The National Weather Service (NWS) United States Integrated sustained Ocean Observing System and the federal backbone - the next steps, what can the federal backbone do for you?

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The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy will make its recommendations during the summer of 2003. These recommendations are expected to fully endorse the development of a U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). The form of the U.S. IOOS is emerging. Requirements have been identified, and a blueprint for the U.S. IOOS has been developed. The system would address national coastal issues as well as make a significant contribution to the larger Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The federal backbone components are central to the IOOS blueprint. The observing system foundation formed by the federal backbone and the services the backbone provides are critical to developing and sustaining the IOOS. The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS), manages the Marine Observation Program (MOP) and operates the NWS Marine Observation Network (MON). The MON is a core element of the U.S. IOOS federal backbone. The NWS MON is an integrated, sustained ocean observation, information and product delivery system that operates in all U.S. coastal waters, as well as the offshore waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. The system consists of headland and moored buoy data acquisition platforms and real-time processing and information delivery systems, as well as drifters, floats, and voluntary observing ships. The MON produces quality controlled real-time data and products that serve the NOAA storm warning and forecast mission and support research and operational requirements of other federal, state, regional, local, academic and private sponsors. Within the context of the IOOS blueprint, NOAA's NDBC has established strategic alliances with several Regional Observation Networks. This paper presents an overview of these alliances and discusses how they are evolving into full-fledged partnerships. Partnerships that will realize the goals of the U.S. IOOS.