Governance and Management

IOOS Statutory Authority

On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (ICOOS Act) into law.  This statute  authorizes the establishment of a National Integrated Ocean Observing System (System) and codifies a governance structure within which the System will operate.

The Act explicitly vests authority in NOAA as the lead federal agency for implementation and administration of the System and charges NOAA to establish a U.S. IOOS Program Office. In addition, NOAA is required to carry out its responsibilities in consultation with federal agency and regional partners.

The ICOOS Act includes specific tasks and requirements to be executed. Among the long list of activities are the preparation of System plans and budgets, the development of certification standards for non-federal assets, identification of gaps in observing coverage or needs for capital improvements, creating a merit-based competitive funding process, developing a national data management and communications system, establishing a System Advisory Committee, drafting a public-private use policy process, completing an independent cost estimate, writing a biennial congressional report and many others.

Along with NOAA, the ICOOS Act identifies two interagency bodies to carry out these tasks and requirements. The two entities below are given the responsibility to oversee the coordination and administration of the System:

• The National Ocean Research Leadership Council (NORLC) - The NORLC was created by Congress as a part of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) in Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85). The National Ocean Council Deputy-level Committee has assumed the duties of the statutorily mandated NORLC.
  
  

• The Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) - Led by three federal Co-Chairs and supported by agency representatives and support staff, the IOOC is responsible for implementing procedural, technical, and scientific requirements to ensure full execution of the System. Interagency collaboration is essential to achieve ocean science and technology priorities and, in particular, for planning and coordination of the System, http://www.iooc.us/.

Download ICOOS Act PDF:

Integrated Coastal Ocean Observation System (ICOOS) Act (pdf, 96Kb)

Track Progress of the ICOOS Act

Details on tasks and requirements included in the ICOOS Act and the progress the IOOS community is making toward accomplishing these tasks Go to the "Implementation" Tab or ICOOS Act Tasks and Progress Report

 

National Ocean Council (NOC) and The National Ocean Research Leadership Council (NORLC)

While the ICOOS Act officially names the NORLC as the primary body responsible for IOOS policy coordination and oversight, that National Ocean Council is currently carrying out this role through the Deputy-level Committee. The NORLC, or the NOC in this case, is charged with approving and adopting comprehensive IOOS budgets, and ensuring IOOS is well coordinated with other domestic and international earth observing activities like GOOS, the Global Ocean Observing System (http://www.ioc-goos.org/ )and GEOSS, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) (http://www.earthobservations.org/geoss.shtml). In addition, this body is required to promote intramural and extramural research and development, as well as a process to transition developing technology methods into IOOS System operations.

Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC)

The Interagency Ocean Observing Committee (IOOC) is currently managed by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. More information about the IOOC can be located at http://www.iooc.us/"

IOOC Report

The ICOOS Act [ADD LINK] requires NOAA, as the lead Federal agency for implementing IOOS, to report annually to the Interagency Ocean Observing Committee. The report highlights accomplishments from the past year, and touches on goals for the upcoming year.

 

National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) and the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Partnerships (IWG-OP)

The NOPP is a collaboration of federal agencies working to provide leadership and coordination of national oceanographic research and education initiatives.  The IWG-OP provides direction to the NOPP office, and advises and assists the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) on matters related to ocean partnership programs, including continuation and expansion of partnership efforts established through the NOPP. 

IOOS has consulted regularly with the IWG-OP since 2009 to coordinate planning and interagency contributions to its funding announcements, to advise and co-sponsor community-wide discussions on development of a Marine Biodiversity Observing Network, and to gather input on directions for marine sensor technology developments.  In July 2010, NOAA published the first NOPP-IOOS funding announcement, which was viewed by partner agencies as an opportunity to enhance the regional coastal and ocean component of IOOS and to address areas of mutual interest, including evaluation of sensors for monitoring coastal and ocean environments; study of marine animal interactions with offshore renewable energy devices; and improved production, stewardship, and coastal application of sea surface temperature data.   (http://www.nopp.org/ and http://www.nopp.org/committees/iwg-op/ )

 

IOOS System Advisory Committee

The ICOOS Act also requires the NOAA Administrator to establish a System advisory committee to provide advice to the Administrator and to the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, which is responsible for planning for the integrated design, operation, maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of the System. This Advisory Committee is currently in process is being established, with an estimated first meeting held in Spring 2012.

Implementing IOOS

Implementation of the U.S. IOOS is a coordinated effort between federal and non-federal entities. All the federal agencies that contribute resources to the collection and distribution of observing data, and develop products to meet the nation’s needs are involved in making U.S. IOOS successful. Likewise, the non-federal partners, such as the Regional Associations, play an important role in the planning and execution of U.S. IOOS.

Implementation of the ICOOS Act

The U.S. IOOS Program developed a web-based tool to provide a transparent mechanism for sharing information about how the community is implementing the ICOOS Act of 2009.  This online progress report is available to the public on the U.S. IOOS website (www.ioos.gov) and includes a color-coded rating system characterizing the status of the required tasks included in the ICOOS Act.  The ICOOS Act assigns these tasks to different entities, including the interagency-led IOOC, NOAA as the lead federal agency, and external partners, including the RAs, identified as RICEs. These groups are identified in the progress report and the tasks that are assigned to them in the ICOOS Act are defined in more detail through indicated web links. The progress report will be updated periodically to ensure the information presented is up to date and a current reflection of efforts made to build a sustainable, robust U.S. IOOS.

Details on tasks and requirements included in the ICOOS Act and the progress the IOOS community is making toward accomplishing these tasks are available through at: ICOOS Act Tasks and Progress Report

As required by the ICOOS Act, NOAA as the Lead Federal Agency for U.S. IOOS provided the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee, IOOC with a "State of U.S. IOOS":

State of U.S. IOOS Briefing (pptx)

IOOC Development of Certification Standards for Non-Federal Assets

In accordance with the ICOOS Act, the IOOC has developed a draft set of certification criteria to be used to certify Regional Information Coordination Entities (RICEs), which includes IOOS Regional Associations (RAs) by definition. Certified RICEs who meet both governance and management criteria and data partner criteria will received civil liability protection for incidents or accidents arising from the use or dissemination of regional IOOS data.

The IOOC is seeking public comments on the draft certification criteria through January 6, 2012. A copy of the Federal Register Notice requesting input can be found here (pdf). For more information on how to submit comments please visit the IOOC website at http://www.iooc.us/committee-news/certification-standards/

Program Updates

An open and continuous exchange of information among the various IOOS partners and user groups is critical to ensure successful implementation of U.S. IOOS contributions. 

 Zdenka Willis, Director of the NOAA IOOS Program, circulates informal "Z-Grams" to update partners on the semi-monthly progress of a variety of Program activities. Read Updates