NOAA's National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), and other partners have developed the West Coast Observing System (WCOS). The West Coast Observing System is an end-to-end data management system that assists data providers in making observed information available to constituents in accordance with the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Data Management and Communication (DMAC) Subsystem guiding principles.

As a result of the West Coast Observing System process, data is documented and then made discoverable and accessible in many different ways. The West Coast Observing System can serve as a model for managing data that are collected for a specific location, where the responsibility for the data is shared by multiple partners from both inside and outside government.

In an ongoing effort to expand the scope of the West Coast Observing System, its partners are collaborating with the Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System (PaCOOS) and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Program Office to integrate additional, Sanctuary-focused data sets into the standards-based data management process:

Sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment (SEA) Station Moorings: Sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment stations gather ocean temperature and currents data within the five West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries. The semiautomated, standardized processing of Sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment Station data makes up the core of the West Coast Observing System data management program. The West Coast Observing System Portal provides centralized data access capabilities, including data visualization and analysis tools; interactive maps; and data subsetting and download capabilities for Sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment Station data collected since 2004.

R/V Fulmar: The NOAA Ship Fulmar serves the Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones, and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, allowing the three sanctuaries to greatly expand and enhance research, education, and emergency response programs on a regional level. A Google map application shows the vessel location and hourly sensor measurements. Ongoing data management efforts will ensure stewardship, access, and archival of the full Fulmar data stream and her sister vessels.

Beach COMBERS: Beyond the physical oceanographic data, the West Coast Observing System has also been working to integrate data from trained volunteers who survey selected sections of beaches monthly for marine birds and animals (Beach Coastal Mammal and Bird Education and Research Surveys (COMBERS)). Biological datasets can provide valuable insights into ecosystem conditions and can directly contribute to resource management objectives. This Internet Map Service allows users to query the biological data by species, time periods, and cause of death.