Investigation Space & Marine Capability Catalog
Transform governed observation capabilities into computable candidate investigations, structured evidence assemblies, explicit evidence gaps, and prioritized measurement needs.
Florida Keys Summer 2026 Coral Thermal Stress & Bleaching Onset
Florida Keys • Summer 2026 Thermal Stress Window (92 continuous days)
How severe was accumulated thermal stress across the Florida Keys archipelago in Summer 2026, and how do regional satellite metrics compare with in-situ coastal thermistors and verified reef bleaching onset?
Monterey Bay Sanctuary Soundscape & Upwelling Thermal Environment
Monterey Bay • California Current Summer Upwelling Season (92 continuous days)
How do seasonal upwelling cycles and wind-driven wave energy in the California Current correlate with deep-water soundscape acoustic power levels and marine mammal vocalization events in Monterey Bay?
Mid-Atlantic Bight Coastal Temperature Anomaly & Storm-Driven Cold Pool Interaction
Mid-Atlantic Bight • Mid-Atlantic Summer Hurricane & Cold Pool Stratification Season (92 continuous days)
How do late-summer tropical cyclones and coastal wind reversals alter the thermal stratification and coastal water levels between the outer shelf Cold Pool boundary and nearshore research piers?
Florida Keys Summer 2026 Coral Thermal Stress & Bleaching Onset
Primary Scientific Question: How severe was accumulated thermal stress across the Florida Keys archipelago in Summer 2026, and how do regional satellite metrics compare with in-situ coastal thermistors and verified reef bleaching onset?
EXPERIMENTAL_INVESTIGATION_OPPORTUNITY_INDEX
Decomposed observational tractability characterization built from 6 independent availability factors (never a hypothesis truth or validity score).
5/5 capabilities accessible with 4 identified evidence gaps.
92 days target window with continuous sampling resolution.
4 distinct physical sensing modalities assembled.
Deepest historical observational baseline spans 42 years.
Average epistemic provenance score of 86%.
5/5 capabilities support direct open data export.
Governed Observation Capabilities Assembled (5)
| Source & Platform | Modality & Cadence | Depth Domain | Provenance Class | Governance Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW v3.1) Florida Keys Regional Virtual Station National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NESDIS / STAR / SOCD) | satellite_l4_radiometry 24 Hours (Daily release ~02:00 UTC) | Ocean Surface Skin (Thermal-Infrared Radiometry) | PARSED_FROM_SOURCE | ALREADY_GOVERNED |
NOAA NOS CO-OPS Station 8724580 (KYWF1, Key West Harbor) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOS / CO-OPS) | insitu_fixed_thermistor 6 Minutes (240 samples/day) | 0.85 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) | MACHINE_COMPUTED | ALREADY_GOVERNED |
NOAA NOS CO-OPS Station 8723970 (VCAF1, Vaca Key / Florida Bay) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOS / CO-OPS) | insitu_fixed_thermistor 6 Minutes (240 samples/day) | 1.03 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) | MACHINE_COMPUTED | ALREADY_GOVERNED |
NOAA AOML Coral Program Cheeca Rocks Field Observations National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (OAR / AOML) | insitu_diver_survey Event Field Survey | Benthic Substrate (3–6 m Depth Range) | HUMAN_ASSISTED_NORMALIZED | ALREADY_GOVERNED |
NOAA NDBC Sombrero Key C-MAN / Moored Tower (SMKF1) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NWS / NDBC) | insitu_moored_buoy Hourly / 10-Minute Telemetry | Surface Hull (~1.0 m depth) & 3 m Mast | EXTERNAL_METADATA_ASSERTION | AVAILABLE_BUT_NOT_YET_GOVERNED |
Observation Composability & Physical Non-Equivalence Matrix
These series overlap in time and region but measure physically distinct sensing domains (Ocean Surface Skin (Thermal-Infrared Radiometry) / Ocean Surface Skin (Thermal-Infrared Radiometry) vs. 0.85 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) / 0.85 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW)) and cannot be interpreted as direct temperature replication.
These series overlap in time and region but measure physically distinct sensing domains (Ocean Surface Skin (Thermal-Infrared Radiometry) / Ocean Surface Skin (Thermal-Infrared Radiometry) vs. 1.03 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) / 1.03 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW)) and cannot be interpreted as direct temperature replication.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Sea Surface Temperature vs. Bleaching Onset Assessment) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Sea Surface Temperature vs. Wind Speed) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
These series overlap in time and region but measure physically distinct sensing domains (0.85 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) / 0.85 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) vs. 1.03 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) / 1.03 m below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW)) and cannot be interpreted as direct temperature replication.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Water Temperature (Continuous) vs. Bleaching Onset Assessment) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Water Temperature (Continuous) vs. Wind Speed) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Water Temperature (Continuous) vs. Bleaching Onset Assessment) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Water Temperature (Continuous) vs. Wind Speed) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
These sources measure different physical metrics (Bleaching Onset Assessment vs. Wind Speed) and cannot be evaluated as metric duplicates.
Identified Evidence Gaps & Guardrails (4)
Cheeca Rocks Continuous Benthic Temperature Time Series
In-situ benthic thermistor time series at Cheeca Rocks (STR logger) is pending physical recovery from reef substrate mooring.
Unmeasured Environmental Co-Factors
Salinity, spectral UV irradiance, and localized coral pathogens were not continuously logged across the reef tract.
Post-Stress Demographic Colony Survival Surveys
Field surveys photographed initial bleaching onset on July 6, 2026, but repeat mortality surveys were not conducted during the July window.
Single Agency Institutional Lineage
All primary retained empirical candidate evidence originates within NOAA line offices (CRW, NOS CO-OPS, AOML).
Prioritized Measurement Needs & Observation Planning
Environment: Reef substrate / Subsurface boundary layer
To resolve MISSING_DEPTH_DOMAIN: Subsurface continuous 6-min/hourly logger time series at 4.5m depth at 24.900°N, 80.617°W throughout June–August 2026.
Environment: Water column profile
To resolve MISSING_VARIABLE: Continuous multi-parameter water quality and optical radiometer records during peak heating.
Environment: Fixed monitoring stations during recovery window
To resolve MISSING_REPEAT_OBSERVATION: Repeat demographic photo-quadrat surveys 60–90 days post-peak thermal stress.
Environment: Regional cross-validation stations
To resolve MISSING_INSTITUTIONAL_INDEPENDENCE: Independent academic or third-party continuous in-situ sensor telemetry.