There is currently a critical need for a centralized repository of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) data and synthesis products, including status and trends information. This project will build a California OAH Portal (Portal) that will serve as a simple, user-friendly interface for the scientific and management communities. The Portal will integrate standardized, quality-controlled data from diverse sources and platforms, incorporate existing data layers from models and satellites, and support state and West Coast regional efforts to serve additional data streams and curated synthesis products. Data and products will be downloadable and shareable for a variety of uses, including for the Ocean Protection Council Ocean and Coast Report Card as well as other state and federal partner efforts.
This new hub for California OAH information will sit within the California Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (CalOOS) Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) system, putting it alongside an extensive catalog of oceanographic, estuarine and atmospheric data. This project will develop and implement mechanisms to ensure effective end-user access to OAH datasets across monitoring programs,ensure observations and measurements are reported regularly to national data archives, and data are cataloged and made readily available to simplify access by the scientific and resource management communities and the public. The open access Portal will allow users to explore current and projected future OAH trends, forecasts and scenarios, highlight areas historically subject to high pH variation, and identify hotspots where future OAH changes will likely be faster and more intense.This effort expands on the CeNCOOS-led project previously approved at the June 15, 2021 OPC meeting that is working to enhance data management and collection among ongoing monitoring OAH programs by providing access to quality-controlled chemical and biological data in a standardized format.