UNH meteorologist wins NOAA Bronze Medal for Web Portal

NowCOAST gives public access to real-time coastal data and forecasts

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DURHAM, N.H. – The U.S. Department of Commerce has honored a research meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-University of New Hampshire Joint Hydrographic Center for giving the public access to real-time coastal data and forecasts over the Internet.

Dr. John G. W. Kelley, of Hampstead, received a NOAA Bronze Medal at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. in December. Kelley conceived of and led the development of nowCOAST, a Web mapping portal using the latest in Geographic Information Systems Internet technology. The portal serves as a “one-stop shopping” Web site for real-time coastal weather, oceanographic, hydrologic and water quality observations from a variety of Internet sites within and outside of NOAA, along with forecasts for all U.S. coastal regions from NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Ocean Service.

NowCOAST is designed to be a planning aid for recreational and commercial mariners, coastal managers, HAZMAT responders, marine educators, school teachers, and researchers to discover and display real-time information for their particular needs and geographic area of interest. Prior to Kelley’s work, there was no consolidated access to, nor inventory of, real-time or predicted coastal and estuarine data.

“Before nowCOAST, Internet users had to locate and bookmark numerous Web pages to access real-time observations and NOAA forecasts for a particular coast or estuary. NowCOAST eliminates this time-consuming step and allows users to rapidly discover and display real-time information for all U.S. coastal areas,” said Kelley, who is a NOAA research meteorologist in addition to being an affiliate assistant professor at UNH.

The NOAA-UNH Joint Hydrographic Center, with UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, focuses on educating a new generation of hydrographers and ocean-mapping scientists and in developing and evaluating a wide range of state-of-the-art hydrographic and ocean-mapping technologies and applications.

The Bronze Medal is the highest honorary award given by NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The secretary of commerce presents it to commerce department offices and employees who have made outstanding or significant contributions in support of the overall departmental goals that serve the nation. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

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