The Tampa Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS)

Mark Luther, Robert Weisberg, Cliff Merz, Steve Meyers, Ruoying He, Vembu Subramanian,

Sherryl Gilbert, Lauren Wetzel, Rick Cole, Jeff Donovan, and Jeff Scudder

University of South Florida College of Marine Science

Mark S. Vincent and David C. Burwell, NOAA/NOS

Tampa Bay PORTS

Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System

Operated in collaboration with NOAA/NOS/Center for Operational Ocean Products and Services (CO-OPS) and local maritime interests

www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/

or

ompl.marine.usf.edu/PORTS

Uses/UsersSafe and Efficient Navigation/Tampa Bay Pilots,

Tampa Port Authority, Shipping Agents, USCGHazardous Material Spill Response/FDEP,

NOAA-HAZMAT, USCGEnvironmental Protection&Management/FDEP,

FWC, EPCHC, Dept. of HealthStorm Surge Prediction&Mitigation/County

Emergency Managers, FDEMRed Tide Studies&Prediction/FWC, FDEPFisheries Management/FWC, NMFSSediment Transport Studies&Mitigation/USGS,

FDEP, USACOE

Pilot Carry-on Units Display Real-Time PORTS Data as part of an operational VTIS/AIS

Ship groundings have decreased by 60% since PORTS became operational

August 1993 Oil Spill

Goal of PORTS and VTIS is to prevent this

PORTS data and early version of model successfully used to predict spill trajectory

West Florida Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMPS)

A component of the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEA-COOS)

and the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS)

http://comps.marine.usf.edu

HillsboroughRiver

TBCPalm River

McKayBay

Big Bend

Forecast Animation September 12, 2002

http://ompl.marine.usf.edu/TBmodel

+ Piney Point Phosphate Plant

A NOAA funded partnership of research institutions, state and regional resource managers, and private sector companies interested in developing and applying sensor technologies for monitoring coastal environments.

ACT Partnership Includes

Coastal Services Center

Gulf of MaineOcean Observing System

Monterey Bay AquariumResearch Institute

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Cooperative Institute forLimnology & Ecosystems Research

www.actonline.ws