A Super-Regional Testbed To Improve Models Of Environmental Processes On The U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Of Mexico Coasts

The goal of this activity is to create a multi-disciplinary, community-modeling testbed that will facilitate improved operational coastal ocean prediction. The testbed will allow scientists to share models, observations, and tools needed to elucidate, prioritize, and resolve issues associated with interoperable coupling of models. The goal includes improving and evaluating models already in operational use within the Atlantic and Gulf Coast super-region, assessing metrics for model skill and system performance, and facilitating the transition of models from research to operations. Pilot testbed projects will address three chronic issues of high relevance within the super region: (1) coastal inundation; (2) estuarine hypoxia; and (3) shelf hypoxia. An overarching theme will involve the design and implementation of cyberinfrastructure (CI) to support the three
issue-motivated science themes.

ITSC is participating within cyberinfrastructure group by providing a web collaborative environment for the various groups to communicate and create a testbed knowledgebase. Furthermore, ITSC is developing various model data management tools within the collaborative environment to assist modelers with cataloging and eventually searching and discovering their data.