The Gulf Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) is gearing up to submit to NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) its following five-year proposal.
To shape and engage the community in its application, GCOOS is reaching out to members and stakeholders across the Gulf region. The system is inviting ideas that span public agencies, private firms, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations. The next five-year period should span from July 2026 through June 2031.
GCOOS is based at the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University. The organization serves as one of IOOS’s eleven regional observing networks in the United States. GCOOS creates partnerships with business leaders, marine scientists, resource managers, governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations. It can then pool data from these diverse groups and deliver timely, reliable ocean information.
For two decades, GCOOS has maintained an on-demand system that supports decision makers, protects ecosystems, and fuels economic activity throughout the Gulf region. The organization aims to continually explore new methods and techniques to ensure that reliable, accurate observations reach end users. GCOOS aims to deliver the information to various stakeholders, including emergency responders, commercial operators or conservation planners, exactly when they need it.
Although NOAA has not yet released the formal funding announcement, GCOOS is already soliciting project concepts for inclusion in a single, coordinated proposal. Each Letter of Intent (LOI) will undergo a rigorous evaluation process to determine its fit within the overarching GCOOS proposal. Teams whose concepts are selected will receive notification well before NOAA’s official request for applications.
You can find out more information about GCOOS projects here.
