The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) is the Regional Association of the national Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) in the Pacific Northwest, primarily Washington and Oregon. NANOOS has strong ties with the observing programs in Alaska and British Columbia through our common purpose and the occasional overlap of data and products.

With today's rising sea levels, coastal flooding, harmful algal blooms, decreased oxygen levels - to name just a few threats - we need to understand why these changes are happening. Their impact on society spans weather, climate, ecosystems, transportation, and commerce.

Some observing systems already exist like ocean buoys, satellites, and tide gauges that collect data to monitor such changes. But how can these systems and data talk to each other? And, can they effectively measure all we need to know? The Pacific Northwest needs an observing system that will give us an integrated picture of what's going on in our oceans and estuaries.

NANOOS is a partnership of over 30 entities, including industry, state agencies, local governments, tribes, non government organizations, and educational institutions. NANOOS users of data and products who need to make a wide range of decisions about our oceans and estuaries include:

• Mariners
• Fishers
• Search and rescue personnel
• Oil spill responders
• Port authorities
• State resource managers
• Tribal authorities
• Fish and wildlife resource managers
• Coastal managers
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Local government planners
• Researchers
• Teachers
• Students
• General public

To serve this varied roster of users NANOOS has prioritized several areas of emphasis for stakeholders:

• Maritime Operations
• Ecosystem Impacts
• Regional Fisheries
• Coastal Hazards (plus tsunamis)

Within these areas NANOOS provides observational and model data plus forecasts, decision-making tools, and new applications to make the business of managing our coastal oceans and estuaries easier than it has been in the past.

NANOOS is gearing up to serve your expanding needs. In the future as an external provider you'll be able to add new data that can be accessed and viewed using NANOOS tools. NANOOS plans to provide the following services:

1. Discovery Service for Data Service Registration and Lookup
2. Metadata Repository for Cataloging Data Types and Formats
3. Data Provider Services for sensor observation data or modeling data
4. Data Aggregator Services that integrate sensor observations or modeling data
5. Portal Data Application Services for viewing Data on graphs or maps
6. Portal User Application Services as Decision Support