FSU Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies COAPS

The Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) performs research in air-sea interaction, ocean and coupled air-sea modeling, climate prediction, statistical studies, and predictions of social/economic consequences due to ocean-atmospheric variations. Students in COAPS come from a wide variety of departments including meteorology, mathematics, computer science, and physical oceanography. COAPS is funded by several federal agencies, producing original published papers that advance our understanding of the ocean and the atmosphere.

In the News

NASA's QuikSCAT Ocean-Observing Satellite Mission Team Wins Prestigious William T. Pecora Award

November 2008: On Tuesday, November 18, NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior presented the William T. Pecora Award to NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) Mission Team. The William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions by individuals or groups toward understanding the Earth by means of remote sensing. QuikSCAT is an Earth-observing satellite that has provided early detection of ocean storms and advanced the scientific exploration of global ocean wind patterns.

COAPS has had a very long roll in scatterometry, dating back to the S³ report chaired by COAPS founder Jim O'Brien. Mark Bourassa, Associate Professor in Meteorology at COAPS, is currently Team Leader of NASA's Ocean Vector Wind Science Team, which is part of the QuikSCAT Mission Team.

NASA Press Release

About the William T. Pecora Award

3rd Oceanography Symposium

November 2008: The 3rd Oceanography Symposium was held on Thursday, November 13. This annual event is organized by the Thalassic Society and the Florida State University Department of Oceanography, and provides graduate students an opportunity to present their ongoing research in oceanography and related disciplines. COAPS PhD student and Thalassic Society officer Flavien Gouillon co-organized the Symposium, and several COAPS students gave presentations. For a complete list of presentation titles and abstracts, please visit the link below.

3rd Oceanography Symposium Webpage

Florida CoCoRaHS November Newsletter

November 2008: The latest issue of the Florida Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) newsletter is now available. This newsletter is created by Melissa Griffin, Assistant State Climatologist at COAPS. For more information about how you can help gather valuable precipitation data for CoCoRaHS, please visit http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=involved.

Download the November Florida CoCoRaHS Newsletter (PDF, 200 KB).

COAPS Hosts Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee Meeting

October 2008: COAPS, in partnership with the Department of Oceanography and the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory, hosted the annual Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC) meeting from October 28-30. RVTEC is part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), and promotes the scientific productivity of research programs that make use of research vessels and oceanographic facilities while fostering activities that enhance technical support for sea-going scientific programs. Shawn Smith, Research Associate at COAPS, co-organized the meeting, and gave a presentation on the Shipboard Automated Meteorological and Oceanographic System (SAMOS). Jeremy Rolph, Assistant in Research at COAPS, provided a show and tell on the SAMOS metadata interface. On Wednesday, 29 October, participants were treated to a tour of the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory prior to a workshop dinner at Angelo's.

Meeting Agenda, Participants, and Minutes

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