Wave forecasters...

A world first web based tool developed by a Taranaki company is poised to save port authorities millions of dollars in damage and delays routinely caused by surging wave action.

With investment from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, scientists at MetOcean Solutions have developed a technique for forecasting the wave and wind conditions that result in 'long waves', which can cause surging in harbours and result in damage to ships and broken mooring lines.

'You can't see these waves and usually don't know when they are coming,"

says MetOcean Solutions Oceanographer, Dr Peter McComb, "but they cause major problems in many harbours around the world. Some ports spend upwards of $NZ1 million a year on moorings for vessels to account for this surging motion."

Dr McComb began investigating the factors that contribute to long waves while completing his PhD, finding a ready market for solutions from port authorities dealing on a daily basis with the consequences of New Zealand's energetic ocean conditions.

Now, with government investment through the Foundation's Grants for Private Sector Research and Development (GPSRD) scheme, MetOcean Solutions has developed a web tool which is being trialled at ports in New Zealand, Australia and Oman. Other port authorities from around the world are being invited to sign up for the pilot study.

The technique applies MetOcean Solution's indepth scientific knowledge on oceanography and forecasting to data collected over several months on wave action in specific harbours and ports. Together these are used to accurately predict up to a week ahead, when long waves are likely to strike at individual sites. A forecast is provided to participating ports twice a day and the port authority can also check for the latest prediction at any time via the web.

"We've already proved the success of the method at three ports in New Zealand and at Port Taranaki the harbour staff tell us they are now seldom caught off guard by long waves and surging events. Testing overseas will give us the proof that our tool can be applied worldwide, not just in the New Zealand conditions where it has been developed,"

says Dr McComb.

The innovation is one of a number of leading edge services provided by MetOcean Solutions to people doing business, recreation or search and rescue operations in and around the world's oceans.

Set up just 18 months ago, the company's five staff have deep scientific knowledge about oceanography, coastal processes and coastal engineering which is being applied to a range of business opportunities. For example, MetOcean Solutions provides a web-based emergency response system to help deal with oil spills, other marine pollutants or search and rescue operations.

"Using the latest forecasts of winds, waves and currents from our advanced forecasting system, emergency response teams can access accurate projections on the likely drift of oil spills or a missing object, such as a boat. The information could be available within 30 minutes of an incident being notified," says Dr David Johnson, the principal architect of the company's forecasting system.

"For example, it is an ideal tool to use when searching for missing sailors as it gives precise information on where ocean currents are likely to have taken them," says Dr Johnson.

MetOcean Solution's forecasting system is unique because it takes into account the effects of seabed shape or land topography on local waves, ocean currents and wind climate and delivers the information in highly detailed, spatial resolution.

"Many marine forecast providers simply repackage freely available information from global weather and wave models run by large government agencies In contrast, we apply sophisticated computer modelling to these meteorological data and global ocean forecasts to simulate how waves and currents will be affected by wind and by the ocean floor at a local scale," says Dr Johnson.

Fishermen, surfers and other recreational ocean users use MetOcean Solutions forecasts with the service also increasingly finding favour with commercial marine operators.

Lins Kerr, a Senior Business Manager with the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, says MetOcean Solutions is an exciting company, delivering new revenue streams for New Zealand based on outstanding science.

"Developing the ability to forecast waves as we do the weather is an impressive achievement which has the wow factor in terms of innovative advances. The fact that this technology can also be used to track missing persons and oil spills is a real breakthrough."

Mr Kerr says the company is also innovative in its approach to research and development, regularly hosting tertiary students conducting relevant research projects and effectively helping to train specialists of the future.

"This gives the company access to fresh young minds, good skills and problem solving in specific areas of knowledge which can later be applied to the business. They also benefit from involvement with the expertise of university staff who supervise the students."

The Foundation supports MetOcean to host tertiary students, through its Technology for Industry Fellowships programme