Ocean observing collaboration to improve hurricane forecasting and modeling in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Shell Exploration & Production Company is working with academic, non-profit, and federal stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico to develop and implement long term environmental monitoring programs. One such program uses autonomous underwater gliders to collect near real-time oceanographic data for enhancing the understanding of the offshore physical environment and to improve estimates of upper ocean heat content for enhanced hurricane prediction and forecast models. Through a Memorandum of Agreement in 2008 between Shell and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this partnership leverages the strengths of each collaborator to build a comprehensive and sustainable data collection program to better assess environmental conditions and assure the environmental sustainability of Shell's activities in the Gulf of Mexico. An important element of the collaboration includes sharing data and results with the broader Gulf of Mexico stakeholder community by working with regional partners such as the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System. In this paper, we focus on 2014 physical environment and glider results and public-private partnership model benefits to expanding regional ocean observing capacity in the Gulf of Mexico.