IOOS-CariCOOS: Past, present and future of a tropical coastal ocean observing system

Since the early ages tropical insular societies have lived on the oceans edge depending on it for essential functions ranging from transportation and nourishment to recreation. These services are also accompanied by the risk posed by hazardous winds, waves, currents, storm surge and tsunamis. In recent times coastal societies have also faced the risk of losing valuable services provided by the ocean due to anthropogenic disturbances. Technological and scientific advances have made possible to detect and even predict with reasonable accuracy almost all major threats coming from the ocean. Moreover, although the timing of events like tsunamis cannot be predicted their potential impact can be assessed. Under the US Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS) faces the challenge to provide decision making support required for improving the safety of coastal communities and marine operations, enhance the economy through enhanced efficiency of the latter and by and protecting the environment. Major achievements toward the above goals include the deployment of data buoys and meteorological stations at representative areas and the operational implementation of high resolution wave and weather models capable of accurately filling observational gaps and providing accurate wind and wave and nearshore breaker height forecasts. A storm surge atlas is now in use by state and federal agencies. An assessment of the chronicity of sediment inputs to sensitive coral reefs, utilizing remote sensed ocean color data is available to resource managers. Below we discuss approaches and strategies followed implementing the system as well that to be followed for its further development.