Observatories at a Glance
What are ocean observatories?
Ocean observatories are platforms for studying the ocean and its
fundamental processes in real time, while returning continuous streams of data and imagery back to
shore-based researchers. They include suites of instruments and sensors, power
supplies, computer command and storage capability, and Internet connections or other advanced communications systems.
Who builds and operates observatories?
A few ocean observatories and observing systems are already in operation or under
construction, while several larger ones are now being planned by
universities and research institutions in conjunction with
NSF's Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), the NOAA-led Integrated and
sustained Ocean
Observation System (IOOS), and other international programs.
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Why do we need ocean observatories and observing systems?
To truly comprehend the ocean’s dynamic behavior and to monitor
how it affects us back on shore, scientists must do more than
observe small regions for short periods. They need to establish a presence in
the ocean—platforms from which to view how the ocean and seafloor change
with seasons, years, and decades. They need outposts from which to spy the
first tremors of an earthquake, the first roll of a tsunami wave, the first
bloom of toxic algae.
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What kinds of observatories are being proposed and developed?
Ocean observatories generally fall into three categories:
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