properties at two sites in terms of evaluating short-term predictions of erosional potential, suspended sediment distributions, and the effect on the optical properties of the water column. While this provides a broad set of goals for the joint effort, specific goals for each component (e.g. optical, acoustic, hydrodynamic, and particle-dynamic) are addressed in individual proposals.

My long-term goal is improved understanding of how physical processes affect material property distributions on continental shelves. These include biological (red-tide algae and fish larvae), chemical (nutrients), and geological (sediment resuspension/transport) measures, and the physical responses of the currents and sea level. To achieve this goal I must accomplish a related set of objectives. In logical order, these are. 1) I am developing a description of the seasonally varying circulation on the West Florida Continental Shelf (WFS) using a combination of in-situ measurements and numerical circulation models. 2) Along with description, I am developing a quantitative understanding of how the various forcing functions: tides; synoptic weather; and surface, coastal, and offshore buoyancy fluxes affect the WFS circulation. 3) I am determining how these processes affect along and across-shelf material property transports, with emphasis on the frictional boundary layers. 4) Given large seasonal transitions, I am assessing the relative importances of the surface heat and fresh water fluxes and the coastal ocean dynamics in determining WFS water properties. 5) I want to relate these foregoing physical factors to questions of geological, biological, and chemical importance; for example, storm surges, sediment redistributions, nutrient distributions, species migrations and successions, primary productivity, red-tides, and how all of these factors affect inherent optical properties (IOPs). 6) Since these objectives require sampling over various time and length scales using an assortment of instruments, I am working toward a WFS Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN) site south of Tampa Bay that may be useful for naval defense related experimentation.

Our long-term goal is to explore and test the potential effectiveness of low-level nutrient concentrations (nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia) as descriptors of geophysical fields and tracers of physical processes in oligotrophic coastal waters, with particular attention to adapting our laboratory sensor for these nutrients for use in an AUV. The nutrient data are to be incorporated into prognostic physical-biogeochemical models in a feedback mode. The first objective was to modify the AUV nutrient sensor to improve detection limits and reliability. We expected important progress toward a final version that will have detection limits acceptably close to those of our high-sensitivity laboratory version: 5 nanomolar (Masserini and Fanning, 2000a). The second objective was to compare nutrient distributions in the field obtained by the laboratory and AUV versions of the nutrient sensor package. The comparison would be conducted on the West Florida Shelf in the area designated as the ECOHAB Control Volume in order to relate the results to our regular nutrient surveys in the region and to physical circulation measurements made by USF currentmeter moorings. The third objective was to perform high-sensitivity nutrient surveys with the laboratory version of our nutrient sensor package at the same time and in the same waters as surveys of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which would be injected at a site in the Control Volume near one of the moorings in the center of the USF array. Out of this work was expected to come comparisons of concurrent distributions and spatio/temporal trends of nutrients and SF6. Ultimately, dispersion coefficients determined using surficial changes in nutrient concentrations might be compared to those obtained from SF6 concentration changes. The fourth objective was to investigate the effects of turbulence and stratification in different seasons on the nutrient/ SF6 comparisons.

The long term goal is development and utilization of a comprehensive (broadly capable) marine particle analysis system. The system is designed with wide dynamic range, thus, it will ultimately be used for high speed, high resolution characterization of water column particle fields in high, medium and low latitudes. As part of a broader goal this project continues advancement of the AOSN concept through joint use of both towed platforms and autonomous underwater vehicles. The project s objective is to develop a comprehensive marine particle analysis system, which, along with other sensor systems, will enable us to address basic oceanographic, environmental and ultimately military issues. The objective includes adapting sensors to towed platforms and AUVs to characterize particle fields in a variety of oceanic environments., The original document contains color images. Prepared in collaboration with the Center for Ocean Technology, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.