Glossary

Cooperative State Education, Research and Extension Service -  a Federal partner of the Cooperative Extensive System, which unites the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s research, higher education, and extension education and outreach resources (source http://www.csrees.usda.gov/)

coral reef – a general term used to describe a group of cnidarians; indicates the presence of skeletal material that is embedded in the living tissue or encloses the animal altogether (Source:  NOAA)

data integration- the process of combining data residing at different sources and providing the user with a unified access to these data.  It involves the extraction, consolidation, and management of data from disparate systems to achieve broader capability by (functionally or technically) relating two or more data streams for the purposes of manipulation, analysis, and distribution. (Source:  NOAA IOOS Draft Strategic Plan)

Data Management and Communications (DMAC) – One of three IOOS sub-systems, as defined in the First U.S. IOOS Development Plan, which provides the means to integrate diverse data from many different sources (i.e., across agencies and organizations, from remote and in situ sources, etc.) for applied purposes

dead zones- an area of water where the oxygen concentration is so low that little to no marine life can survive

ecosystem- a geographically specified system of organisms (including humans), and the environment and processes that control its dynamics (Source: NOAA)

Environmental Protection Agency – the Federal agency responsible preserving air, water, and land, especially as it pertains to the health of humans.

IOOS "core variables" – the First U.S. IOOS development plan identified an initial set of 20 oceanographic variables required on a national scale to address a series of seven societal goals.

harmful algal bloom (bloom) - Harmful algal blooms occur when algae, simple plants that live in the sea and form the base of the food web, produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds.

high frequency radar (HF radar)- a system used to measure the velocity field of surface currents

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) – a coordinated network of people and technology that work together to generate and disseminate continuous data on our coastal waters, Great Lakes, and oceans

Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observations (IWGOO) - One of five Interagency Working Groups (IWG) established by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) with the purpose to advise and assist the JSOST on matters related to the end-to-end concept of ocean observations.  

Interoperable-The ability of two or more systems to exchange and mutually use data, metadata, information or system parameters using established protocols or standards (Source:  NOAA Observing Systems Council, Feb. 2005 meeting).

Marine Mammal Commission - Created under Title II of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the commission’s focus and duties are the protection and conservation of marine mammals (source: mmc.gov).

Minerals Management Service- the Federal agency that manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf (OCS), under the U.S. Department of the Interior (source mms.gov).

National Federation of Regional Associations (NFRA) - A nationally coordinated union of Regional Associations (RAs) formed to promote Federal support for Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (RCOOSs) in U.S. coastal waters, to establish geographic boundaries as needed, to promote collaboration among regions (where boundaries overlap, to enable effective transfer of technologies and knowledge), to influence the development of the national backbone and global component of the IOOS, and to adopt and implement national standards and protocols for measurements and the transmission and management of data. (Source: First IOOS Development Plan)

National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP) - Established in 1999, the program provides a full range of the most current economic and socio-economic information available on changes and trends along the U.S. coast and in coastal waters (noep.mbari.org)

National Science Foundation – an independent, U.S. government agency responsible for promoting science and engineering through research programs and education projects.

phytoplankton - the collection of plants and/or plantlike organisms in plankton

Regional Association (RA) - A partnership or consortium responsible for the establishing, operating, and improving RCOOSs. RAs consists of representatives of stakeholder groups that (a) use, depend on, manage, or study oceans and coasts (including state and Federal agencies, industries, NGOs, tribes and academia) and (b) specify data requirements and products. (Source:  IOOS Development Plan)

Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (RCOOS) – a network of observations, DMAC, and data analysis and modeling that links the needs of users to observations of coastal marine and estuarine environments and the Great Lakes on regional scales.  RCOOSs are administered and managed by RAs. (Source:  IOOS Development Plan)

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) -In the context of IOOS, SOA is an approach to organizing and utilizing distributed data resources operated by independent organizations.  The SOA establishes standardized procedures for interactions (services) between these resources.  Resources offer services that wait in a state of readiness.  Other resources may invoke those services by a request made in compliance with the agreed IOOS procedure.  (Sources:  Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards and Adobe Whitepaper on Service Oriented Architecture)

Standard - A document approved by a recognized body that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for products, processes, or services (Source:  International Organization for Standardization)

U.S. Arctic Research Commission – established in 1984 by the Arctic Research and Policy Act, the commission’s responsibilities include establishing the national policy, priorities, and goals necessary to construct a Federal program plan for basic and applied scientific research; promoting Arctic research, to recommend Arctic research policy, and to communicate our research and policy recommendations to the President and the Congress; working with the National Science Foundation as the lead agency responsible for implementing the Arctic research policy and to support cooperation and collaboration throughout the Federal Government; giving guidance to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) to develop national Arctic research projects and a five-year plan to implement those projects; and interacting with Arctic residents, international Arctic research programs and organizations and local institutions including regional governments in order to obtain the broadest possible view of Arctic research needs (source www.arctic.gov).

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – a Federal agency responsible for the planning, designing, building, and operating of water resources and other civil works projects; designing and managing the construction of military facilities for the Army and Air Force; and providing design and construction management support for the other Defense and Federal agencies (source www.usace.army.mil)

U.S. Geological Survey – a Federal agency within the Department of Interior, which provides reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life (source www.usgs.gov)

 

 

 

Acronyms

Acronym	Title
AOOS	Alaska Ocean Observing System
CaRA	Caribbean Regional Association
CeNCOOS	Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System
DIF	Data Integration Framework
DMAC	Data Management and Communications
EPA	Environmental Protection Agency
GCOOS	Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System
GEO	Group on Earth Observations
GEOSS	Global Earth Observation System of Systems
GOOS	Global Ocean Observing System
IEOS	Integrated Earth Observing System
IOOS	Integrated Ocean Observing System
IWGOO	Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observations
MACOORA	Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
NANOOS	Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NERACOOS	Northeast Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing System
NFRA	National Federation of Regional Associations
NOAA	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOEP	National Ocean Economics Program
Ocean.US	National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations
ONR	Office of Naval Research
PacIOOS	Pacific Islands Integrated Ocean Observing System
POSIDIN	Portal for Oceanographic Services for IOOS Data and Information
RAs	Regional Associations
RCOOSs	Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems
SCCOOS	Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System
SECOORA	Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
USGEO	U.S. Group on Earth Observations

 

 

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