33 U.S.C. § 3603 Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observing System

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-30 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/21/2023)
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 33 U.S.C. § 3603

(a) Establishment

The President, acting through the Council, shall establish a National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System to fulfill the purposes set forth in section 3601 of this title and the System Plan and to fulfill the Nation's international obligations to contribute to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems and the Global Ocean Observing System.

(b) System elements

(1) In general

In order to fulfill the purposes of this chapter, the System shall be national in scope and consist of-

(A) Federal assets to fulfill national and international observation missions and priorities;

(B) non-Federal assets, including a network of regional coastal observing systems identified under subsection (c)(4), to fulfill regional and national observation missions and priorities;

(C) observing, modeling, data management, and communication systems for the timely integration and dissemination of data and information products from the System, including reviews of data collection procedures across regions and programs to make recommendations for data collection standards across the System to meet national ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observation, applied research, and weather forecasting needs;

(D) a product development system to transform observations into products in a format that may be readily used and understood; and

(E) a research and development program conducted under the guidance of the Council, consisting of-

(i) basic and applied research and technology development-

(I) to improve understanding of coastal and ocean systems and their relationships to human activities; and

(II) to ensure improvement of operational assets and products, including related infrastructure, observing technologies such as unmanned maritime systems, and information and data processing and management technologies;

(ii) an advanced observing technology development program to fill gaps in technology;

(iii) large scale computing resources and research to advance modeling of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes processes;

(iv) models to improve regional weather forecasting capabilities and regional weather forecasting products; and

(v) reviews of data collection procedures across regions and programs to make recommendations for data collection standards across the System to meet national ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observation, applied research, and weather forecasting needs.

(2) Enhancing administration and management

The head of each Federal agency that has administrative jurisdiction over a Federal asset shall support the purposes of this chapter and may take appropriate actions to enhance internal agency administration and management to better support, integrate, finance, and utilize observation data, products, and services developed under this section to further its own agency mission and responsibilities.

(3) Availability of data

The head of each Federal agency that has administrative jurisdiction over a Federal asset shall make available data that are produced by that asset and that are not otherwise restricted for integration, management, and dissemination by the System for research and for use in the development of products to address societal needs.

(4) Non-Federal assets

Non-Federal assets shall be coordinated, as appropriate, by the Interagency Ocean Observing Committee or by regional coastal observing systems.

(c) Policy oversight, administration, and regional coordination

(1) Council functions

The Council shall serve as the policy and coordination oversight body for all aspects of the System. In carrying out its responsibilities under this chapter, the Council shall-

(A) approve and adopt comprehensive System budgets developed and maintained by the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee to support System operations, including operations of both Federal and non-Federal assets;

(B) ensure coordination of the System with other domestic and international earth observing activities including the Global Ocean Observing System and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems, and provide, as appropriate, support for and representation on United States delegations to international meetings on coastal and ocean observing programs; and

(C) encourage coordinated intramural and extramural research and technology development, and a process to transition developing technology and methods into operations of the System.