Grantee Research Project Results
Development of an Integrated End-To-End Marine Contaminant Management System
EPA Grant Number: R825197Title: Development of an Integrated End-To-End Marine Contaminant Management System
Investigators: Luther, Mark E. , Friel, Christopher A , Schmidt, Nancy J. , Van Vleet, Edward S. , Vincent, Mark S. , Galperin, Boris
Institution: University of South Florida , Florida Department of Environmental Protection
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: October 1, 1996 through September 30, 1999 (Extended to September 30, 2000)
Project Amount: $588,777
RFA: High Performance Computing (1996) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health , Aquatic Ecosystems , Environmental Statistics
Description:
The purpose of this project is to develop an integrated end-to-end marine contaminant management system by building the software interfaces to link existing components in Tampa Bay with those under development. This system will incorporate real-time data acquisition, hydrodynamic modeling, spill trajectory modeling, a geographical information system (GIS) resources-at-risk database, and data dissemination into a user-friendly problem solving environment designed to assist local, state, and federal decision makers to quickly respond to, manage, and remediate accidental releases of petroleum products into Tampa Bay. Although we will focus on oil spills in Tampa Bay for our testbed problem, the system we will develop is equally applicable to any contaminant in the marine environment and can be ported to other estuarine systems. The individual components of the system are themselves highly computationally intensive. Linking them together in an integrated end-to-end system constitutes a task in high performance computing.The Tampa Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) provides all the data necessary to provide boundary conditions and independent verification for a high resolution 3-D hydrodynamic circulation model of Tampa Bay. Output fields of current from the hydrodynamic model will drive a Lagrangian trajectory model to simulate the movement of contaminant plumes. The real-time observations, the output from the circulation model, and the plume trajectories will be incorporated as layers in a GIS that also includes layers of resources-at-risk in Tampa Bay. Maps produced from the GIS will be disseminated to resource managers in electronic form on notebook computers in an easily understood format. The circulation and trajectory models can be run in hindcast, nowcast, or forecast modes to provide guidance for contingency planning as well as for optimal utilization of resources in an actual spill.
This project is a partnership between the University of South Florida Department of Marine Science and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection/Florida Marine Research Institute and leverages the resources of the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program, the National Ocean Service, U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Weather Service.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 13 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
supercomuting, modeling, marine, management, interface, and GIS., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Hydrology, Remediation, chemical mixtures, computing technology, Hazardous Waste, Ecological Risk Assessment, Hazardous, data sharing, environmental decision making, HPCC, real time data acquisition, computer science, geographical information systems, hydrological transport model, remediation of accidental releases, oil spills, petroleum spill trajectory modeling, data analysis, GIS, information technology, contaminant management, hydrodynamics, marine contaminant management systemProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.