Proposal submitted to the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOSⓇ) Program, National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce Pursuant to FY 2021 Implementation of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Topic Area 1: Implementation and Development of Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (RCOOS) Empowering Ocean Stakeholders: Advancing the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) Principal Investigator: Melissa M. Iwamoto Director, Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) 1680 East-West Road, POST 815 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96822 [email protected] Phone: 808-956-6556 Fax: 808-956-9152 Financial Representative: Dr. Vassilis L. Syrmos Interim Director, Office of Research Services University of Hawaiʻi (UH) 2440 Campus Road, Box 368 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96822 Phone: 808-956-7800 Fax: 808-956-9081 Project Duration: June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2026 Funding Request: $30,000,000 This project complies with the IOOS Programmatic Environmental Assessment (specifically, sections 3.1.3 pp. 6-9; 3.2.3 pp. 30-32; 3.3.3 p. 64; Appendix B; and Appendix G—Project Design Criteria) Project Summary Project Name/Title: Empowering Ocean Stakeholders: Advancing the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) Primary Contact and Principal Investigator: Melissa M. Iwamoto, PacIOOS, SOEST, UH Mānoa, 1680 East-West Road, POST 815, Honolulu, HI, 96822; Tel: 808-956-6556; Fax: 956- 9152; email: [email protected] Recipient Institution: University of Hawaiʻi Other Investigators: Key Persons: Ms. Fiona Langenberger, PacIOOS University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM): Dr. Eileen Nalley, HIMB Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences Dr. Molly Scott, JIMAR Dr. Yi-Leng Chen Mr. Charles Young, PacIOOS Dept. of Ocean and Resources Engineering Governing Council (* indicates member of Dr. Ellen Briggs, Dr. Kwok Fai Cheung, Executive Committee): Dr. Justin Stopa Dr. Brian Taylor (Chair)*, SOEST, UHM Dr. Jason Biggs, University of Guam Dept. of Oceanography Mr. Scott Burch*, National Park of American Dr. Pierre Flament, Dr. Doug Luther, Samoa Dr. Margaret Anne McManus, Mr. Eli Cabrera, CNMI Bureau of Dr. Brian Powell Environmental and Coastal Quality CAPT Jen Conklin, U.S. Coast Guard, D14 Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Captain Ed Enos, Hawaiʻi Pilots Association Planetology Mr. Mathew Goldsborough, Forever Oceans Dr. James Potemra Mr. Doug Harper, Mālama Maunalua Mr. Willy Kostka, Micronesia Conservation Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology Trust Dr. Kim Holland, Dr. Carl Meyer Mr. Xavier Matsutaro*, Office of Climate Change, Palau Government Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Mr. Billy Middleton*, Liquid Robotics, Inc. Research (JIMAR) Ms. Justine Nihipali, State of Hawaiʻi, Office Dr. Melanie Hutchinson of Planning Coastal Zone Management Program University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo: Ms. Moriana Phillip*, Marshall Islands Department of Marine Sciences Environmental Protection Authority Dr. Steven Colbert Ms. Jessica Podoski*, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District Marine and Environmental Research CAPT Mike Roth, U.S. Navy, Pacific Fleet Institute of Pohnpei (MERIP): Mr. Ray Tanabe, NOAA National Weather Mr. Simon Ellis Service Pacific Region Headquarters Mr. Edwin Watamura, W. Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Mr. Walden Weilbacher, Association of Pacific Island Legislatures ii Brief Project Summary including objectives and intended benefits: The Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) empowers ocean users and stakeholders by providing accurate and reliable coastal and ocean information, tools, and services that are easy to access and use. PacIOOS is a partnership of knowledge providers and users working together to enhance ocean observations and to develop, disseminate, evaluate, and apply ocean data and information products to address the environmental, economic, and public safety needs of stakeholders who call the U.S. Pacific Islands home (Appendix A, Figure 1). Thirteen years after its inception, PacIOOS is a trusted enterprise directly serving 460,000+ unique visitors per year1. PacIOOS owns and operates data and observing infrastructure throughout the U.S. Pacific Islands as one of the eleven regional observing programs that support the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). On October 23, 2020, PacIOOS was the first regional association to be recertified as fully integrated into IOOS as a federally- recognized, trusted data and information source for another five years. Over the next five years, PacIOOS proposes to continue providing ocean data and information to support science-based decision-making to ensure a safe, clean, and productive ocean and resilient coastal zone for the U.S. Pacific Islands. We will continue to benefit users by advancing a mature, cost-effective, and stakeholder-driven coastal ocean observing system that: 1) sustains and improves the existing observing and modeling capacity in Hawaiʻi and the wider U.S. Insular Pacific; 2) expands and enhances observing and modeling capacity to address remaining gaps; 3) enhances data management and engagement subsystems to continue the provision of integrated, customized, and timely ocean information, data products, and tools; and 4) engages and collaborates with partners and stakeholders to respond to priorities in non- governmental organizations (NGOs), local, state, territorial and federal agencies, academia, commercial entities, industry, Indigenous communities, ocean users, and the general public. We aim to continue efforts that inform policy, conservation, operational, commercial, and recreational decision-making related to our thematic areas: marine operations; coastal hazards; water quality; and ecosystems and living marine resources. In addition, we will continue to engage users, stakeholders, and system partners in the use, education, and outreach of technical capacity, data visualization, and ocean information. Partners: PacIOOS programs are driven by the needs of its partners, who are essential to the vision, prioritization, development, implementation and maintenance of the program. Many agencies and organizations have been instrumental to ocean observing in the Pacific Islands and have provided and/or continue to provide resources for component systems, contributions to data and products, maintenance and management of observing instrumentation, participation in strategic planning, and/or service on the PacIOOS Governing Council. PacIOOS is privileged to partner with 150+ federal, state, territorial, international, and local agencies, academic institutes, NGOs, and companies, 63 of which are signatory partners to the organizational Memorandum of Agreement that establishes the oversight and stakeholder management of PacIOOS. Complementary funding from partners has helped build and sustain the system. Appendix B provides a more detailed list of PacIOOS partners; Appendix C is a compilation of letters of support from a diverse subset of these partners and stakeholders, chosen to illustrate the breadth, but not the depth, of the impact and value of our efforts. 1 Determined from unique visitor counts to PacIOOS web-based services as recorded by Google Analytics and AWStats services embedded in PacIOOS products, and not inclusive of partner sites that also serve PacIOOS data. iii Table of Contents Project Summary ii I. Introduction/Background 1 II. Project Goals and Objectives 2 III. Connection to Users/Stakeholders and Benefits 2 IV. Work Plan 4 A. Governance and Management Subsystem 5 B. Observing Subsystem 6 1. Marine Operations 6 2. Coastal Hazards 8 3. Water Quality 9 4. Ecosystems and Living Marine Resources 11 C. Modeling and Analysis Subsystem 12 1. Marine Operations 13 2. Coastal Hazards 15 3. Water Quality and Ecosystems and Living Marine Resources 16 D. Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) Subsystem 17 E. Engagement Subsystem 19 V. Milestone Schedule (Summary) 20 VI. Project Budget (Summary) 20 VII. References and Abbreviations 20 Appendices Appendix A: Maps and Figures Appendix B: PacIOOS Partners Appendix C: Letters of Support Appendix D: Detailed Milestone Schedule Appendix E: Detailed Project Budget Tables Appendix F: Detailed Budget Narrative Appendix G: SF-424A for Each Year of Proposal (UH) Appendix H: Subaward Details, including SF-424A Appendix I: Resumes Appendix J: Data Management/Sharing Plan Appendix K: References Appendix L: Abbreviations Appendix M: Federally-Approved Rate Agreement Appendix N: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) iv I. Introduction/Background Ocean data and information help save lives and protect livelihoods and resources—capital, environmental, and cultural. This is the premise of PacIOOS. As one of 11 Regional Associations (RAs) comprising the coastal component of IOOS, PacIOOS contributes to the national effort to have “eyes on the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.” We sustain ocean observing in the State of Hawai‘i, territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and U.S. Minor Outlying Islands of Howland, Baker, Johnson, Jarvis, Kingman, Midway, Palmyra, and Wake (Appendix A, Figure 1). Spanning six time zones across the Pacific Ocean, the PacIOOS region is the largest within IOOS. The region is bisected by the International Date Line, straddles