Improving access to ocean and coastal data: how the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems serves the Pacific Northwest

The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), the regional association of U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS) for the United States Pacific Northwest, developed its NANOOS Visualization System (NVS - http://nvs.nanoos.org/) to provide users with a rich interface to access observations, forecasts, and satellite overlays from a wide range of ocean and coastal assets in a user-friendly format. The NVS interface is available via the web, on tablets and smart phones, and other devices. While this is a major service to our various user groups, we note that the rich assortment of data streams NANOOS has been able to harness can be overwhelming to users. Our more recent developments with NVS focus on an improved interface for access to ocean and coastal data and models that allows user interface applications (apps) for specific user groups. The technical structure of NVS was made in way that it simplifies the process for developing new and more targeted web apps, saving time and money to program and design apps in the future, thus enabling NANOOS to develop applications tailored to meet specific user needs more readily. Here we will emphasize many of the apps and data types of highest utility and interest to the ecosystem assessment and management community