Public Safety

Safe Use of our shores

Each year, 180 million Americans make 2 billion visits to beaches — more than twice as many as to all national and state parks combined. U.S. Coastal counties are home to almost 40 percent of the nation’s total population and support over 50 million jobs. In addition to supporting recreation, tourism, and the economy, these same coastal and Great Lakes regions provide critical habitat for thousands of plants and animal species, including commercially important fish, and provide drinking water and food for millions of Americans. Coastal habitats, such as wetlands, dunes, and mangroves, also serve as protective buffers against storms and erosion.

Ocean observing protects these resources and ensures the public — now, and for generations to come — can rely on them. If you live, work, or play in a U.S. coastal or Great Lakes region, you’ve been served by an IOOS Regional Association.

IOOS IN ACTION

IOOS Regional Associations keep the public aware of coastal dangers. They monitor everything from rip currents and heavy swells to water quality concerns that impact public health. Interactive, live-feed maps and other tools provide beachgoers with important closure information so they can safely plan activities. IOOS regional data also helps partner programs mitigate human-wildlife conflict by tracking sharks and other animals.

Our Partners in Action: IOOS Making a Difference

I am a professional surfer and I rely on IOOS (PacIOOS) data for day-to-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute fluctuations regarding local weather here in Hawaii. I teach surf lessons, so using this information in regard to taking out clients at appropriate times and locations is a must-have for the safety of both myself and clients. Whether it be tsunami warnings, weather events, predictable conditions, patterns, locations, or science, IOOS is one of the things I look forward to viewing every single day.

Eala Stewart, Surfer

SCCOOS supports real-time shark tracking buoys off Southern California as part of the California Shark Beach Safety Program. This allows us to incorporate our shark movement data along with environmental data directly to stakeholders and the general public. 

Christopher G. Lowe, California State University Long Beach

IOOS (GCOOS) data and services are vital to our vacation rental business. It not only keeps us apprised of the state of the aquatic environment surrounding our properties, but also provides red-flag warnings of environmental risk/damage that can have a catastrophic impact on our ability to rent out those properties. Beyond our individual use, these data and services protect the environmental health of the entire southwest Florida area and are critical to our collective future.

Susan J. Markowitz, Gulf Coast resident

I use the data from IOOS for many reasons. Number one is for the safety of boating on the great lakes. My other main use is for recreational activities such as surfing. The Great Lakes has a rapidly growing community of lake surfers that depends on the buoys for their activities as well as safety.

Michael Calabro, Great Lakes resident

I use wave buoys, wind and current models, and many other PacIOOS data products to assess ocean conditions and decide what beach to visit that is safe for my wife and children. PacIOOS provides a critically important service for the community, ocean safety (i.e., lifeguards and EMS), and many other end users.

Jamison Gove, Resident of Hawaiʻi