intergovernmental committee for the global ocean...

(SC-2003/CONF.211/CLD.10)

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Paris, 1 April 2003 Original: English

INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION

(of UNESCO)

SIXTH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE

FOR THE GLOBAL OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM

Paris, France, 10 – 14 March 2003

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Executive Summary is available in English, French, Russian and Spanish. The full summary Report of the session is published in English only. The report is submitted to the IOC Assembly at its 22nd session in June 2003 for endorsement.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY Page

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1

2. THE TASKS AND MODUS OPERANDI OF I-GOOS ................................................ 2

3. THE REVIEW OF GOOS STRUCTURE, MANDATES AND MODUS OPERANDI.............................................................................................. 2

4. UNCLOS, I-GOOS AND ADVICE TO ABE-LOS........................................................ 3

5. STATUS OF GOOS PLANNING.................................................................................... 3

5.1 THE GOOS STEERING COMMITTEE............................................................................ 3

5.2 THE OPEN OCEAN: OOPC.............................................................................................. 4

5.3 THE COASTAL OCEAN: COOP...................................................................................... 5

6. STATUS OF GOOS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE GLOBAL SCALE .................. 6

6.1 THE IN SITU ELEMENTS OF THE OBSERVING SYSTEM ......................................... 6

6.2 JCOMM .............................................................................................................................. 6

6.3 SPACE-BASED MEASUREMENTS AND THE IGOS PARTNERS.............................. 7

6.4 PILOT PROJECTS ............................................................................................................. 8

6.4.1 GODAE and ARGO ................................................................................................ 8 6.4.2 PIRATA.................................................................................................................... 9 6.4.3 WIOMAP and Others ........................................................................................... 10

7. STATUS OF GOOS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE REGIONAL SCALE............ 11

7.1 REPORT OF THE 1ST REGIONAL GOOS FORUM .................................................... 11

7.2 REGIONAL GOOS DEVELOPMENTS.......................................................................... 11

7.3 REGIONAL POLICY....................................................................................................... 14

8. STATUS OF GOOS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE NATIONAL SCALE............ 14

9. DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND POLICY.............................. 15

9.1 OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA POLICY............................................................................. 15

9.2 DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ........................................................... 15

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9.2.1 Progress with GOSIC............................................................................................ 15 9.2.2 Links to IODE........................................................................................................ 16 9.2.3 The Ocean Information Technology Project ...................................................... 16

10. CAPACITY BUILDING ................................................................................................ 17

11. LIAISON AND INTEGRATION .................................................................................. 18

12. GOOS INFRASTRUCTURE......................................................................................... 19

12.1 REPORT OF THE GOOS PROJECT OFFICE................................................................ 19

12.2 WORK PROGRAMME AND BUDGET......................................................................... 19

12.3 COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ................................................................. 20

13. REVIEW OF ACTIONS AND ISSUES AND OF THE REPORT OF THE MEETING ....................................................................................................... 20

14. ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON AND VICE-CHAIRPERSONS........................... 21

15. NEXT SESSION OF THE IOC-WMO-UNEP COMMITTEE FOR GOOS (I-GOOS-VII) .................................................................................................................. 21

ANNEXES I. RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS MODIFIED FROM I-GOOS-VI II. TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE I-GOOS BOARD III. REVIEW OF THE NEEDS OF REGIONAL GOOS BODIES IV. GOOS REGIONAL POLICY V. THE CASE FOR APPROVAL OF GOOS REGIONAL ALLIANCES VI. DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE 22nd IOC ASSEMBLY ON I-GOOS

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s

1. INTRODUCTION

1 The 6th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS (I-GOOS-VI) took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, from 10 to 14 March, 2003. It was attended by representatives of 25 Member States, plus SOPAC representing the Pacific Islands, and representatives of all 9 GOOS Regional Alliances.

2 The meeting was important in determining the future of GOOS. It provided a clear vision of the management of GOOS, and clarified the duties and functions of I-GOOS and its subsidiary bodies. A list of Recommendations and Resolutions was identified as the basis for the inter-sessional work programme (Annex I).

3 The meeting showed that steady progress is being made. The GOOS community (including the Member States and their agencies, scientists participating in GOOS advisory bodies, and the IOC-GOOS Secretariat) has been very successful in implementing the GOOS concept, in raising awareness of the need for GOOS, and in capitalizing on existing subsystems to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

4 The initial focus of GOOS was on climate change, since that was what the scientific community was best equipped to do at the time. More emphasis is now being placed on the more complex questions of what to observe in coastal seas, and how to do it with the rather less well-developed tools for measuring chemical and biological variables. There is an agreed design plan for coastal seas, and there will soon be an implementation plan. In addition several GOOS Regional Alliances (GRAs) have developed and are implementing GOOS in coastal seas. Since the last Assembly, Indian Ocean GOOS has been added to the GRA family, and plans are developing for GRAs in South-east Asia, the Southeastern Pacific, and the South Atlantic. Through these GRAs, many Member States of the IOC are becoming involved in GOOS. Continued progress in building GOOS globally will depend on Member States building appropriate national institutions for operational oceanography, and on aligning GOOS tasks with the requirements of the UNEP Regional Seas Programme, the Large Marine Ecosystems programme and others.

5 Key developments since July 2001 include: (i) the initiation of the JCOMM work programme; (ii) the 1st Indian Ocean GOOS Conference (November 2002); (iii) the 3rd EuroGOOS Conference on Operational Oceanography (December 2002); (iv) the 1st Regional GOOS Forum and Proposal for GRA Network Development (GRAND) (December 2002); (v) the 1st GODAE Conference (June 2002); (vi) an increase in the number of Argo floats deployed (to 722); and (vii) completion of the Integrated Design Plan for the Coastal Module of GOOS (spring 2003).

6 Another significant development was the production in September 2002 by the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) of an Implementation Plan containing many statements on the importance of making routine observations of coastal seas in support of sustainable development. These included several on the need to enable developing countries to get access to and training in the use of remotely sensed data from satellites. The requirements of the WSSD Implementation Plan strengthen the mandate for GOOS for observations in coastal seas. The Implementation Plan calls for a new mechanism to provide assessments of the marine environment. GOOS could provide key measurements for such assessments.

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7 The Committee recommended that IOC ask Member States to report on what they are doing to assess the state of their ocean ecosystems in response to the requirements of the WSSD.

2. THE TASKS AND MODUS OPERANDI OF I-GOOS

8 The task of I-GOOS is to serve Member States in the implementation of GOOS. This requires a focus on four main goals: (i) transferring of the science and technology related to GOOS from the research mode into operational mode; (ii) learning from the activity of the regions, and ensuring the coherence between regional activities and global planning; (iii) ensuring that all Member States co-operate in and benefit from the development of GOOS, by capacity building activities involving the transfer of enabling technologies and expertise, and (iv) promoting timely observations in the Exclusive Economic Zones that are allowed by the new technologies available, with the assistance of IOC’s ABE-LOS. While (i) is seen to be provided by the scientific and technological advice of the GOOS Steering Committee (GSC), (ii) to (iv) depend on I-GOOS initiatives, already underway.

9 An I-GOOS Board was called for at the 5th session of I-GOOS in June 2001 to improve the efficiency of I-GOOS. It met twice during the inter-sessional period. The Committee recommended that the IOC Assembly endorse the Terms of Reference and Membership of the I-GOOS Board as the mechanism for carrying out inter-sessional business on behalf of I-GOOS (Annex II, Resolution I-GOOS-VI.1).

10 I-GOOS-V also called for a biennial Regional GOOS Forum to be held in years between I-GOOS meetings, with the object of bringing the GOOS Regional Alliances (GRAs) together to explore common issues, and to learn from each other about possible best practices in the implementation of GOOS at the regional level. The 1st Regional GOOS Forum was held in Athens, Greece, in December 2002. A report is given under item 7.1, below.

11 The Committee agreed that the creation of the I-GOOS Board and Regional Forum were contributing to make I-GOOS more effective.

3. THE REVIEW OF GOOS STRUCTURE, MANDATES AND MODUS OPERANDI

12 The Committee was briefed on progress with the Review of GOOS called for by Resolution IOC-XXI.7. The Committee thanked the Review Group for providing an excellent, thorough and comprehensive report, which would greatly assist thinking about the way forward for the development of GOOS.

13 The Committee appreciated the efforts of the Review Group to strengthen the position of I-GOOS as the lead body for GOOS, with responsibilities for formulating policy and mobilizing resources. The Committee recommended that the Review Group should do more to recognize (i) the critical importance of the GRAs in the implementation of GOOS at the regional level, and (ii) the need for I-GOOS to work with the GRAs on the process of regional development. The Committee considered that the policy and management roles of I-GOOS would be strengthened and made more effective by its being required to harness the energy of the GRAs in GOOS. I-GOOS should take on the responsibility of approving GRAs as integral components of GOOS. I-GOOS should encourage the development of GOOS through the Regional GOOS Forum.

14 The Committee recognized that the Review had streamlined the structure (i) by eliminating some of the previous structural elements – notably the Sponsors Forum and the


GOOS Executive; (ii) by making clear the role of the GSC in reporting to and advising I-GOOS on scientific and technical aspects and related strategies, and (iii) by having the GRAs participating in and providing reports to I-GOOS.

15 The Committee appreciated the intention of the Review Group to underscore the importance of JCOMM as a mechanism for implementing especially the physical components of GOOS. However, the Committee also recognized the need for more emphasis to be placed in future on the development of the coastal module of GOOS, including pollution and living resources, management of which might eventually require the creation of some mechanism parallel to JCOMM that might include other interested UN agencies.

16 The Committee accepted that the recommendations of the Review Group would form a starting point for guiding the further development of GOOS. The Committee did not accept that its business would be improved by holding I-GOOS meetings at intervals of 4 years. It is critical at this point in the evolution of GOOS to maintain Member States’ enthusiasm for and engagement in GOOS developments, which will not happen if the frequency of I-GOOS meetings is halved from 2 years to 4.

17 The Committee agreed that the Terms of Reference of itself, the GSC and the GPO should be re-written, much along the lines suggested by the Review Group.

4. UNCLOS, I-GOOS AND ADVICE TO ABE-LOS

18 I-GOOS-V had suggested that there was a need to “Develop and clarify the legal framework of GOOS, where necessary”. To meet this need, a consultant, Dr. Peter Ryder, had been asked to evaluate the scientific and technical requirements of GOOS in relation to UNCLOS. The Committee congratulated Dr. Ryder for his interesting and comprehensive work, and appreciated the stress given in the report to new technologies for operation and to capacity building. The report will provide Member States with a broad review on new tools and their application in marine observations in the EEZ. The Committee invited its Chairperson to convey to the 3rd Meeting of ABE-LOS/IOC the interests of the Committee regarding the collection and management of oceanographic data in EEZs, in the context of the report that the Chairman of ABE-LOS/IOC will provide on the activities of that body since its last session. The Committee also wished to recommend to the IOC Assembly at its 22nd session, that ABE-LOS/IOC provides advice on the legal framework applicable to the collection and management of oceanographic data in EEZs. In this regard, I-GOOS offers advice on the technical and scientific context.

5. STATUS OF GOOS PLANNING

5.1 THE GOOS STEERING COMMITTEE

19 The Committee received a report by Mr. Tom Malone (representing the Chair of the GOOS Steering Committee) on the proceedings of the sixth session of the GSC, which took place in Cape Town from February 26-28, 2003. The Committee congratulated the GSC on having done a very effective job of assisting the development and implementation of GOOS in the inter-sessional period.

20 The Committee recalled that a key role of the GSC was to oversee the scientific and technical development of the observing system, and to review its scientific and technical


performance. In that context the GSC had made a number of recommendations for the attention of the JCOMM Management Committee, the OOPC, COOP, and the space agencies. The Committee endorsed these actions as necessary for the continued scientific and technical development and implementation of GOOS. Key future developments include plans to revise the GOOS Strategic Plan, to attract Development Funds, and to generate a strategy for outreach and communication that will include an update to “The GOOS 1998”. The I-GOOS Board will be fully engaged in these developments, which will be brought to I-GOOS for approval as they mature.

21 Some of the recommendations proposed by the GSC were for the consideration of I-GOOS, and were considered by the Committee under the appropriate headings in the text of the main report of the I-GOOS-VI meeting.

22 The Committee endorsed the mechanism used to select recent new candidates for 4 vacant positions on the GSC. Fifty-eight names had been considered, from many Member States. Four were selected by the Chairman of the IOC following consultations and bearing in mind geographic and gender balance and the requirement for managerial and operational experience. The one new vacancy on the GSC is likely to be filled from the list of 58 candidates. The Committee noted that the GOOS Review Group was satisfied that the balance of operational and academic expertise on the GSC was appropriate to the task.

5.2 THE OPEN OCEAN: OOPC

23 The Committee received a report by Mr. Neville Smith, representing the Chair of the Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC), on the recent activities of the Panel. OOPC is the primary scientific body for providing advice on requirements for sustained ocean observations for climate and ocean physical nowcasts and forecasts. It provides the climate component of GOOS, which is the ocean component of GCOS. Aside from GOOS and GCOS the main partners of the OOPC are the WCRP’s CLIVAR programme, the Observations Coordination Group of JCOMM, and the IGBP – WCRP - IHDP Global Carbon Project, or GCP.

24 The Committee noted and endorsed progress, and commended OOPC on its efforts to refine and expand the system. The Committee welcomed the emerging interactions between the OOPC and COOP. The Committee also welcomed the intention of the OOPC to develop Observing System Evaluation/Monitoring frameworks in order to provide an objective basis for evaluating the present contributions, and to provide a framework for evolving the system and introducing new technologies. The Committee also noted the essential role that the OOPC is playing in providing information about the adequacy of the ocean observing system for climate to the report by GCOS to the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

25 The Committee agreed to bring to the attention of the IOC Assembly, the need for a suite of actions needed to implement fully the initial global ocean climate observing system:

(i) To increase the number of surface drifting buoys to 1250, of repeat SOOP XBT lines to 41, of geocentrically located tide gauges to 69, of ocean reference time series stations to 29, of Argo profiling floats to 3000, of VOSClim ships to at least 200, of tropical surface moorings to 119, and to carry out the repeat hydrography and carbon content and surface carbon flux survey projects, which are the key in situ observing elements of the agreed initial global ocean climate observing system.


(ii) To participate fully in ocean data archaeology efforts, in free and open exchange of contemporary data, and in support of the development and use of modern data communication, access and serving technology, which comprise the data system component of the agreed initial global ocean climate observing system.

(iii) To support the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) and other ocean climate analysis activities, which comprise the ocean climate product component of the agreed initial global ocean climate observing system.

(iv) To implement the agreed ocean reference sites within the framework of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), recognizing that they are a key link between the initial global ocean climate observing system and the development of sustained observing in support of the biogeochemical and ecosystem communities.

5.3 THE COASTAL OCEAN: COOP

26 The Committee received a report by Mr. Tom Malone, co-chair of the Coastal Ocean Observations Panel (COOP), on the activities of COOP. The objective of COOP is to design a plan for an integrated (physical, biological, chemical) coastal ocean observing system that provides the data and knowledge required to:

• improve the safety and efficiency of marine operations;

• more effectively control and mitigate the effects of natural hazards;

• improve the capacity to detect and predict the effects of global change on coastal ecosystems;

• reduce public health risks;

• more effectively protect and restore healthy ecosystems; and

• restore and sustain living marine resources. 27 To enable it to meet its goals, the Panel comprises biologists, chemists and physicists, and

is led by co-chairs expert in biology and chemistry. It has consulted the user community through workshops associated with COOP sessions held in different parts of the world.

28 Mr. Malone provided an overview of The Integrated Strategic Design Plan for the Coastal Ocean Observations Module of the Global Ocean Observing System. This plan has been extensively reviewed in the international scientific community. It integrates the core physical, biological and chemical measurements required for mapping and forecasting the behaviour of the coastal ocean. It indicates the physical measurements required to address safety issues, the biological measurements required to address ecosystem and living resource issues, and the chemistry to address marine pollution and environmental and health risks. It offers a suite of core measurements to underpin these three areas.

29 The Committee noted the progress with the design plan, but did not see the need at this time to endorse one of the Plan’s recommendations, for the creation of the Federation of GRAs. Instead it agreed that the GOOS Regional Forum provides a useful starting point through which GRAs can work together. It was agreed that the COOP Design Plan would be modified to reflect this decision. It is expected that following publication of the Design Plan in 2003, an Implementation Plan will be completed in 2004.


30 The Committee commended COOP for developing an integrated design plan for a coastal seas observing system involving biological and chemical variables as well as physical ones. The Committee recognized the difficulty of designing such a system, given that much research was still needed to establish (a) what chemical and biological variables needed to be measured, (b) where they needed to be measured (since different regions would be interested in different variables), and (c) what methods could be used to achieve routine and systematic monitoring of those variables once they were identified and agreed upon. A great deal of research would also be needed to determine the biological and chemical indicators needed to assess water quality, marine pollution and ecosystem health within the coastal GOOS programme.

6. STATUS OF GOOS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE GLOBAL SCALE

6.1 THE IN SITU ELEMENTS OF THE OBSERVING SYSTEM

31 The Committee received a report by Mr. Etienne Charpentier, Head of the JCOMMOPS Centre in Toulouse, on the status of the present global elements of GOOS, focusing on the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) and the Ship of Opportunity Programme (SOOP), which are key components of GOOS managed by JCOMM. Thanks to the efforts of Member States, many data buoys are deployed through the DBCP, and most report on the GTS. The SOOP, which deploys XBTs, has been integrated under the JCOMM Ship Observation Team, along with the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) programme of the WMO for marine meteorology and the WMO’s Automated Shipboard Aerological programme (ASAP). SOOP continues to evolve away from distributed (broadcast) sampling and towards focused, high-density sampling on repeat lines. Argo floats provide more comprehensive global coverage, and will gradually replace the broadcast sampling. Declines in XBT deployments in recent years reflect several factors, particularly difficulties in maintaining the same rate of XBT deployments while XBT costs doubled. The Committee expressed its appreciation for the high quality work of JCOMMOPS, and its coordination of these various ocean data collection activities.

32 The Committee received a report by Mr. Thorkild Aarup, Technical Secretary of the GLOSS programme, on the state of this programme, which is another part of JCOMM. Two thirds of the GLOSS network of around 300 tide gauge stations is operational. The number of stations supplying data in ‘real-time’ must be increased to supply the data needed to calibrate satellite altimeters, and to feed information to ocean and climate models. That means that many GLOSS stations must be modernized and upgraded. The Committee asks the IOC Assembly to urge Member States to comply with their commitments to (i) upgrade all GLOSS designated stations for real-time data delivery by 2004, and (ii) provide their GLOSS data as required by the GLOSS Implementation Plan approved by the IOC Assembly in 1997. The system is in place, but it requires collective work to make it useful.

6.2 JCOMM

33 The Committee received a report by Ms Savi Narayanan, one of the two Co-presidents of the Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), on progress in the development of JCOMM and its significance for the ongoing implementation of GOOS. JCOMM has made good progress in coordinating the GOOS observing elements DBCP, SOOP and GLOSS; in integrating the data requirements expressed by GOOS; in supporting the development of Argo; in developing performance metrics to measure to what extent existing requirements were met; in developing methods for integrated data management; in collaborating with IODE through (i) merging of the JCOMM expert team


on data management practices and the IODE Group of Experts on Technical Aspects of Data Exchange (GETADE), and (ii) the IODE providing the Secretariat for the JCOMM data management area; in establishing within the Services Programme Area a new Task Team on Development of Ocean Services; and in the work of the JCOMM Capacity Building Coordination Group, which is coordinating its activities with the GOOS Capacity Building Panel.

34 The Committee was satisfied with JCOMM’s rapid and considerable developments. The Committee would like IOC to urge Member States to encourage collaboration between meteorological and oceanographic organizations at the national level so as to ensure the effectiveness of JCOMM, and noted that National GOOS Committees or bodies in charge of GOOS might help in this respect.

35 JCOMM offers a good mechanism for the development of operational oceanography, especially the ocean climate component. A cornerstone in that development is the definition and implementation of an integrated, end-to-end, data management system, which in turn requires establishing a unified set of agreed upon standards, in particular for metadata exchange. The Committee was pleased that JCOMM and IODE are together giving a high priority to that question.

36 The Committee noted that JCOMM is convening a conference in Brussels, in November 2003, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Maritime Conference convened by Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury, USN, which had initiated international cooperation, coordination and standardization in marine meteorological and oceanographic observations and data collection. The celebration conference will help to plan the further development of operational oceanography in the 21st century. The Committee recognized the significance and value of the planned conference, and urged Member States to support and participate in it.

6.3 SPACE-BASED MEASUREMENTS AND THE IGOS PARTNERS

37 The Committee received a report by Mr. Eric Lindstrom, from NASA, on progress made in the contribution by remote sensing from satellites to achieving the goals of GOOS. The space agencies are working in concert with each other, through the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS), and with the IOC and WMO and GOOS, through the Partnership for an Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS), to ensure the delivery of measurements specified by the GOOS community. The role of the IGOS Partners is specified in the IGOS Oceans Theme document (http://ioc.unesco.org/igospartners/IGOS-Oceans-Final-0101.pdf). The Oceans Theme objective is to promote integration of space-based and in situ measurements observations. It includes a ‘continuity challenge’, which concerns the operationality of the system, and a ‘knowledge challenge’, which spells out the research and development needed to improve the system. The Ocean Theme originated in 2000, and is due for revision in 2003. In the next version emphasis will be put on GOOS products and services to energize the transition of key satellite measurements from research to operations.

38 Mr. Lindstrom noted key advances including:

(i) Ocean Surface Topography, with the launch of Jason 1, and advanced plans for Jason 2;

(ii) Ocean Vector Winds, with the launch of SeaWinds and a plan for follow-on, and a series of ASCATs on METOP, plus the incorporation of scatterometer data in operational forecasting systems;

http://ioc.unesco.org/igospartners/IGOS-Oceans-Final-0101.pdf


(iii) Ocean Colour, with SeaWifs extended, a second MODIS in Orbit, and multiple missions planned;

(iv) Sea Surface Temperature, with development of improved data sets from research;

(v) Salinity, with SMOS and Aquarius launches planned; and

(vi) GRACE providing the key data set for geoidal measurements.

39 The Committee noted that the IGOS Partners are also developing a Carbon Theme that includes ocean elements, and a Coastal Theme. The Committee noted the progress in implementing the Ocean Theme, endorsed the IGOS Partners approach to assisting in the design and implementation of GOOS, and asks the IOC to urge Member States to provide support for the JASON 2 mission.

6.4 PILOT PROJECTS

6.4.1 GODAE and ARGO

40 The Committee received a report by Mr. Neville Smith, Chair of the International GODAE Steering Team (IGST), on progress with the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), which is a GOOS Pilot Project. GODAE will use modern assimilation and modelling techniques in a practical demonstration using real-time ocean data to produce useful ocean circulation products. The GODAE practitioners share assimilated products, data products, infrastructure and a jointly developed knowledge base in “The GODAE Commons”. Key satellite data streams are: altimetry, SST, and surface winds. A High Resolution SST Project is working to ensure that SST products are accurate and meaningful. Many countries are making national contributions to GODAE. All make their GODAE outputs available through websites. GODAE will be in a demonstration phase from 2003 to 2005, beyond which high-resolution models should come on line. The Committee noted the very significant progress being made, and complimented Mr. Smith on the achievements to date.

41 The Committee received a report by Mr. Etienne Charpentier on the Argo programme, which is a component of GODAE being developed by the Argo Science Team under the sponsorship of CLIVAR and GODAE. Implementation has begun, and 722 floats were operational at the time of the meeting; the 1,000-float milestone will be passed later in 2003. Success in developing and implementing the Argo programme is due to having a clear science plan, with clear objectives, an easy to understand rationale, and specific sampling requirements, which has led to a strong scientific and political consensus in favour of funding.

42 Argo floats provide global temperature and salinity profiles every 10 days at a resolution of 3°x3° and sub-surface velocities at depths between 1500m and 2000m. Its main goals are (i) to observe the ocean’s storage and interior transport of heat and freshwater (T, S, and velocity), (ii) to evaluate precipitation minus evaporation variability (S), and (iii) eventually to improve seasonal-to-interannual prediction. Its global subsurface observations are necessary complements to other less widely distributed subsurface observations from moorings and XBTs, and to surface observations from satellites. Argo data are already being used in scientific analyses of subtropical mode waters in the North Western and South Western Pacific Ocean, interannual variability in the tropical Pacific Ocean, heat budgets, and basin-scale data assimilation projects in the Atlantic Ocean.

43 Challenges remain, including: (i) maintaining funding for about 800 new floats per year to reach the target of 3,000 operational floats in 2006; (ii) demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of


Argo; (iii) maintaining high technical standards, (iv) ensuring deployment of an evenly spaced array; (v) establishing a high level of international planning and cooperation for deployments; (v) broadening the understanding of Argo benefits; (vii) ensuring long-term scientific involvement; (viii) establishing strong cooperation with operational agencies; and (ix) facilitating the transfer of technology. The priority for 2003/04 is to deploy more floats in the Southern Hemisphere. This will be a major challenge to float providing nations.

44 Float reliability is improving as several causes of premature failure have been diagnosed and designs have changed. New float designs are currently being tested and evaluated. Although profiling float technology is well proven, some technical challenges remain, including (i) improving satellite data telecommunication (reducing time spent at the surface, improving vertical resolution), (ii) greater buoyancy control, (iii) improved ruggedness, and (iv) addition of new sensors.

45 Demonstration of benefits from Argo will be critical in securing future sustained funding for Argo. The 1st Argo Science Workshop, which will highlight early scientific results/benefits obtained, is scheduled for 14-16 November 2003 (Tokyo, Japan).

46 Argo data can be accessed in near real time via the GTS within about 24-hours of collection. Real-time data are also available via the Internet from the two Global Argo Data Centres (France-Coriolis, and US-GODAE).

47 An Argo Director (Mr. John Gould) is now in post to provide strategic direction, and to work closely with the Argo Coordinator (Mr. Mathieu Belbéoch). The Director’s post is initially funded by the US for one-year, but will require international support in the longer term.

48 General information on Argo is provided by the Argo Information Centre (AIC), which is a component of JCOMMOPS, in Toulouse, and is funded through voluntary contributions from Canada, France, United Kingdom, and USA. The AIC offers a practical means for implementation of IOC Resolution XX-6 to inform Member States on actual float deployments.

49 The Committee asks the Assembly to urge Member States to contribute to the AIC trust fund at IOC in order to ease the contributions from those already making commitments.

50 The Committee was pleased to see the progress being made, but noted that more should be done to adequately fulfill the conditions set out in Resolution XX-6 of the IOC Assembly, as regards information on Argo floats that may drift into waters subject to the jurisdiction of a coastal state. In this context each Member State should have a designated National Focal Point (NFP) for Argo in their country. It was noted that: (i) individuals or scientists in Member States were not necessarily aware of the name of the official National Focal Point for Argo in their country, and (ii) changes were not necessarily reflected in the list when NFPs changed positions. Action: In order (i) to facilitate maintenance of the list of official NFPs for Argo by Member States, and (ii) to facilitate communication between them regarding the Argo programme, the Committee asked the Argo Information Centre to make the list easily available via its web site from the Home Page. Information should also be placed on how to practically submit changes to the list.

6.4.2 PIRATA

51 The Committee received a report by Ms. Janice Trotte, Head of the IOC Rio GOOS Office, on progress with the Pilot Research Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA), a GOOS Pilot Project jointly sponsored by France, Brazil, and the USA to provide real-time information


on surface and subsurface data for the Tropical Atlantic region. The Project is in a 5-year "consolidation" phase (to run from 2001 to 2006), to allow time to demonstrate the utility of PIRATA data in climate forecasting and applications. Success could lead to consideration of PIRATA as a permanent feature of GOOS and GCOS. The project is centred on 12 ATLAS moorings, to which extensions are being considered. The Ninth Session of the PIRATA Steering Group (PIRATA-9), held in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, from 03-05 February 2003, acknowledged the interests of Brazil and South Africa in proposing southwest and southeast extensions, respectively. The proposals await evaluation.

52 Logistical problems with the array have included vandalism, local mechanical failures, difficulties in accessing and processing the data in real time, the sparseness of ADCP data, acquiring ship time, and securing long term funding. Options need to be considered for a dedicated operational vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, since at present PIRATA maintenance by research vessels is costly and competes with other research programmes.

53 Under the auspices of PIRATA, an Atlantic Observations Working Group (AOWG) will report on the needs for ocean observations in the Tropical and South Atlantic, options for meeting those needs, and associated ship requirements. All nations may participate in the AOWG, which will consider long-term ocean monitoring requirements for sustaining the enhanced PIRATA system; deployment and maintenance of other surface and subsurface observational systems for sustained climate and ocean observations; and support for other relevant international programmes for operational oceanography in the region.

54 Ms Trotte reported that a South Atlantic Climate Observing System (SACOS) Workshop was held immediately after PIRATA-9, with the aims of identifying (i) gaps in our understanding of the climate processes in the South Atlantic, and (ii) efforts needed to understand the role of the South Atlantic in the climate system on the regional scale. PIRATA figured as a key element of any future climate observing system for the region.

55 The Committee noted and endorsed progress with PIRATA and called on all Member States to support it.

56 The Committee noted and endorsed the intention to make PIRATA operational after 2005, and the proposal for the Rio GOOS Office to work with Member States in the region to develop GOOS in the South Atlantic.

57 The Committee endorsed the establishment of the Atlantic Observations Working Group (AOWG) to consider long-term ocean monitoring requirements, and recommended that the AOWG pays careful attention to the issue of cost-effective solutions in terms of ship support.

6.4.3 WIOMAP and Others

58 The Committee received a report by Mr. Peter Dexter, of WMO, for the joint JCOMM Secretariat, on the status of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Applications Project (WIOMAP), a major regional cooperative capacity building project of JCOMM and GOOS. The objective is to enhance the capabilities of institutions in the Western Indian Ocean region to provide operational marine services in response to identified user requirements. The project has four main modules: (i) capacity building; (ii) observing network and data management enhancement; (iii) communications networking; and (iv) establishment of specialized marine applications centres. A draft project document was reviewed at a planning meeting in Mauritius in November 2002, in conjunction with the Indian Ocean GOOS Conference. The final project document should be ready for submission to funding agencies, by Mauritius, on behalf of all participants,


in late 2003. The JCOMM Task Team on Resources will assist in identifying potential funding sources for the project, which is seen as a direct contribution to both Indian Ocean GOOS and GOOS-AFRICA. The Committee endorsed the project as potentially an important contribution to GOOS in the western Indian Ocean region, and urged Member States to assist in its implementation.

7. STATUS OF GOOS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE REGIONAL SCALE

7.1 REPORT OF THE 1ST REGIONAL GOOS FORUM

59 The 1st Regional GOOS Forum (2 - 6 December 2002) was held in Athens alongside the 3rd EuroGOOS Conference on Operational Oceanography so as to enable delegates to learn about operational oceanographic developments in Europe. Eleven existing and potential GRAs were represented. The Forum documented observing needs and assets in the established GRAs, and agreed to draw these to the attention of the IOC Assembly (Annex III). The Forum also agreed to develop a capacity building and cooperation proposal – GOOS Regional Alliances Network Development (GRAND) - to be submitted to the EU FP6 programme in April 2003. GRAND will identify priorities and needs, build capacities, and harmonize activities developed by participating countries.

60 The Committee agreed that the Regional Forum was a useful development and should be repeated, and endorsed holding the 2nd Regional GOOS Forum in the Pacific in 2004, noting that the I-GOOS Board’s planning for it should involve SOPAC, Pacific Islands GOOS, the Perth Office, the WESTPAC Office and the GPO.

7.2 REGIONAL GOOS DEVELOPMENTS

61 Representatives of GOOS Regional Alliances (GRAs) reported on progress in the development of GOOS at regional level.

62 Mr. Vyocheslov Lobonov, NEAR-GOOS Chair, reported on progress in the development of NEAR-GOOS. The main objective was to establish real-time and delayed mode databases, which are operationally closely linked. Data exchange has developed well, though improvements are needed. The Japan Meteorological Agency supplies the Internet service with daily sea surface temperature analysis. Japan funds an annual NEAR-GOOS capacity building training programme on Data Management. NEAR-GOOS is now planning a second phase, including further improvement of data exchange, widening the range of data exchanged, and involving more agencies. Constraints to development include lack of strong coordination in some countries; too few experts involved in the Scientific Steering Committee; and funding. The Committee urged the Member States of NEAR-GOOS to exchange more data so as to make NEAR-GOOS fully operational, and to add additional parameters so as to fill important data gaps.

63 The Director of EuroGOOS, Mr. Hans Dahlin, recalled that the recent EuroGOOS Conference in Athens provided extensive information on the status of development of EuroGOOS, which is a “Non-Governmental Association” of 31 Agencies/laboratories with national responsibilities in 17 Member States. Many EuroGOOS members are governmental agencies. EuroGOOS’s main objective is to promote operational oceanography at the national and European levels, and to get the needed support. Infrastructure building is based on requirements at global, European, sub-regional, and national levels, financed by national


sources, and sustained through binding agreements. Users’ demands come from many sources including regional Conventions, environmental agencies and associations. The decrease of resources for marine activities at national level is counteracted by the joint co-operation. The European ocean monitoring infrastructure is built through interagency agreement and joint projects. Several EC-funded projects on operational oceanography have been stimulated by EuroGOOS. Arctic and Atlantic Task teams are examining further developments. Present priorities focus on strengthening the infrastructure for European operational oceanography, support for development of a proposal for a European Centre for Ocean Modelling and Forecasting (MERSEA), and transfer of best practice.

64 Mr. Justin Ahanhanzo, Technical Secretary of GOOS-AFRICA, noted that GOOS-AFRICA is focusing on coping with the many hard realities of climate in Africa such as droughts, floods, and sea level rise. They have drafted a major proposal on a Regional Ocean Observing and Forecasting System for Africa (ROOFS-AFRICA) for consideration for funding through the African Process, and are relating funding requests to the regional LMEs, such as that for the Benguela system. Some of the funding needed to build the capabilities of GOOS-AFRICA is being supplied through the ODINAFRICA programme. The Committee noted the progress of GOOS-Africa, and called for continued collaboration between GOOS and IODE in Africa.

65 Ms. Silvana Vallerga, Chair of MedGOOS, reported on progress with MedGOOS, which is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between 20 national agencies from 17 Member States. She announced that INSTM, Tunisia, was the most recent to sign the MOU, after a long period of cooperation with MedGOOS. All Mediterranean countries are partners in the EC-funded and MedGOOS-led MAMA project to build an operational oceanographic network and build capacity in the region. MedGOOS has a full time Secretariat, based in Malta. The Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project (MFSPP), sponsored by EuroGOOS and MedGOOS, and funded by the EC, provided forecasts for some time for MedGOOS countries, and has now been replaced by the Mediterranean Forecasting System Towards Environmental Prediction (MFSTEP), which will serve the same purpose. MedGOOS already has two buoys in the water and uses MAMA fund to support awareness raising, capacity building and other GOOS activities, including 30 fellowships lasting 1 month each. MedGOOS is supporting the MERSEA proposal for a European Centre for Ocean Modelling and Forecasting. MedGOOS is also is working, with Black Sea GOOS, on a proposal for a large integrated project involving Mediterranean, Black Sea and Caspian Sea countries.

66 Mr. Cesar Toro, of the IOCARIBE Secretariat, reported on IOCARIBE-GOOS, which recently established its Steering Committee and will hold a regional symposium during the Oceanology Americas meeting in New Orleans (April 2003). IOCARIBE-GOOS aims to provide information useful to fisheries, oil production, and coastal users (tourism). Collaboration is planned between IOCARIBE, US State Dept, NOAA and UNEP for the Blue Water to White Water regional conference. IOCARIBE-GOOS will use IODE’s development of ODINCARSA to build up the required data and information management infrastructure. IOCARIBE-GOOS will work with the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP), coordinated by UNEP, to determine what products the RSPs need and what GOOS may be able to deliver that could also be useful.

67 Mr. Alf Simpson, Director of SOPAC, reported on Pacific Islands GOOS (PI-GOOS), which was recently re-named from PacificGOOS. The number of partners has greatly increased since it was formed in 1998. PI-GOOS helped to develop the SEREAD project, which facilitates Argo deployments in the EEZs of the region. PI-GOOS also helped SOPAC to work with the


Pacific Island States to develop an Ocean Policy for their region. The PI-GOOS Steering Committee meeting in Nadi, Fiji, in October 2002 resulted in creation of a project proposal to set up a Pacific Island ocean information system with accompanying staff support.

68 Mr. Bill Erb, Head of the IOC Perth GOOS Office, indicated that Indian Ocean GOOS (IOGOOS) is progressing well. The Memorandum of Understanding creating IOGOOS was signed during the IOGOOS Conference in Mauritius in November 2002. India provides a Secretariat in Hyderabad. The Conference was a landmark meeting for the Indian Ocean region. Working groups were set up to take forward developments in different topic areas, such as data and information management. A coastal GOOS project is already funded. In connection with the IOGOOS meeting, an international cruise was organized for 45 days from India to Mauritius and back, to promote cooperation in marine scientific research related to GOOS. Nineteen scientists from 6 regional countries participated, carrying out experiments and deploying 10 Argo floats.

69 Mr. Erb noted that Southeast Asia GOOS (SEAGOOS) is still in a developmental stage. In the temporary absence of IOC staff from the WESTPAC Office in Bangkok, the development of SEAGOOS is in the hands of the Perth Office. A high-level summit meeting to garner support for SEAGOOS is planned for Kuala Lumpur on 15 July 2003, in parallel with a tropical cyclone modelling workshop.

70 Mr. Ilkay Salihoglu, Executive Secretary of Black Sea GOOS, reported that good progress is being made thanks to the success of the EC-funded ARENA proposal, which, like the MAMA programme in MedGOOS, will build networks and capacity for GOOS in the region. In addition surface drifters and Argo floats are being used to understand the circulation. Black Sea GOOS is working, in cooperation with MedGOOS, to develop an integrated eastern Mediterranean-Black Sea-Caspian Sea project.

71 Mr. Eric Lindstrom, of the “Ocean.US” Office, presented a summary of US-GOOS activities. Several regional observing systems now exist or are developing in the USA, like the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing. US-GOOS is promoting the grouping of these activities into a national federation of regional observing systems. The regional systems regard land data on stream flow as important for assessing inputs from the land to the ocean. Education and outreach are important priorities in the US-GOOS programme, which has just appointed an education coordinator. The various US regional associations already work closely with international partners at their borders, and over the next few years US-GOOS hopes to develop a North American GOOS Regional Alliance involving Canada, Mexico and other potential partners.

72 The Committee noted that plans are being made for a meeting in Colombia in May 2003 to take forward the development of a GOOS Regional Association for the South East Pacific.

73 The Committee noted that although all the GRAs are at different stages of development, they are moving from (i) organizing pilot projects or having meetings of people with common interests to define their GOOS objectives, to (ii) drafting strategic and implementation plans, to (iii) developing inventories of capabilities and capacity building requirements, setting up web sites, establishing secretariats, building awareness, and planning meetings and workshops. They are developing according to GOOS Principles and in line with the GOOS Regional Policy, and represent a major contribution to GOOS.

74 The Committee received reports from the two regional offices established by IOC to support the development of GOOS. Mr. Bill Erb reported on the Perth Office in Western Australia, which is supported by the Government of Western Australia, the Commonwealth of


Australia (through the Bureau of Meteorology) and the IOC. It has assisted development of Indian Ocean GOOS, Pacific Islands GOOS and SEA-GOOS. Ms. Janice Trotte reported on the Rio de Janeiro Office in Brazil, which is supported by the Brazilian Department of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN), and the IOC, with the aid of contributions made by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Office has been assisting in the development of GOOS activities in the South Atlantic and with PIRATA.

75 The Committee commended the two officers on having made impressive achievements in a relatively short time. The Committee recommended that the Rio Office should focus on strengthening the relations between Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina for a further development of a GOOS regional alliance.

76 Mr. Hans Dahlin reported on progress by the joint ICES/IOC Steering Group on GOOS, of which EuroGOOS is a Member, and which aims to help to bring the GOOS approach into ICES and to make ICES agencies observations available to GOOS. The Group has developed a joint ICES/EuroGOOS North Sea Ecosystem Pilot Project to demonstrate the usefulness of GOOS methods in support of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries and environmental management for the North Sea. Similar projects are being considered for the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Biscay. The Group is keen to work with other interested parties to develop a regional GOOS for the North Atlantic. The Committee noted progress with the connection to ICES.

77 The Committee (i) endorsed the present GRAs and approved their reports; (ii) noted with appreciation the plans for the establishment of a South Atlantic GOOS and of a South East Pacific GOOS; (iii) welcomed the work of the Rio GOOS Office and noted the interest of Argentina in particular regarding its GOOS and GLOSS activities; (iv) noted the regional needs of the GRAs as expressed in the 1st Regional Forum (Annex III), and encouraged developed Member States to assist in meeting those needs; (v) noted and supported the plan for a joint networking and capacity building project linking all GRAs (and interested Member States that are not yet part of a GRA); (vi) noted the progress by Member States at regional level in building the institutional infrastructure and the science and technology base for the implementation of GOOS, and recognized the need for long-term marine observations to get the full benefits of efforts by Member States; and (vii) recommended that full use be made of the existing regional subsidiary bodies of the IOC in building GRAs.

7.3 REGIONAL POLICY

78 The Committee received a report by the past I-GOOS Chair, Mr. Angus McEwan, on the proposed policy governing the regional development of GOOS. The Committee recommended that the IOC Assembly endorse the policy as given in Annex IV. Assuming that the Policy is approved, the Committee recommends that IOC approve the existing GRAs listed in Annex V.

8. STATUS OF GOOS IMPLEMENTATION AT THE NATIONAL SCALE

79 Member States were asked to ensure that the national GOOS contacts list on the GOOS web site accurately reflects their positions.

80 National reports were received from Canada, Cuba, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, Spain, and the Ukraine. The Committee urged other Member States to keep the GPO abreast of their developments by using the template for national reporting.


81 The Committee received a report by Mr. Bert Thompson, Consultant, on the information he had gathered on national commitments. His national profiling efforts include documenting, assessing and tracking commitments since mid 2001. Analyses of this information showed some declines in data delivery from observational programmes. JCOMM has agreed to participate in data flow monitoring to check these declines.

82 The submission of national reports has helped to identify initial commitments to GOOS, but as the regional components of GOOS develop, and as the Global Observing System Information Centre (GOSIC) (9.2.1, below) becomes fully operational, advantage should be taken of both to improve the flow of information on commitments and operations. GOSIC can establish web pages for each Member State, including information on national profiles, to enable national commitments to be seen in the context of the overall programme. These pages could be kept current through coordination between national contacts, GRA programme managers and GOOS data coordinators. If this suggestion is accepted, it would obviate the need to provide national reports to the GPO.

83 This proposal has far reaching ramifications, including those on the staffing for the assessment activity (presently Bert Thompson) and the sustainability of GOSIC. Funds for both activities will be exhausted by the end of 2004. Mr. Thompson suggested that a full time data coordinator (as specified in the GOOS data management plan) be recruited to undertake the assessment activity, which he will relinquish in 2003.

84 The Committee agreed (i) to consider developing a mechanism for compiling and analysing all national contributions to GOOS, including the data collected by GRAs, so as to be able to provide a comprehensive annual reports on the status of the observing system, and (ii) that both the assessment and GOSIC issues (see below) require immediate attention, and decided to form an inter-sessional working group to review the future activities and funding, including personnel and facilities, of the assessment and GOSIC activities.

9. DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND POLICY

9.1 OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA POLICY

85 The Committee received a report by Mr. Angus McEwan, Chairman of the IOC’s Intergovernmental Working Group on IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy. The Working Group has agreed on a proposed data policy that will be put forward as a Resolution to the 22nd IOC Assembly. Mr. Angus McEwan reviewed the proposed policy and tabled the document, noting that it had been accepted by IODE-XVII in March 2003. The Committee expressed support for the data policy, and called on Member States to ensure compliance. Some delegations expressed the need for national consultation on the proposed text before presentation at 22nd IOC Assembly

9.2 DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

9.2.1 Progress with GOSIC

86 The Committee received a report by Mr. James Crease, on behalf of Mr. Ron Wilson, on the status of the Global Observing Systems Information Centre (GOSIC). GOSIC is hosted at the University of Delaware and provides a window into GOOS metadata (http://www.gos.udel.edu). The Committee noted that more guidance is needed from GOOS to

http://www.gos.udel.edu/


GOSIC, which could be achieved in part through a review of GOSIC in 2003. The Committee noted that the plan for developing and implementing GOSIC includes two 3-year developmental phases followed by a 2-year phase during which the system is to be transferred to an “operational agency”. A volunteer agency is needed to take on this task. The Committee agreed (i) there should be a review of GOSIC in 2003, and (ii) to draw to the attention of the IOC Assembly the need for a Member State to accept operational responsibility for GOSIC.

9.2.2 Links to IODE

87 The Committee received a report by the IODE Chair, Ms. Lesley Rickards, on the nature and objectives of IODE, the data centres of which provide a mechanism to facilitate the management of data and information for GOOS and JCOMM. IODE data centres are an integral part of GOOS through their involvement in e.g. Argo, GLOSS, etc. IODE is also contributing to the goals of GOOS and JCOMM through its engagement in the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme (GTSPP), and the newly established Global Ocean Surface Underway Data (GOSUD) project. In order to streamline existing structures and maximize their effectiveness, IODE-XVII and the JCOMM Management Committee had recommended the merging of the IODE Group of Experts on Technical Aspects of Data Exchange (GE-TADE) and the JCOMM Expert Team on Data Management Practices (ETDMP). IODE was also a co-sponsor of the Ocean Information Technology (OIT) Pilot Project (9.2.3, below), jointly with JCOMM and GOOS. IODE is contributing to strengthening aspects of the GOOS infrastructure through its capacity building programme, especially through ODINAFRICA and ODINCARSA, and through the IODE’s membership of the GOOS Capacity Building Panel and the JCOMM Capacity Building Coordination Group. IODE’s modular training tool, Ocean Teacher, can be adapted to include GOOS modules. The overlapping and complementary interests between GOOS, JCOMM and IODE are fully accepted by IODE, and IODE-XVII established an ad hoc working group to consider the implications of GOOS and JCOMM development on IODE.

88 Whereas IODE had in the past mainly concentrated on physical oceanographic data, the Committee noted that the newly established IODE Group of Experts on Biological and Chemical Data and Exchange Practices (GE-BCDMEP) was now giving attention to the exchange and management of these increasingly important data. This had led to IODE co-sponsoring of the “Colour of Ocean Data Symposium” (Brussels, 25-27 November 2002), which had made useful recommendations to IODE-XVII.

89 The Committee welcomed the extensive linkages that now exist between GOOS, JCOMM and IODE, and called for continued streamlining and optimisation of GOOS, JCOMM and IODE subsidiary bodies in the field of ocean data and information management. The Committee noted the efforts made by IODE in the area of biological data management, but called on IODE to make similar efforts for chemical data, including pollution data as these are of great importance to the Coastal Module of GOOS. The Committee expressed its appreciation for the OceanTeacher system but called on IODE to include courses to train scientists on the importance of data and information management. The Committee also noted the need for the IOC Assembly to urge Member States to provide university level training courses in data and information management.

9.2.3 The Ocean Information Technology Project

90 The Committee received a report by Mr. Neville Smith, Chairman of the Steering Team for the Ocean Information Technology (OIT) Project, on the progress and plans for the Project. The aim is to investigate ways in which the ocean community can use or adapt novel


technologies to handle the rapidly increasing torrent of data from in situ and remote sensing observational devices. The Project is endorsed by the GSC, IODE and JCOMM, and forms a GOOS pilot project. Its Steering Team held its first meeting in Brussels on 29 November 2002. The Project is addressing: (i) the demand for effective telecommunications; (ii) the need for common standards, practices and protocols (metadata management); (iii) the need for data and product services matched to the participants and users of GOOS data; (iv) the need for innovative data inquiry, access and delivery mechanisms; and (v) the need for intra-operability and interoperability. As a first step the Project will initiate an OIT Metadata Management Project to develop a metadata model, working with XML. Results will be considered in a Workshop in spring 2004. The Project will also focus on data transport and communication (servers, protocols for exchange); and on the assembly and integrity of data sets (with an orderly process for quality control and assurance), building on Argo experience.

91 The Committee agreed that the OIT Project offers an outstanding improvement to the ways in which marine science in general, and GOOS and JCOMM and IODE in particular, handle data and information. The Committee endorsed the plans proposed, and agreed to urge Member States through the IOC Assembly to support the development of this innovative project.

10. CAPACITY BUILDING

92 The Committee received a report by Mr. Craig Donlon, Vice Chair of the GOOS CB Panel, on the results of the 1st meeting of the GOOS Capacity Building (CB) Panel (Geneva, 24-26 June 2002), which took place in parallel with the 1st meeting of the JCOMM Capacity Building Coordination Group so as to ensure synergy between the activities of the two groups. The Committee endorsed the proposal of JCOMM and the GSC to combine the activities of these two capacity building groups where appropriate. The Committee agreed that the Chair of the GOOS CB Panel should report on progress and plans to I-GOOS and be part of the Regional GOOS Forum.

93 Mr. Donlon outlined the main points of the GOOS Capacity Building (CB) Action Plan. The Committee agreed that it is critical to assist developing countries to gain access to and training in the use of remotely sensed data from satellites, in support of sustainable development, and endorsed the main thrusts of the Plan, which focus on remote sensing, in situ observations, modelling and forecasting, and data and information management. The Committee noted that CB should also focus on the provision of equipment (such as Argo floats, and tide gauges), combined with training in its use, and the provision of maintenance for the long term. The Committee also saw the need for detailed appraisals of the needs of specific regions, and noted that this aspect was already being addressed through the activities of the JCOMM Capacity Building Coordination Group and by some GRAs, such as MedGOOS.

94 Mr. Donlon gave a short introduction to the UNESCO Bilko programme for learning in remote sensing, which had been used for many training courses in remote sensing and was also a tool that students and scientists could use to process remotely sensed data and produce products. The Bilko tool had been developed by UNESCO’s Marine Science programme, and used by UNESCO’s CSI. It could also be used to support GOOS’s endeavours to enhance the ability of developing country scientists to access and use remotely sensed data and convert it into information products for decision makers. The Committee noted that Bilko is a Virtual Global Faculty for Marine and Coastal Remote Sensing. It has a modular structure that can be adapted easily to focus on regional and national GOOS needs. It is already being considered as a


key tool for raising competence in the use of remotely sensed data by GOOS-AFRICA. The Committee agreed that Bilko should be used as one of the IOC’s tools for capacity building in support of GOOS.

95 The Committee received a report by Mr. Alan Edwards, European Commission, on two EC programmes that may provide avenues for funding of GOOS activities: (i) the ERA-NET programme; and (ii) the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) project. The ERA-NET scheme is a way for the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to support the co-operation and co-ordination of research activities carried out at national or regional level (http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/era-net.html). GMES is a joint initiative with the European Space Agency (ESA) with the overall aim of supporting Europe’s goals regarding sustainable development and global governance by facilitating and fostering over the next decade the provision of high quality data, information, and knowledge. Specifically GMES aims at establishing by 2008 an operational and autonomous European capacity for global monitoring of environment and civil security. It can be seen as a European contribution to the global observing systems. An implementation phase is planned for 2004-2008 and will build on existing infrastructures and capabilities, complementing them where needed. (http://europa.eu.int/comm/space/prog/gmes/gmes_en.html).

11. LIAISON AND INTEGRATION

96 The Committee was reminded (agenda item 5.2) that GOOS has worked with GCOS and GTOS to draft a report on the adequacy of the entire observing system for climate for submission to the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This will broaden appreciation of GOOS requirements at national levels. The COP has requested Member States to provide action plans on how they are meeting the requirements of the global climate monitoring system, noting that GOOS is the ocean component of the system. GCOS is presently analysing these plans.

97 The GEF funds GCOS to conduct capacity building workshops to determine the needs of the regions. GOOS has worked closely with GCOS to ensure that oceans are adequately addressed in that process.

98 The main interactions with GTOS have been through the Coastal GOOS Panel (COOP). The requirements for the common monitoring of sites are being reviewed.

99 The Committee noted that CEOS too is working on the common remote sensing observations required for the Integrated Observing System.

100 The Committee noted the close coordination between IOCARIBE and the Caribbean Environment Programme, coordinated by UNEP. They also noted UNEP’s intent to draft a Memorandum of Understanding with IOC/GOOS for consideration by the 22nd IOC Assembly.

101 The Committee recalled that ICSU is a co-sponsor of the GOOS scientific advisory bodies, GSC, COOP and OOPC, that ICSU’s SCOR assists Member States to identify potential members for these panels, and that ICSU, GOOS and SCOR are also linked through the IOC’s co-sponsorship with SCOR of the CO2 Panel, which is studying the best observation system for ocean carbon. Links of GOOS to the interests of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) occur through interactions between COOP and LOICZ and GLOBEC.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/fp6/era-net.html

http://europa.eu.int/comm/space/prog/gmes/gmes_en.html


102 The Committee also recalled that the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) has been advising on GOOS activities and assisting with GOOS capacity building.

12. GOOS INFRASTRUCTURE

12.1 REPORT OF THE GOOS PROJECT OFFICE

103 The Committee noted that annual staff effort under the direction of the GOOS Project Office now amounts to ten person-years. The Paris staff is down by one, which is putting pressure on staff at headquarters as GOOS continues to grow. The Offices in Rio and Perth have helped to manage the growth in regional activities. New activities that help to create pressure on headquarters staff include the setting up of JCOMM, the IGOS Partnership and its themes, GRA’s, the I-GOOS Board, the Regional GOOS Forum, the Capacity Building Panel and the GOOS Review.

104 The Committee thanked the USA for offering a secondment beginning in June 2004 for a fourteen-month period to help organize the JCOMM-II meeting (Canada, 2005). The Committee thanked Japan for continuing its provision of an Associate Expert to the GPO, and the USA for funding the Technical Secretary of the OOPC. The Committee noted that GRAs were now providing (or seeking for) funds for their own support, which would help take some pressure off GPO staff.

105 The Committee noted that the UNESCO Young Professional Programme has provided Ms. Boram Lee from Korea to assist with the JCOMM programme, and requested the IOC to maintain this post.

106 The Committee deeply appreciated the hard work of the GPO team and warmly thanked the Director for his dedicated and outstanding leadership of the Office. It noted that Member States must contribute to and assume responsibility for the international coordination essential for the continued growth and development of GOOS, including its implementation through JCOMM. Noting that the Director of the GPO will retire in 2004, the Committee asked for strong representation to be made to IOC for continuity in the role of the Director of the GPO.

12.2 WORK PROGRAMME AND BUDGET

107 The Committee noted that the annual IOC/GOOS budget for programme activities is close to one million dollars, some from the IOC Regular Programme budget ($342,000 for 2003) and some from extra-budgetary resources ($620,000 for 2003). The Regular Programme contribution comes from the IOC allocation to GOOS plus GOOS-related contributions from the Ocean Climate, TEMA and Regional budgets. Zero nominal growth is expected for the next biennial budget (2004/2005). The Committee noted that the financial impact on GOOS of the return of the USA to UNESCO needed to be assessed.

108 The Committee endorsed the work programme and budget, with the following provisions:

(i) The present allocation of 28% of the GOOS Programme Budget for the Science Guidance Panels should decrease in 2004 if COOP is able to produce an Implementation Plan. The number of GOOS Science Guidance Panel meetings should be reduced to a minimum to free resources.


(ii) Funding saved by those means should be redistributed to Implementation Oversight and Capacity Building.

(iii) GPO staff should spend less time at meetings, being represented where possible by I-GOOS Board or GSC members, to free GPO staff for other activities. In these cases, travel costs should be minimized.

(iv) The IOC Executive Secretary should urge Member States to give in-kind support to GPO through the “virtual secondment” of experts to carry out actions identified by the Committee. (“virtual secondments” envisage the experts remaining in their home institutions while working full or part-time for the GPO).

(v) The IOC Executive Secretary should be urged to allocate a substantial proportion of the time (50%) of the new P-5 TEMA staff member to support GPO efforts to obtain additional external funding for Capacity Building and to help run the Capacity Building component of GOOS.

109 The Committee agreed that the IOC should investigate a broader base of external funding; and that a forecast of future secured funds should be presented as part of the work programme and budget in future.

12.3 COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION

110 The Committee noted recent developments in communicating information about GOOS. To help to regularly inform national and regional GOOS contact points about GOOS developments the GPO developed a set of list servers that enable GOOS News-Flashes to be sent to the GOOS Community. The first News-Flash was sent out in October 2002. Recipients are asked to pass the News-Flashes on to their national communities. The Committee endorsed publication of the GOOS News Flashes.

111 Lack of staff time has prevented progress with the GOOS Brochure, the Biennial GOOS Status Report, or the Biannual GOOS Newsletter. Delays in production of the electronic GOOS Products and Services Bulletin have been solved by assistance from Texas A & M University. Numerous improvements have been made to the GOOS web site (http://ioc.unesco.org/goos), from which Member States can now download copies of recent GOOS power point presentations. The Committee urged Member States and GRA representatives to use these slides to make their own presentations in their own languages to raise awareness at the national level. The Committee also noted that each GRA either has developed or is developing a web page, and is engaged in awareness raising activities of a variety of kinds.

112 The Committee noted that the GSC and JCOMM have begun to develop a Communications Strategy, and recommended that the I-GOOS Board should be consulted in that work. The Committee also noted the formation of an inter-sessional Editorial Group to update The GOOS 1998, and agreed with the representation of I-GOOS on that group by the I-GOOS Chair.

13. REVIEW OF ACTIONS AND ISSUES AND OF THE REPORT OF THE MEETING

113 The Committee reviewed progress against actions for 2001-2003, noting that well over 80% of the actions from I-GOOS-V had been achieved, and many of the remaining ones were in progress.

http://ioc.unesco.org/goos


114 The Committee agreed that the major issues for I-GOOS for 2003-2005 were those listed in agenda item 2 above.

115 The Committee approved the final text of the report of the meeting, subject to minor modifications requested from the Secretariat for clarification and to remove factual errors and improve the English. The Committee agreed on a number of Recommendations and Resolutions, which are listed in Annex I. In addition the Committee decided to submit to the IOC Assembly a Draft Resolution given in Annex VI and requesting (i) acceptance of the report of I-GOOS-VI and its recommendations and resolutions, and (ii) specific actions by the Executive Secretary of the IOC relating to the need for resources for GOOS coordination and capacity building.

14. ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON AND VICE-CHAIRPERSONS

116 The Committee unanimously re-elected Ms Silvana Vallerga (Italy) to continue as Chairperson, and Dr. Rodrigo Nunez (Chile) to continue to serve as one of the Vice-Chairpersons, with Dr. Guillermo-Garcia (Cuba) as the second of the Vice-Chairpersons, to hold office until the end of its next session. The Committee thanked Ms. Janice Trotte warmly for her activities as I-GOOS Vice Chairperson for the past two years.

15. NEXT SESSION OF THE IOC-WMO-UNEP COMMITTEE FOR GOOS (I-GOOS-VII)

117 The Committee decided that its next session will be held in Paris in March 2005.

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex I

ANNEX I

RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS OF I-GOOS-VI (Paris, 10-14 March 2003)

Ref. Subject Action/Recommendation proposed Responsible Target Date

1.0 para 7 State of ocean ecosystems

Recommend that IOC ask Member States to report on what they are doing to assess the state of their ocean ecosystems in response to the requirements of the WSSD.

I-GOOS Chair IOC 22nd Assembly

2.0 para 9 ToRs of I-GOOS Board

Recommend that the IOC Assembly endorse the ToRs and Membership of the I-GOOS Board as proposed in Resolution I-GOOS-VI.1.


3.0 para 17

ToRs of I-GOOS, GSC and GPO

Recommend the GOOS Sponsors (including IOC) work to modify the ToRs of I-GOOS, GSC and GPO, following the advice of the Review Group.

(i) I-GOOS Chair (ii) Sponsors

IOC 22nd Assembly Before I-GOOS-VII

4.0 para 18

I-GOOS and ABE-LOS

Convey to ABE-LOS/IOC the interests of the Committee regarding the collection and management of oceanographic data in EEZs.

I-GOOS Chair 3rd Meeting of ABE-LOS/IOC

4.0 para 18

I-GOOS and ABE-LOS

Recommend to the IOC Assembly that ABE-LOS/IOC provides advice on the legal framework applicable to the collection and management of oceanographic data in EEZs, while I-GOOS offers advice on the technical and scientific context.


5.2 para 25

Implementing fully the initial global ocean climate observing system

Recommend that the IOC Assembly bring to the attention of Member States the need to implement fully the initial global ocean climate observing system.


6.1 para 32

GLOSS Recommend to the IOC Assembly that Member States should upgrade all GLOSS designated stations for real-time data delivery by 2004, and provide their GLOSS data as required by the GLOSS Implementation Plan.


6.2 para 34

Effectiveness of JCOMM

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to encourage collaboration between meteorological and oceanographic organizations at the national level so as to ensure the effectiveness of JCOMM.


6.2 para 36

Brussels Conference

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to support and participate in the Brussels 150 year conference to honour the pioneering work of Lt. Maury and examine the future of operational oceanography.


6.3 para 39

Jason-2 Mission

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to provide support for the JASON 2 mission.


6.4.1 para 49

Argo Information Centre (AIC)

Recommend that the IOC Assembly invite Member States to contribute to the AIC trust fund, to share the burden with those already making commitments.


IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex I - page 2


6.4.1 para 50

Argo Information Centre

Recommend that the Argo Information Centre (i) make easily available via its web site the list of National Focal Points and information about how to submit changes to the list, and (ii) facilitate communication about Argo float deployments and positions.

Argo Information Centre

With immediate effect

6.4.2 para 55

PIRATA Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to provide resources to support PIRATA implementation.


6.4.3 para 58

WIOMAP Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to provide resources to support WIOMAP implementation.


7.1 para 59 & 7.2 para 77

Meeting Regional Needs

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge developed Member States to help developing states meet the regional needs for development expressed by the GRAs at the 1st regional GOOS Forum.


7.2 para 62

NEAR-GOOS Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States of NEAR-GOOS to make it more effective by exchanging more data and by adding parameters to fill information gaps.


7.2 para 77

Links to Regional Subsidiary Bodies of the IOC

Recommend to the IOC Assembly that full use be made of the existing regional subsidiary bodies of the IOC in building GRAs.


7.3 para 78

Regional Policy

Recommend that the IOC Assembly endorse the GOOS Regional Policy.


7.3 para 78

Approval of GRAs

Recommend that the IOC Assembly accept and approve the following GRAs as members of the GOOS family: EuroGOOS, MedGOOS, GOOS-AFRICA, PI-GOOS, IOGOOS and US-GOOS; noting that Black Sea GOOS, IOCARIBE-GOOS, and NEAR-GOOS have already been formally approved.


8.0 para 79

National Reporting

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to keep the GPO abreast of their developments by submitting regular national reports using the template for national reporting.


9.1 para 85

Data Policy Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to support the publication of a data policy.


9.2.1 para 86

GOSIC Bring to the attention of the IOC Assembly the need for a Member State to accept operational responsibility for GOSIC.


9.2.2 para 89

Data and Information Management

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to provide university level training courses in data and information management.


9.2.3 para 91

Ocean Information Technology Project

Recommend that the IOC Assembly urge Member States to resource the development of the Ocean Information Technology Project.


12.1 para 105

GPO Recommend that the IOC maintain the JCOMM post currently provided by the UNESCO Young Professional’s Programme.


12.1 para 106

GPO Director Recruitment

Recommend that the IOC ensure continuity in the role of the Director of the GPO.


IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex I - page 3


12.2 para 108, 109

GPO Management

Recommend to the IOC Assembly that the Executive Secretary IOC (i) Review more cost effective ways of covering the growing number of GOOS related meetings; (ii) Investigate secondment possibilities, including “virtual secondments”; (iii) Expand extra-budgetary funding; (iv) Present a forecast of future secured funds to each I-GOOS meeting.


12.2 para 108

Capacity Building

Recommend that the IOC Assembly request the Executive Secretary of the IOC to make available to the GOOS CB programme an appropriate proportion of the time of the new IOC P5 grade post in Capacity Building when the new recruit arrives in post later this year.


13. para 115

Resolution Recommend that the IOC Assembly endorse the Draft Resolution for the IOC Assembly accepting the Recommendations and Resolutions of this Report.


IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex II

ANNEX II

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE I-GOOS BOARD Resolution I-GOOS-VI.1

The Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS, Recalling (i) that I-GOOS-V had urged that an I-GOOS Board be established to carry out I-GOOS

inter-sessional work (Summary Report of the session, paragraphs 41-43), (ii) that the IOC Assembly, at its Twenty-first Session (Paris, June-July 2001), had endorsed

the recommendations made by I-GOOS-V (Summary Report of the session, paragraph 189),

Decides that the I-GOOS Board shall have the following Terms of Reference: (i) Review and, as necessary, co-ordinate the implementation of decisions taken by the I-

GOOS committee; (ii) Review the planning of the work programmes of I-GOOS and the GSC and advise the I-

GOOS and the GSC on their implementation; (iii) Assess the resources required for the implementation of the work programmes, and

suggest actions to identify and mobilize resources; (iv) Facilitate the regular assessment of user requirements, integrating the work of existing

bodies, taking into consideration the analysis of benefits and costs; (v) Provide inter-sessional guidance to the GPO; (vi) Contribute inter-sessionally to the planning processes for GOOS, and liaise with the

sponsoring bodies, IOC, WMO and UNEP, as required; Decides further that the I-GOOS Board will be composed of: the Chairperson of I-GOOS; the two Vice-Chairpersons of I-GOOS; and the Chairperson of GSC. One co-president of JCOMM will also participate in the meetings.

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex III

ANNEX III

REVIEW OF THE NEEDS OF REGIONAL GOOS BODIES At the 1st Regional GOOS Forum (Athens, 2-6 December 2002), the GOOS Regional Alliances highlighted the following various needs (Table 1). The Report of the meeting (I-GOOS-VI/21; GOOS Report 127) agreed that these topics should be brought to the attention of I-GOOS-VI, to stimulate the agencies from the industrial world to assist in meeting the needs of the less developed regions, as a means of stimulating technology transfer and capacity building initiatives on a bilateral basis. The needs fall into six main categories: (i) infrastructure; (ii) making observations (monitoring); (iii) data and information access, management, communication and exchange; (iv) data analysis, assimilation, modelling and product development; (v) awareness raising; (vi) funding. The numbers in parentheses show where the need was identified by more than one GRA. Table 1: FIRST REGIONAL GOOS FORUM: REGIONAL NEEDS (i) Infrastructure

• Appropriate institutions and infrastructure ; • Supply and employment of skilled personnel (2); • Appropriate coordinating mechanism (including dedicated Secretariat) (2); • More enabling research, and research facilities; • Training facilities; • Improved communications infrastructure (bandwidth – and even E-mail in some

areas); • Mechanism to transition research to operations.

(ii) Making Observations (Monitoring)

• Much increased monitoring (to eliminate the many data gaps) (3); • Aid and training in the deployment, operation and maintenance of observing

equipment (including ship time and on-board training (3); • Improvements and increases in technological systems for observations (including,

e.g., tide gauge network for Africa) (3); • Inventories of current situation.

(ii) Data and Information Access, Management, Communication and Exchange

• Integrated data management system for rapid access to diverse data from disparate sources;

• Improved data exchange at national level (full potential is untapped) (4), and between countries (2), including removal of barriers to the exchange of certain data (e.g. bathymetric and pollution);

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex III - page 2

• The means for accessing, processing, analysis and storage of satellite data (2); • Timely processing of real-time data, to increase the value of exchange; • Communication facilities for real-time exchange of data; training in data

transmission (3); • Creation of websites accessible in a common international language; • Improved archiving, databases and QA/QC, and training in QA/QC (2); • Common standards of measurement or accuracy; • Training in data and information management (2).

(iii) Data Analysis, Assimilation, Modelling and Product Development

• Training and increase of personnel in numerical modelling and data assimilation (3); • Access to appropriate computing facilities for data processing and modelling (2); • Training in merging, analyzing and transforming data into sophisticated data

products (2).

(iv) Awareness Raising

• Bring together the wide and diverse stakeholder community; • Raise awareness of and get support from decision makers, managers, scientists and

industry, by demonstrations of usefulness of the tools for national development (through products relevant to users’ needs) (7);

• Recognize and work to overcome the disparate missions of different national ocean agencies to create consensus, co-operation and commitment (from chaos to order) (3);

• Gain special commitment of the scientific community, and of meteorological agencies;

• Capitalize on legal requirement for industry to show its ‘green’ credentials (environmental compliance) and to demonstrate it is observing a ‘duty of care’ (which translates into funding) (note usefulness of industry associations);

• Gain commitment by government (national political will) noting governments’ obligations under global Conventions (6);

• Gain regional consensus between nations (build on regional instruments, like Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans etc);

• Address the legal impediments to timely observations in EEZs, and to data exchange (2).

(v) Funding

• Gain higher levels of investment (4).

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex IV

ANNEX IV

GOOS REGIONAL POLICY

1. PURPOSE Establishing and improving the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) are critically dependent on the coordinated development of GOOS Regional Alliances (GRAs) that contribute to and benefit from the global system. GRAs are created to facilitate sustained ocean monitoring to meet regional and national priorities. They require interagency collaboration and an internationally accepted policy. The activity and cooperation of GRAs is especially important to the development of the coastal module of GOOS. 2. QUALIFICATIONS 2.1 GRAs are formed by agreement between participating countries, national organizations,

and/or international bodies (Regional monitoring networks, Regional Fishery Bodies, Regional Seas Conventions, etc.). Membership should be chosen to best serve the data and information needs of organizations that use, depend on, or are responsible for the management of the marine environment and its resources in the region.

2.2 To be recognized as a part of the GOOS, a GRA must conform to the GOOS principles,

policies and practices that are established and endorsed inter-governmentally by the IOC, WMO or UNEP from time to time.

2.3 To the extent that the geographic range and activities of a GRA overlap with those of other

GRAs, the GRAs involved must establish agreements to ensure effective use of resources to the benefit of all.

2.4 Each GRA is expected to benefit from and contribute to the activities of the GOOS

Regional Forum established by the Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS (I-GOOS). 3. APPROVAL 3.1 The compliance of the activity of an organization requesting recognition as GRA with the

GOOS principles must be reviewed by the GOOS Steering Committee and endorsed by the Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS (I-GOOS), upon evaluation of issues of inter-governmental cooperation, sponsorship or endorsement. The I-GOOS will inform the executive body of the GRA concerned about the evaluation. Where improvements, changes or actions are recommended to secure recognition, these shall be negotiated through the GOOS Project Office. After its endorsement by the I-GOOS, the case for each GRA will be submitted for the approval of the General Assembly or the Executive Council of the IOC.

3.2 Proposals to be recognized as a GRA must include the following:

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex IV - page 2

• Evidence that a management structure is in place that can deliver an integrated and sustained system by linking, enhancing and supplementing existing infrastructure and expertise in the region.

• Provision of an acceptable business plan that has been endorsed by stakeholders (data providers and users) from the region and describes the procedures by which the observing system will be established, developed, and sustained. This must include procedures for quality assurance, conformance to internationally accepted standards and protocols for measurements, data management, and communications.

4. ACCOUNTABILITY 4.1 To ensure that there is a single forum where GOOS activities can be considered in their

entirety, all recognized GRAs are expected to: (i) be active members of the GOOS Regional Forum, (ii) be represented at meetings of the I-GOOS, (iii) provide periodic reports on their activities to I-GOOS. Reports should include among other things (a) analyses of the extent to which GOOS Principles have been implemented, and (b) information about the provision of data and information in forms and at rates required by user groups, about data quality, and about the continuity of data streams.

4.2 A GRA may be dropped from the GOOS based on the recommendation of I-GOOS and

approval by the General Assembly or Executive Council of the IOC.

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex V

ANNEX V

THE CASE FOR APPROVAL OF GOOS REGIONAL ALLIANCES (GRAs)

Approval is recommended for EuroGOOS, MedGOOS, GOOS-AFRICA, Pacific Islands GOOS, Indian Ocean GOOS and US-GOOS.

No approval is needed for NEAR-GOOS, which as a component of the WESTPAC Programme, was formally adopted by the IOC in Resolution EC-XXIX.5 of the 29th Session of the IOC Executive Council (Paris, 24 September - 2 October 1996), which approved the report and recommendations of the 3rd WESTPAC meeting that called for the creation of NEAR-GOOS.

No approval is needed for Black Sea GOOS, which was created within the IOC Black Sea Regional Committee, and was formally approved by the IOC Assembly in Resolution XXI-10 (Paris, 3-13 July 2001), which decided to approve the resolutions adopted by the Black Sea Regional Committee with regard to Black Sea GOOS, and urged Member States to support Black Sea GOOS, to recognize the need to establish Black Sea GOOS national committees, and to facilitate data exchange required to make Black Sea GOOS effective.

Similarly, no approval is needed for IOCARIBE-GOOS, which is a component of IOCARIBE, and was formally adopted by the IOC in Resolution EC-XXXV.5 of the 35th Session of the IOC Executive Council (Paris, 24 June 4-14, 2002), which instructed the Executive Secretary of the IOC to support the work of the Steering Committee for IOCARIBE-GOOS and publish the IOCARIBE-GOOS Strategic Plan, and called on Member States in effect to support the establishment of IOCARIBE-GOOS as recommended by the 7th session of IOCARIBE.

US-GOOS is included as a GRA because it is as large in effect as EuroGOOS, is responsible for a federation of sub-regional bodies much like the different EuroGOOS sub-regions, and covers more than one sea or ocean.

In compliance with Article 3.1 of the GOOS Regional Policy, the appropriateness of these organizations as GRAs has been reviewed over time by the GOOS Steering Committee (GSC) and endorsed by the sixth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS (I-GOOS). As required by Article 3.1 of the Regional Policy, it is therefore appropriate to submit the case for each GRA for the approval of the General Assembly of the IOC.

In compliance with Article 3.2 of the GOOS Regional Policy, each GRA has provided evidence that a management structure is in place that can deliver an integrated and sustained system by linking, enhancing and supplementing existing infrastructure and expertise in the region. Each has provided an acceptable business plan or equivalent work programme that has been endorsed by stakeholders (data providers and users) from the region and describes the procedures by which the observing system will be established, developed, and sustained.

All GRAs aim to (i) improve the safety and efficiency of marine operations; (ii) more effectively mitigate the effects of natural hazards; (iii) improve predictions of climate change and its effects on the coastal population; (iv) reduce public health risks; (v) more effectively protect and restore healthy coastal marine ecosystems; and (vii) enable the sustained use of marine resources.

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex V - page 2

EuroGOOS

EuroGOOS is an Association of Agencies, founded in 1994, to further the goals of GOOS, and in particular the development of Operational Oceanography in the European Sea areas and adjacent oceans. EuroGOOS provides information regularly to the I-GOOS, and to the GSC. EuroGOOS is established with full recognition of the importance of existing systems in research and operational oceanography in Europe at national and European scales. EuroGOOS at present has 30 national Member agencies and organizations in 16 European countries.

Members of EuroGOOS co-operate to establish a concerted European approach to the following:

• Identifying European priorities for operational oceanography, promoting the development of the scientific, technology and computer systems for operational oceanography, and its implementation, assessing the economic and social benefits from operational oceanography;

• Contributing to international planning and implementation of GOOS and promoting it at national, European and global level.

EuroGOOS activities are designed to collaborate with and maximize the benefits from existing activities in operational oceanography, promoting the integration of these activities within the framework of GOOS. Members of EuroGOOS collaborate and support the following groups of activities:

• Advancing European operational oceanography in GOOS by participating in joint pre-operational projects and operational activities;

• Promoting development of European regional and local operational oceanography, taking into account the GOOS principles;

• Promoting development of common European operational data procedures and services, including data quality control and data management for operational oceanography;

• Promoting research and pre-operational research, which will solve problems relating to operational oceanography;

• Promoting pilot studies in GOOS operations, local, regional, or global;

• Promoting development of common European operational oceanographic services and products of maximum value to European Governments and Agencies, furtherance of European industries and service companies, and the protection of the environment and health in the European coastal and shelf seas.

EuroGOOS has a full time Secretariat (housed at SMHI in Sweden) and a full time

Director (Hans Dahlin). It has a published strategy, plan, several publications produced by the EuroGOOS working groups, and brochure. It holds regular conferences on Operational Oceanography, and publishes the proceedings (the third was held in Athens in December 2002). It now has a Baltic Operational Oceanographic System (BOOS), and a Northwest Shelf Operational Oceanographic System (NOOS). It has stimulated the presentation to the European Commission of many proposals for funding, many of which have been successful and have led to


the growth of operational oceanography in Europe. It is closely in touch with User’s requirements. The web site is: http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/OTHERS/EUROGOOS. MedGOOS MedGOOS was founded in 1997. It is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between 20 national agencies from 17 Member States, and seeks to promote Mediterranean co-operation and participation in GOOS. Members co-operate to establish a concerted approach to the following goals: (i) contributing to international planning and implementation of GOOS and promoting it at national, regional and global level; (ii) identifying regional priorities for operational oceanography; (iii) promoting the development of the scientific, technology and modelling systems for operational oceanography; (iv) finding means to ensure the most effective use of existing technologies related to operational oceanography and marine meteorology; (v) assessing the economic and social benefits from operational oceanography.

MedGOOS has a published plan, and a Secretariat based at the IOI-MOC at University of Malta (where Aldo Drago is the Executive Secretary). The MedGOOS plan focuses on: (i) raising awareness; (ii) broadening the Association; (iii) identifying needs; (iv) support capacity building; (v) joint pre-operational projects; and (vi) identifying resources for the establishment of basin wide observing.

The MedGOOS members are working together in pilot pre-operational projects. The

activities include (a) setting up the network to support a coordinated operational ocean forecasting system; (b) establishing the institutional framework for the initial basin wide observing system; (c) enabling human resources, through training and the exchange of personnel; and (d) disseminating best practice and cost-effective technologies. The MedGOOS website [http://www.medgoos-net.org] provides an avenue for dissemination of information on important activities, promoting awareness on the benefits of operational oceanography in the region, with linkages and coverage to other important related initiatives and their sites.

The main MedGOOS project today is the EC-funded MAMA project (the Mediterranean

network to Assess and upgrade the Monitoring forecasting Activity in the region), which aims to create an operational oceanographic network and build capacity in the region. All Mediterranean countries are partners in MAMA. MedGOOS already has two buoys in the water and uses MAMA funds to support awareness raising, capacity building and other GOOS activities, including 30 fellowships lasting 1 month each.

MedGOOS has a strong links to EuroGOOS. The EuroGOOS Director is Advisor to the

MAMA project. The MedGOOS chairperson is a trustee and officer of the board of EuroGOOS. The Mediterranean Task Team of EuroGOOS has provided the science base for the MedGOOS activity. MedGOOS is building on the strategy, plans and activities of the many EuroGOOS task teams and on pre-operational projects. MedGOOS has links with GOOS-AFRICA, and with Black Sea GOOS, in terms of membership and through the participation to joint projects. Forecasting capabilities in the region have been strengthened in recent years by the EuroGOOS-sponsored and EC-funded Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project (MFSPP), which provided forecasts for some time for MedGOOS countries, and by the Mediterranean Forecasting System Towards Environmental Prediction (MFSTEP), which is enlarging the purpose of MFSPP. MedGOOS is working with Black Sea GOOS on a proposal involving Mediterranean, Black Sea and Caspian Sea countries.

http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/OTHERS/EUROGOOS

http://www.medgoos-net.org


MedGOOS has taken the initiative for a project, submitted to EC for funding, of a network of all the GRAs, to learn from each other and together contribute to and benefit from the establishment of the global GOOS.

More information is available from the MedGOOS web site: http://www.medgoos-net.org. GOOS-AFRICA

Although IOC has not yet formally approved GOOS-AFRICA, it has given GOOS-AFRICA a high profile in Resolutions XX-20 and XXI-11 as an implementing mechanism for the African Process, and it is now timely to request formal approval of this body.

A GOOS-AFRICA Coordinating Committee was formed in response to a

recommendation of a Technical Workshop on the data and information required for sustainable development of coastal seas in Africa, which took place as part of the Pan African Conference on Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 1998. The meeting, attended by representatives of 20 African coastal states, agreed that given the geography and oceanography of Africa it made sense to consider developing GOOS in Africa on a regional basis, while recognizing that parts of GOOS were fully international (i.e. global). The MedGOOS model was taken as the template for possible regional GOOS programmes in Africa. The Coordinating Committee was formed to: (a) develop GOOS-AFRICA strategy and action plans; (b) link various modules of GOOS into regional and national GOOS committees; (c) create a GOOS-AFRICA network as the basis for communication about GOOS; (d) establish communication with appropriate GOOS and related bodies (including IOC regional committees); (e) develop a biennial work programme and budget; and (f) promote development and funding of GOOS activities in Africa. Initial membership was based on the African representation on international GOOS bodies (GSC, HOTO, LMR, Coastal GOOS, OOPC, MedGOOS, WIOMAP), or relevant regional bodies (RECOSCIX, IOCEA).

The Technical Workshop recommended, and the Ministers attending PACSICOM agreed, that GOOS-related priorities for Africa level included: (i) enhancing sea-level measurements; (ii) enhancing access to and training in the interpretation and use of remotely sensed data from satellites; (iii) expanding the network of National Ocean Data Centres; and (iv) enhancing electronic communication and exchange of data. The last two items are being addressed through the IOC’s ODINAFRICA Project.

A GOOS-AFRICA workshop in Nairobi in November 2001 led to the development by

representatives of 17 African coastal states of a strategic plan in the form of a proposal that could be addressed to funding agencies under the umbrella of the post-PACSICOM African Process. The plan/proposal is entitled “Regional Ocean Observing and Forecasting System for Africa” (ROOFS-AFRICA). Its main elements are (i) and (ii) from above, plus (iii) enhancing skills and abilities in numerical modelling and (iv) the subsequent derivation of useful products from combinations of (i), (ii) and (iii). The remote sensing plans are being further developed on behalf of GOOS-AFRICA trough a $400,000 UNESCO Cross-Cutting Project on “Application of Remote Sensing for Integrated Management of Ecosystems and Eater resources in Africa” that involves 9 African states.

http://www.medgoosnet.org


While the goals of GOOS-AFRICA are well-aligned with those of the Regional Seas

Programme, feedback from the African Process suggests that funding for some aspects should be sought through the African Large Marine Ecosystem programmes, where GOOS and LME’s share common goals. More information is available at: http://ioc.unesco.org/goos/Africa/AFRIGOOS.htm. Pacific Islands GOOS (PI-GOOS)

Pacific Islands GOOS began life as PacificGOOS following a Regional GOOS Capacity Building Workshop in Fiji in February 1998. Its basic objective was to enable the member countries of the South Pacific Geosciences Commission (SOPAC) to review their ongoing ocean research and monitoring activities, and to assess their priority demands and needs of GOOS through the utilization of regional capacity. The development of PI-GOOS was facilitated by a Memorandum of Understanding between the IOC and the (SOPAC), which represents all South West Pacific island states, including Australia and New Zealand, and therefore has the character of an intergovernmental organization.

A Pacific Regional Coastal GOOS Workshop, held in Apia, Samoa in August 2000,

began developing coastal GOOS pilot projects coastal water quality, coral reef health, and mariculture development of pearls and seaweed.

This meeting led also to the development of the PI-GOOS Strategic Plan, which was

approved by the SOPAC Governing Council in October 2001. (http://ioc.unesco.org/goos/GSC5/PacificGOOS%20Strategy%20Feb%2002.pdf).

The Apia meeting considered the implications of the Argo project for Pacific Island Countries, and developed the concept of multilateral consent/clearance very much along the lines contained in the article 247 of UNCLOS to deploy Argo floats within Pacific island EEZs. SOPAC subsequently persuaded regional Member States to provide such clearance. As a further contribution to the implementation of Argo in the region, PI-GOOS was much involved in the organisation of the “Regional Workshop on Potential Applications of Ocean Observations for the Pacific Islands Region” (PAOOP) (4-7 October 2002) in Nadi, Fiji.

PI-GOOS and SOPAC have been closely involved in devising, launching and managing a project to raise awareness of the importance of the Argo project for the region. This is the SEREAD Project (Scientific Educational Resources and Experience Associated with the Deployment of Argo floats), which began in January 2001.

PI-GOOS has sponsored a training workshop in the interpretation of remotely sensing of

the ocean from space, held in Noumea in 2001. It has also stimulated training in data and information management.

SOPAC provides the PI-GOOS Secretariat, and is ably assisted by the IOC regional

(GOOS) Programme Office in Perth, Western Australia. PI-GOOS maps onto UNEP’s South Pacific Region Environment Programme (SPREP),

which is one of the Regional Seas Programme.

http://ioc.unesco.org/goos/Africa/AFRIGOOS.htm

http://ioc.unesco.org/goos/GSC5/PacificGOOS%20Strategy%20Feb%2002.pdf


In 2004, PI-GOOS will host the Second GOOS Regional Forum convening all the GRAs. Indian Ocean GOOS

The Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS) was established be Memorandum of Understanding on 5 November 2002, between 17 agencies from 10 Indian Ocean countries. Its objectives are to foster co-operation towards the development and strengthening of operational oceanography in the Indian Ocean.

This was the culmination of an effort began in 1998 when the IOC began discussions

with Western Australia to set up a Regional Programme Office in Perth so as to assist in Indian Ocean GOOS developments. As a first step, an initial Indian Ocean GOOS strategy was prepared in consultation with contacts throughout the region. This was then discussed in Perth, in November 2000, at a regional workshop on “Sustained Observations for Climate in the Indian Ocean”. That meeting clearly identified the interest in and scientific requirements for establishing an Indian Ocean observing system. It was followed by two further meetings: (i) a regional Argo Workshop, in Hyderabad, in July 2001, and (ii) an IO-GOOS consultative meeting, which took place in New Delhi in November 2001, and was hosted by India’s National Institute of Oceanography. Principal representatives of 11 agencies from Australia, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa and IOC participated in the New Delhi meeting, which led to the setting up of a Development Committee (IOGOOS-DC), chaired by India, and the offer from India for the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to serve as the initial Secretariat of IOGOOS-DC. The strategic plan was endorsed by I-GOOS and by the IOC Assembly in June 2001.

The first formal meeting of IOGOOS was held in Mauritius in November 2002. The IOGOOS Conference used workshops on a number of topics to develop action plans for the implementation of the strategy. The workshops covered Ocean Dynamics and Climate (Basin scale and Region scale); Coastal Ocean Observations; Data Management; and Satellite Applications. The published Conference Report contains the preliminary action plans.

The Mauritius meeting was also the occasion for the signing of the MOU and for the first

formal meeting of the IOGOOS GRA, for which the Secretariat remains in Hyderabad, but whose development also relies on assistance from the Perth office.

Further information is available at: http://ns2.incois.gov.in/iogoos/. An initial pilot project for IOGOOS is the Western Indian Ocean Marine Applications

Project (WIOMAP), which aims to enhance coastal meteorological infrastructure and associated communication technology, and marine support activities to improve weather and marine resource predictions for the tropical West Indian Ocean and its monsoon circulation system. Much of the aim is to build regional capacity building to monitor and predict coastal impacts. A proposal has been written to attract funding for 5 years 2002-2006 ($2.3 Million). It aims to extend human capacity through formal training; enhance communication infrastructure, expand the marine meteorological observing network, and improve management of project and product delivery.

http://ns2.incois.gov.in/iogoos/


US GOOS

U.S.GOOS is developing an Integrated and sustained Ocean Observing System (IOOS) that is already in existence as an initial observing system to which improvements are being made continually. U.S. GOOS is coordinated by a Secretariat in the shape of the “Ocean.US” Office. The Office is supported by nine Federal agencies. A U.S. GOOS Steering Committee is composed of representatives from academia, industry, government, and environmental organizations, providing advice for the planning, implementing, and coordination of U.S. GOOS. The several planning documents for U.S. GOOS and the IOOS are available through the “Ocean.US” web site at: http://www.ocean.us.net/).

U.S. GOOS is a single integrated system consisting of two components: (i) an open ocean

component including the U.S. contribution to the climate module of GOOS, and (ii) a coastal component for U.S. coastal waters that links changes in the global ocean-climate system and land-based changes in the nation’s watersheds to events in the U.S. exclusive economic zone and the nation’s estuaries and bays.

U.S. GOOS will make more effective use of existing resources, new knowledge, and

advances in technology as the means to develop a unified, comprehensive, cost-effective approach to providing the data and information needed to meet the 7 goals set out at the end of the preamble to this Annex.

A National Observing Network of measurements, data management, and analysis is envisaged as a national “backbone” that provides data and information required by all regional systems for U.S. coastal waters and by the open ocean component. The coastal component will be based on a National Federation of regional observing systems that both contribute to and benefit from the National Network.

Existing regional GOOS activities include, for example, among others: (i) GoMOOS (for

the Gulf of Maine), which was established in 2001 as a multi-purpose activity to collect and provide data for a variety of users (http://www.gomoos.org/); (ii) the New Jersey Coastal Monitoring Network and the related Coastal Ocean Observations Laboratory; (iii) the West Florida Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System; (iv) the Texas Automated Buoy System; (v) the Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network; (vi) the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations; and (vii) the U.S. Ports programme. Once fully developed, the IOOS will include 8-10 U.S. regional observing systems, with boundaries overlapping due to oceanographic, biological, and political factors. Each system will be developed and operated by regional associations or consortia linking data providers and users. Each will establish its own governing and coordinating mechanisms.

Existing open ocean components include, for instance, among others: (i) the El Niño/Southern Oscillation Observing System, which made the transition from research to an operational capability in 1997, and which includes the TAO array in the equatorial Pacific; (ii) the US contribution to PIRATA, in the tropical Atlantic; (iii) US contributions to GODAE and Argo; (iv) World Data Center A for Oceanography, operated by the U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center, and under which data exchange agreements are in place with over 40 countries engaged in marine research.

http://www.ocean.us.net/

http://www.gomoos.org/

IOC-WMO-UNEP/I-GOOS-VI/3s Annex VI

ANNEX VI

DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE 22nd IOC ASSEMBLY ON I-GOOS

Submitted by the Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS (I-GOOS) Sixth Session of the IOC Intergovernmental Committee for the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Having considered the Executive Summary and Report of the Sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for GOOS (I-GOOS-VI); Taking into account the Report of the GOOS Review Group on the Structure, Mandate and Modus Operandi of GOOS; Decides to accept the I-GOOS-VI Report and the Recommendations and Resolutions embedded therein. Instructs the Executive Secretary of the IOC (i) to give high priority to appropriate resourcing of the staff of the GPO, with personnel at a

level adequate to the tasks required of it by Member States, noting that staff could be made available through “virtual secondments” (hence working in their own offices, rather than in Paris);

(ii) to give high priority to ensuring continuity in the post of Director of the GPO; (iii) to make available to the GOOS capacity building programme an appropriate proportion of

the time of the new IOC P5 grade post in TEMA capacity building; (iv) to review more cost effective ways of covering the growing number of meetings related to

GOOS and JCOMM; and (v) to report about his findings back to the 37th session of the IOC Executive Council. __________________________________________________ Funding Implications: (i) Maintenance of at least the current level of Regular Programme funding of the GOOS

Project Office, with an appropriate increase if the UNESCO Regular Programme budget increases;

(ii) Enhancement of the extrabudgetary funding for the international coordination activities of the GPO;

(iii) The addition of a Regular Programme post in the GPO to ensure efficient and effective management of the IOC’s commitments to JCOMM.

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