The US-French TOPEX-POSEIDON programme. Larger version with key Copyright

GLOBAL OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM (GOOS) and IOC

The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), an initiative of the IOC, is also co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and is assisted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Council for Science (ICSU). The GOOS is designed to provide descriptions of the present state of the sea and its contents, and forecasts of these for as far ahead as is possible, and to underpin forecasts of changes in climate. It is not solely operational, but includes work to convert research understanding into operational tools. It is designed to produce products useful to a wide range of users.

How is this important to the world community?

A significant part of world economic activity and a wide range of services, amenities and social benefits depend on efficient management of the sea and its resources, or is affected by the influence of the sea on the coast and on offshore operators and ships. For many countries, marine resources and services provide 3-5% of their Gross National Product. For a few it is much higher. Some countries depend almost entirely on marine fisheries and aquaculture for food protein.

The primary objectives of the GOOS are to:

specify the marine observational data needed to meet the needs of the world community of users of the oceanic environment; develop and implement an international co-ordinated strategy for the gathering, acquisition, and exchange of these data; facilitate the development of products and services based on the data, and widen their application in the use and protection of the marine environment; facilitate the means by which less-developed nations can increase their capacity to acquire and use marine data according to the GOOS framework; and co-ordinate the ongoing operations of the GOOS and ensure its integration within wider global observational and environmental management strategies.

 

The System is based on the past investment in marine scientific research, marine technological systems including earth observing satellites, and the existing operational observing and forecasting services. Existing systems are already being incorporated. Whereas the GOOS has not yet reached full implementation, a number of useful products are already coming out. Such products will continue to improve in scope, geographical coverage and value as the state of science and operational services themselves develop.

Scientific investment at the national, regional and global level are an essential element of the process by which GOOS becomes a functioning reality. Global co-operative experiments such as the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) experiment, the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) and the ongoing Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) and Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) programmes provide the basis of global data sets and the rapid processing of global data which are essential. These and other large-scale scientific projects are required to improve the performance of GOOS, and to extend the range of its predictive ability, particularly in the field of chemical and biological factors.

The IOC maintains a GOOS Support Office, which serves to co-ordinate the activities of this ambitious world-wide undertaking, and produces a newsletter, in addition to technical and other documentation. For further details, consult the GOOS homepage at: http://ioc.unesco.org/goos.