IOOS — Customer-focused activities

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) customer projects are designed to initiate, extend and adopt IOOS data management and communication, observing or modeling and analysis components to add value to customers and subsequently provide information about the value of an integrated ocean observing and modeling system that is coupled and managed as a system, rather than individual sources of data, models and information. The value and power of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS; http : //ioo s. no aa. go v/) is being realized in individual customer-focused projects such as one supporting NOAA´s National Weather Service (NWS) operational storm surge and inundation forecasting, as well as in regional scale efforts such as near shore water quality monitoring, search and rescue, asset placement decisions, and educational opportunities coordinated by IOOS Regional Associations. These projects utilize integrated data and information in standard formats from multiple sources, and leverage the expertise and collaboration of various public, private and academic partners that are involved in implementing IOOS. In this paper, several customer projects will be described as successful examples of IOOS projects that illustrate the value of IOOS.