Integrated Coral Observing Network (ICON) - Little Cayman (Cayman Islands) 2013 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations from 2013-10-23 to 2013-12-31 (NODC Accession 0123997)

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) of OAR is conducting research on the influence of meteorological and oceanographic factors upon coral bleaching, and other biogeochemical processes occurring on coral reefs. Instrument arrays to measure the various environmental influences are being deployed at key coral reef areas to gain long-term temporally intensive data coverage, to provide near real-time information products, and to surface-truth NOAA satellite sea surface temperature (SST) products used for coral bleaching predictions ("HotSpot" products). OAR has developed expert system software plus the instrument array (together called a Coral Reef Early Warning System, or ICON, station) to screen data in near real-time to test for appropriate data ranges for each of the instruments, and to issue "alerts" as to conditions thought to be conducive to coral bleaching, and other modeled events. At each ICON station, local collaborators also provide feedback on the presence and progress of coral bleaching and thus validate coral bleaching predictions made by satellite HotSpots and ICON information products.

海洋与大气研究办公室（Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, OAR）旗下的大西洋海洋与气象实验室（Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, AOML）正开展相关研究，聚焦气象与海洋学因子对珊瑚礁白化的影响，以及珊瑚礁上发生的其他生物地球化学过程。研究团队正在关键珊瑚礁区域部署用于监测各类环境影响因子的仪器阵列，以期获取长时序、高时间分辨率的观测数据集，提供近实时信息产品，并对用于珊瑚礁白化预测的美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）卫星海表温度（Sea Surface Temperature, SST）产品（即“热点（HotSpot）”产品）开展地面验证。OAR开发了专家系统软件与配套仪器阵列，二者合称为珊瑚礁早期预警系统（Coral Reef Early Warning System, ICON）站点，用于对观测数据进行近实时筛选，检验各仪器的有效数据范围，并针对被认为利于珊瑚礁白化的环境条件及其他模拟事件发布“预警”。在每个ICON站点，本地合作方还会反馈珊瑚礁白化的发生情况与进展，从而对卫星热点产品及ICON信息产品生成的珊瑚礁白化预测结果进行验证。