Marine customer applications
Applying ocean science developments to marine operations ensures that our research is practically focused.
Applications development work within Ocean Forecasting Research comprises three strands.
Commercial consultancy
Metocean data and analyses are crucial to the successful planning and execution of marine operations. The Met Office offers standard and bespoke analyses of hindcast data (e.g. wind, wave, current) for operational planning such as directional roses, operations delay evaluations and design criteria. Collaborations with users are undertaken in order to improve our forecast offerings.
Our scientists work across a range of users, from shipping to coastal engineers, and have a strong track record in working with contractors in the offshore oil and gas and marine renewables sectors. Highlight projects include wind and wave analysis for the BERR Atlas of UK Marine Renewable Resource, and co-authorship of the CIRIA publication Guidelines for the use of metocean data through the life cycle of a marine renewable energy development.
Applied ocean science
Applied research promotes, supports and evaluates the usage of ocean and biogeochemical model products and decision aids by customers such as the Royal Navy (e.g. visibility products) and the Environment Agency (e.g. warning systems for prediction of algal blooms). Current projects include participation in the DERTP, which crosses several areas within the Met Office and addresses the requirements of our defence customers. The ocean science remit is to improve the ocean surface representation in NWP models & atmospheric TDAs. This can range from the impact of chlorophyll and sediments on water clarity, to the impact of environmental variability on sonar performance in shelf seas.
Marine core service support
MyOcean is a pan-European collaborative project aiming to deliver and operational 'Marine Core Service' delivering oceanographic observations, hindcasts, forecasts analyses and re-analyses free at point of delivery for the public good. The Met Office is leading development of the project's IT service management systems and INSPIRE compliant data delivery systems necessary to meet the ambitious requirements of MyOcean, and provides the user services interface to the project through the MyOcean Service Desk.
