Of over 150 high frequency radars (HFRS) currently installed along the coast of U.S., only about a dozen are in the northern gulf of mexico, and two temporarily covering louisiana coast, the coast…

The Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $5,000,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) to Louisiana State University (LSU). The 5-year project, starting September 1, 2023, aims to acquire, install, test, and operate a total of eight high frequency radar (HFR) systems along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. This system will provide real-time information on the surface current field within a critical transportation corridor, advancing navigation and management activities.

As part of the project, LSU is collaborating with Texas A&M University (TAMU) on two key tasks - HFR data product development through TAMU's Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS), and technical guidance on HFR placement, site selection, and system integration from TAMU's Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG). This partnership will help ensure the Louisiana HFR network data meets IOOS certification standards and is effectively integrated with existing HFR systems in the region.

Of over 150 high frequency radars (HFRS) currently installed along the coast of U.S., only about a dozen are in the northern gulf of mexico, and two temporarily covering louisiana coast, the coast dominated by two major river plumes in the united states-the mississippi river (MR) and atchafalaya river (AR) plumes. We propose to acquire, install, test, and put into continuous operation a total of eight HFRS in the next 5 years to obtain regional current maps to accelerate the monitoring of the behavior of the plume system as well as its interaction with the texas-louisiana-mississippi coastal currents under various atmospheric forcing conditions. This louisiana HFR system will provide, for the first time, nearly shelf-wide real-time information on the spatially and temporally variable surface current field within a critical transportation corridor of the northern gulf of mexico continental shelf. The proposed HFR system will advance navigation and management activities and provide a SHA