Abstract
The Harmful Algal BloomS Observation System (HABSOS) is a web based data collection and distribution system for harmful algal bloom (HAB) information in the Gulf of Mexico, operated by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). The goal of HABSOS is to provide environmental managers, scientists, and the public a resource for HAB data and information, including the distribution, extent and timing of the blooms. Karenia brevis is currently the only HAB species contained in HABSOS, however the potential for inclusion of other species exists. HABSOS operates as a cooperative enterprise with Gulf of Mexico state agency partners that monitor Karenia brevis blooms and submit their near real-time data to the HABSOS database. HABSOS uses an ESRI mapping application to display the HAB data housed in its database. The map viewer application displays by default the last 28 days of K. brevis data from the current date, however the display period can be set to any time span within the HABSOS database. There are additional data sources incorporated into the map viewer including satellite-derived, oceanographic, and meteorological layers, such as chlorophyll, surface currents forecast, or surface winds. Furthermore, the K. brevis cell count data and associated environmental data are archived and publicly available from the NCEI archive, https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0120767. HABSOS is a unique resource utilized by a wide variety of user groups including academia, government agencies, private enterprise, non-profit organizations, and individuals.
