Key activities for fleet modernization and products are identified and tracked using a project management system. NOAA is currently using an IAA with the Navy for the first two General Purpose Oceanographic Ships under the Ship Recapitalization program. Key program milestones are used as the indicator for tracking acquisition progress. The next recapitalization ship is a Class B to conduct charting and surveys missions. This class will have its own key acquisition milestones.

NOAA and NMFS support research to advance commercial-scale marine aquaculture production. This is done through commercial scale demonstration facilities in collaboration with—and co-funded by— industry and coastal seafood communities to facilitate the commercial viability of marine aquaculture production. Additionally, NOAA will use aquaculture research to remove production bottlenecks for shellfish and finfish related to siting, disease, genetics and genomics, hatchery seed stock, and feed availability. Performance is measured by calculating the number of either unique or completed stages in ongoing projects which directly advance marine aquaculture production.

Metric calculated as the percent of Climate Prediction Center extended (outlooks out to 14 days) and long range (monthly and seasonal outlooks) temperature and precipitation outlooks exceeding Heidke Skill Score (HSS) of 10 (10% better than a climatological forecast). Due to the scarcity of long range outlooks (six per month), scores are smoothed over a three year period. To better track results, three individual metrics are tracked – 1) All forecasts combined, 2) Temperature only, and 3) Precipitation only.

Temperature outlooks are used by sectors of the U.S. economy, such as energy, agriculture, transportation, etc. as one factor in resource decision making. Temperature outlooks are reported as the probability of temperature being above normal or below normal or, where no definite guidance can be provided, equal chances. This is the cumulative skill calculated for regions where predictions are made.

Total number of model projects using machine learning techniques and technologies to improve understanding, simulation, projection and representation of the Earth System.

The measure is a proxy for the useful forecast lead time of the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) beyond the current forecasts skill (9.5 days) and is computed over the range of forecast days. Extending lead time in prediction of future weather events allows people to make informed choices and enables protection of life, property, and enhancement of the National economy. The 500 hPA Anomaly Correlation will be used.

The cumulative number of products across model regions by year (basically, products + regions complete). The measure is calculated by adding when a model component is completed and integrated into the regional model for the region indicated. As planned under the NOAA Climate and Fisheries Initiative, OAR will incorporate the three products above (high-resolution prototype ocean hindcasts, Seasonal to Multi-annual Predictions, and projections) into the regional models for the four regions listed (East Coast, West Coast, Arctic, and Pacific Islands). These enhanced regional models will be part of the information developed and provided to users to help manage U.S. fisheries that are impacted by climate change.

Each site within the National Marine Sanctuary System conducts or facilitates characterization, monitoring, and research to protect the resources in the system. A series of questions are posed to all sanctuaries as a starting point for the creation of periodic condition reports that rate the status and trends of key resources, processes, and resource services provided. One way to determine how comprehensively we are conducting monitoring in a sanctuary, or gathering information for use in the condition reports, is to quantify the proportion of relevant questions and ecosystem services for which experts are able to provide ratings. The higher the proportion, the more adequate the monitoring program.

Each new aircraft under the Aircraft Recapitalization Plan has key milestones in its acquisition program schedule. NOAA is in the process of acquiring a King Air and Gulfstream 550 aircrafts. Progress in meeting the milestones is given by the indicator which tracks number of milestones met versus number of milestones planned in the fiscal year.

The indicator shows the overall growth, in petaflops (PF), of the operational and research and development High Performance Computing capability. Our current enterprise supplies 16PF to support modeling requirements across NOAA. Growth in capacity will lessen the gap in current modeling requirement and provide additional capability to the modeling community within NOAA.