NANOOS-Pilot: A collection of ocean observing tools for improving ocean safety and coastal design

The NANOOS-Pilot project (Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems) is an ongoing effort to develop coastal ocean observing assets for the integrated observation of the estuaries and shorelines of the Pacific Northwest. The project is actively building nowcast and predictive capabilities for this environment, as well as interactive access to archival data, real-time data, and selected forecasts. In addition to the potential benefits accrued to the many sectors that depend upon the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, there are a number of education opportunities related to ocean observatories involving undergraduate and graduate institutions, K-12 schools and adult literacy programs. In this work, we describe some ocean technology applications of the NANOOS-Pilot and focus on the educational use of the system in a senior-level Civil Engineering course on Coastal Infrastructure.