The NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) provides the national infrastructure, science, and technical expertise to monitor, assess, and distribute tide, current, water level, and other coastal oceanographic products and services that support NOAA's mission of environmental stewardship and environmental assessment and prediction. CO-OPS continuously evaluates new technologies which have the potential to support these missions. We're presently investigating microwave water level sensors, acoustic Doppler current profilers with novel transducer configurations to observe currents and waves, and new data communications techniques through NOAA's GOES satellite. We are proceeding with our initial operatonal deployments of laser sensors for bridge clearance, visibility sensors, and Iridium data communications.

Mark Bushnell obtained his B.S. degree in Oceanographic Technology from the Florida Institute of Technology. His NOAA service began in 1978 as a sea-going physical oceanographer at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory. His background in oceanographic instrumentation includes acoustics, optics, water chemistry, satellite and other remote observing systems, tides/water levels, currents, and navigation. He presently works for the NOAA's Ocean Service at the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) in the Engineering Division. He manages a team responsible for the test and evaluation of sensors and systems, facilitating the transition of new instrumentation to an operational status.

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