#52: Decades of Coastal Data is a ‘National Treasure’

Mike Forte, a research physical scientist at ERDC’s Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, North Carolina, calls himself and his team “custodians” of the data continuously collected at the research facility. The team’s care for the data, collection methods and validation and preparation efforts have made this data a national treasure. Decades of data sets from constant observation of the coastline through sensors, cameras, surveys and more have shaped and advanced coastal engineering, supported the development of new ocean and storm models, and given our military a decisive edge in coastal, littoral and amphibious operations. Forte pulls back the curtain on the scope of the facility’s data collection, the partnerships with national and global research organizations, and the effort to document and best tell the scientific stories of massive storms along our nation’s Atlantic Coast. Topics discussed include how the team responded to and captured data from a record-setting nor’easter in January (02:16); the FRF’s suite of data collection techniques and technologies for capturing coastal processes (5:14); and the critical role the facility’s unique pier plays in collecting, validating and verifying that data (9:22). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/52-FRF-data-is-a-national-treasure_video. You can also see additional resources at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/52-FRF-data-is-a-national-treasure_resources.