This project integrates seven tasks that leverage existing capacity to address aging infrastructure and protect valuable resources

The University of Delaware received a $2.7 million cooperative agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) program (CFDA 11.012) for the period June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2028. The award supports seven integrated tasks designed to modernize aging coastal observation infrastructure and enhance marine data collection capabilities in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Observing System (MARACOOS) region. Task 1 involves replacing deteriorated components of the high-frequency radar (HFR) observing system to improve surface current measurement coverage and data quality, directly supporting U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operations and NOAA's oil spill response capabilities. Task 2 establishes a multi-sensor street-level coastal flood observation testbed in the New York City metropolitan area to develop innovative on-street flooding measurements and predictive models that serve underserved and underrepresented communities.

Tasks 3 and 4 focus on data management and product delivery capabilities. Task 3 develops user-driven data products tailored to regional stakeholders by synthesizing HFR data, water level observations, flood models, and other critical datasets collected through MARACOOS infrastructure to provide decision-support tools for communities. Task 4 delivers critical improvements to the Glider Data Assembly Center (DAC), including enhanced system stability, security updates, performance monitoring, and improved user community notifications regarding infrastructure availability. Collectively, these efforts address aging infrastructure challenges while advancing the operational transition of ocean observing technologies to support coastal resilience and safety throughout the MARACOOS region.

Task 1 will replace aging components of the high frequency radar observing system. The benefits of this work will increase the coverage and data quality of the surface current measurements in the region. The US coast guard uses the surface currents operationally for search and rescue and NOAA office of response and restoration for oil spill response and this will enhance their capabilities. Task 2 will address creating a multi-sensor street coastal flood observation testbed to focus on the most highly populated part of the maracoos region, the new york city metropolitan area that is affected more frequently by flooding. This project will help innovate on-street measurements of flooding and the development of models that can help predict neighborhood flooding along our coasts, including in underserved and underrepresented communities. Task 3 will address developing user driven products that will provide several unique data products made specifically for our regional stakeholders from HFR data and water level / flood observation data/models collected and developed through the above-referenced infrastructure, as well as other critical data sets collected or leveraged by maracoos and its partners. We will advance and refine the tools to improve understanding and user operations so that we can provide critical tools needed for communities to understand what is happening and how to address concerns. Task 4 will provide much needed improvements to the glider DAC including stability, security updates, performance monitoring and reporting enhancements and user community notification improvements on infrastructure and systems availability.