ADMINISTRATION

PROGRAM INFORMATION & PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Each year the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research releases an Operating Plan that names specific objectives for the year. Attainment of these objectives is tracked by establishing 'performance measures' and periodically reporting 'milestones', which are status reports pertaining to aspects of each performance measure. ERL has program milestones across most elements of the NOAA Strategic Plan. AOML is responsible for reporting on several milestones in FY96.

Each of AOML's performance measures and the associated milestones are organized below under their Strategic Plan Element and by the quarter in which a status report is due. At the end of each quarter, completed progress reports will be posted in html form under the associated milestone.

Performance Measures - PM
Milestones - M

STRATEGIC PLAN ELEMENT - REBUILD SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

OBJECTIVE: ADVANCE FISHERIES PREDICTIONS

PM: Improve technology of tracking, surveying, aging larvae, juveniles, and populations.

M: Conduct final annual spawning distribution survey of Atlantic menhaden in the south Atlantic Bight. (AOML, P. Ortner)

4th Quarter FY 1996

M: Complete analysis of biological distributions in baroclinically unstable vortices adjacent to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (AOML, P. Ortner)

OBJECTIVE: PROMOTE CLEAN COASTAL WATERS TO SUSTAIN LIVING MARINE RESOURCES AND ENSURE SAFE RECREATION, HEALTHY SEAFOOD AND ECONOMIC VITALITY

PM: Develop better tools, predictions, and understanding related to water quality and coastal ecosystem management.

M: Dilution curves will be completed for dredged material discharge, similar to those already generated for waste disposal techniques. (AOML, J. Proni)

PM: Develop an understanding of processes affecting south Florida environments with emphasis on the water quality/quantity and impacts to Florida Bay. Improve assessments and predictions of the effect of anthropogenic stresses at the regional/watershed level.

M: Generate first order estimates of the relative importance of zooplankton in Florida Bay as components in the carbon and energy budgets and as food for larval fish. (AOML, P. Ortner)

4th Quarter FY 1996

M: Determine the utility of using paleoecological indicators in laminated sediment cores obtained in anoxic basins at the southern edge of the South Florida peninsula to define the historical pattern of salinity and nutrient load in Florida Bay. (AOML, T. Nelsen)

STRATEGIC PLAN ELEMENT - ADVANCE SHORT-TERM WARNING AND FORECAST SERVICES

OBJECTIVE: ENHANCE OBSERVATIONS AND PREDICTIONS

PM: Improve emergency preparedness.

M: Produce more accurate real-time descriptions and forecasts of winds in landfalling hurricanes. (AOML, H. Willoughby)

STRATEGIC PLAN ELEMENT - DOCUMENT, PREDICT, AND ASSESS DECADAL-TO-CENTENNIAL CHANGES

OBJECTIVE: UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THE OCEANS IN GLOBAL CHANGE

PM: Improve representation of the ocean in coupled climate prediction models.

M: Document decadal variability in aspects of North Atlantic circulation. (AOML, H. Bezdek)

M: Document predictability of modeled thermohaline circulation. (AOML; OGP)

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