UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

10/24/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2023 02:50

Status of the Global Ocean Observing System in 2023

In 2023, the GOOS Ocean Observing System Report Card showcases achievements and challenges in continuing to integrate physical, biogeochemical and biological observations to provide a global view of the status of the observing system and the ocean we observe.

The Global Ocean Observing System unites international, regional and national ocean observing programmes, governments, UN agencies, research organizations and individual scientists to monitor our changing ocean through the 'eyes' of thousands of ocean observing platforms. These platforms range from autonomous profiling floats and underwater gliders, to fixed and drifting buoys, to commercial and research ships, and even marine mammals.

These platforms carry sensors that collect physical, biogeochemical and biological Essential Ocean and Climate Variables. Their observations flow into data systems and are crucial for tracking, predicting and adapting to climate change, accurate weather and extreme event forecasting, monitoring biodiversity for key global targets, and informing sound decisions by local communities and national governments around sustainable development.

The recently published 2023 Ocean Observing System Report Card focuses on several key areas:

  • Delivering a global overview of the status of the ocean observing networks;
  • Tracking marine heatwaves to better understand their impacts on society and ecosystems;
  • Streamlining the connection between observations and services to improve extreme event forecasts;
  • Monitoring the health of our seagrass habitats, vital for fisheries, blue carbon and coastal resilience;
  • Collaborating with industry and training the new generation of ocean observers.

The Report Card invites all ocean observing stakeholders to take urgent and concerted action in support of GOOS's mission to establish a truly global, integrated and sustained observing system that provides ocean science information to meet the growing needs of sustainable communities worldwide.

"Working in collaboration with the satellite and modeling communities, GOOS is actively developing new paradigms of stakeholder interactions through new initiatives under the United Nations Ocean Decade," says David Legler, Chair of the GOOS Observations Coordination Group. These efforts are designated to hasten the delivery of actionable information for the benefit of all communities.

The Report Card is produced by OceanOPS - the operational monitoring and support center for GOOS, and prepared in collaboration with the GOOS Observations Coordination Group, the Secretariats of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and World Meteorological Organization, and other GOOS partners and experts.

The online version of the 2023 Ocean Observing System Report Card is available at: ocean-ops.org/reportcard

PDF version: https://www.ocean-ops.org/reportcard2023/reportcard2023.pdf

For more information, please contact:
[email protected]

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About GOOS:

The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is the global home of ocean observing expertise. We lead and support a community of international, regional and national ocean observing programmes, governments, UN agencies, research organizations and individual scientists. Our Core Team of expert panels, networks, alliances and projects, supported by the GOOS Office, is in touch with ocean observing and forecasting around the world. We are a programme led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, with UN and science co-sponsors: World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the International Science Council (ISC).

About OceanOPS:

OceanOPS is the international hub that provides vital services in monitoring, integrating and supporting the operations and data flows of the GOOS networks. OceanOPS, joint centre of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, monitors and reports on the status of the global ocean observing networks. It occupies a unique role as the focal point for improving the global ocean observing system performance, leading metadata standardization and integration across the global networks and supporting the operations and data flows of the oceanographic and marine meteorological communities.