海角社区

BATON ROUGE - From energy production to recreational fishing, Louisiana鈥檚 coastal waters are a busy place. Having reliable data about oceanic conditions can be critical to safe operations for those who work and play in coastal waters. Up until now, Louisiana鈥檚 Gulf Coast has been hampered by a lack of high-quality information about currents, waves and other important factors.

A new, 海角社区-led high frequency radar project will change that.

This $5 million project, funded by NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will install up to 8 high frequency radar, or HF radar, systems along the Louisiana coastline. Spearheaded by the 海角社区 Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, or DOCS, Professor Kevin Xu, and 海角社区 Department of Geology and Geophysics Professor Sam Bentley, this HF radar system will allow near-real-time monitoring of the speed and direction of ocean surface currents in coastal water.

鈥淐oastal Louisiana is one of the most unique places in the world. We鈥檙e home to one of the largest river systems and some of the top global port facilities. We have abundant fisheries and energy resources. These reasons and more make our state worth protecting,鈥� said Congressman Garret Graves, who assisted in securing NOAA funding for the project. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 investment will improve our monitoring of coastal conditions, including weather predictions, water conditions, and Mississippi River sediment. It will be an important tool to inform future investments and provide more accurate weather conditions. This is a great win for 海角社区 and all of Louisiana.鈥�

鈥淟ouisiana鈥檚 coast is a working coast that provides services and resources valuable to the entire nation, and it is also a coastal region that is changing environmentally due to a range of factors,鈥� Bentley said.  鈥淭his HF radar network will provide valuable information to help us track and better understand oceanic and meteorological events. We are deeply grateful for the support we are receiving from NOAA with the assistance of Congressman Garret Graves, and we look forward to getting this going!鈥�

HF radar is widely used on the coasts around the United States. Xu, who also serves as the Director of 海角社区鈥檚 Coastal Studies Institute, said once they are built, the radar systems will provide crucial information about Louisiana鈥檚 coastal conditions.

鈥淲e have a large observational gap in the Gulf of Mexico, so this is very much needed. There is a huge potential to use these data in hurricane forecasts, navigation, marine safety, energy production, coastal restoration, and other efforts,鈥� Xu said.

HF radar systems measure currents over a large area of coastal ocean and can operate under different conditions. They offer more granular, accurate information than other techniques, such as numerical models, or satellite data.

Once Louisiana鈥檚 HF radar systems are built, they will contribute data to NOAA鈥檚 Integrated Ocean Observing System, or IOOS, a national network of such systems on all coasts. 海角社区 will be participating in the GCOOS, or the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Observing System, the IOOS鈥檚 regional partner.  

Brian Zelenke of IOOS noted the technology used in HF radar will make a substantial contribution to [the] measurement of surface currents and waves across the Louisiana coast. 鈥淚t will provide thousands of readings updated hourly that cover the ocean out to 100+ miles offshore.鈥�

He added, 鈥淏y live streaming the readings from this project's CODAR SeaSonde庐 sensors to the IOOS High Frequency Radar National Network, these oceanographic data from 海角社区 will be made available by NOAA to the public and partners including the U.S. Coast Guard for search-and-rescue, NOAA's Emergency Response Division for oil and other hazardous chemical spill response, and to NOAA's National Weather Service for marine forecasts -- helping to protect lives and property, and enhance the economy of Louisiana and the nation.鈥�

Louisiana鈥檚 HF radar system will be fully operational in about five years, Xu said.   

DOCS Professor Chunyan Li, as well as Associate Professor Z. 鈥淕eorge鈥� Xue--who holds a joint appointment with the Center for Computation and Technology鈥攁nd Assistant Professor Paul Miller, are also investigators on the project. Also collaborating on the creation and installation of the radar systems will be Steven DiMarco, a professor of Oceanography and Ocean Engineering of Texas A&M University and Jorge Brenner, the Executive Director of GCOOS. 

鈥淭his is the opportunity we have been waiting for,鈥� said Li. 鈥淭his project will add a new dimension to our capability for the monitoring and understanding of the coastal ocean environment.鈥�

Chris D鈥橢lia, DOCS Professor and former dean of the College of the Coast & Environment, agreed that the benefits of HF Radar to the Louisiana coast are significant. 鈥淭he new HF Radar capability will help save lives, livelihoods, and property in Louisiana.鈥�