OceanObs’09: engaging the communities at the SCOR Project Summit

D.E. Harrison and Detlef StammerOceanObs’09 Organizing Committee co-chairs

via Julie Hall

Conference goals and vision

• Vision– Strengthen and enhance the international framework under

GCOS/GOOS/WCRP and other international programmes for sustained world ocean observing and information systems supporting the needs of society about ocean weather, climate, ecosystems, carbon and chemistry

• Goals for the conference and its follow-up– ensure sustainability and further development of the present

system and to realize the full extent of the benefits across all stakeholders and for all participating nations

– extending the present system to include comprehensive observation, analysis and forecasting of the biogeochemical state of the ocean and the status of marine ecosystems

Sustaining the present system and realizing its benefits

• Almost a decade has passed since the OceanObs’99 symposium played a major role in consolidating the plans for a comprehensive ocean observing system able to deliver systematic global information about the physical environment of the oceans.

• Now, for the first time in history, the world’s ice free upper oceans are being observed routinely and systematically by means of satellite and in situ techniques. The availability of these observations has led to rapid progress in ocean analysis and forecasting as well as new scientific understanding of oceanic variability and the role of the oceans in weather and climate.  This information and knowledge supports a wide range of societal and business benefits.

Sustaining the present system and realizing its benefits

Building towards sustained observations of ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystems

• Conference organizers have worked to provide an opportunity for new ocean observing communities to: – build community consensus– draw up plans for the coming decade– organize around structures that make sense to them

Conference structure: building on community input

• Community White Papers– Forward-looking, representing community view– refreshing plans for observing networks in light of new technology,

capabilities, scientific and societal interest– identify their contribution to the Plenary Talks– First draft: end March 2009 (today!), review period, conference draft

due 1 September 2009

Conference structure: building on community input

• Plenary Presentations will present White Paper key elements for discussion, evolution and agreement

• Panel discussions following each plenary session• Additional Contributions with more details of specific

undertakings• Afternoon poster sessions will present White papers and

Additional Contributions for feedback• Community Fora to allow for more detailed presentations and

discussion of input to the conference statement• Roundtable discussions on cross-cutting topics and on ‘The

Way Forward’

Conference agenda

• www.oceanobs09.net/agenda/– Overview and Celebration of Progress– Scientific Results from global Observations

and Analyses– Societal Benefits and Opportunities– Developing technology and infrastructure– The Way Forward

Building to Conference Outcomes

• Each of the basin-scale observing sub-communities to: Develop and agree plans for their aspirations for the coming

decade Prepare White Paper(s) and Additional Contribution posters Participate in preparation of Plenary Papers and in the

conference-related development of consensus for coming decade.

• At the conference itself:– Debate and negotiation of the conference statement and the

individual programme roles in carrying forth the momentum from the conference

Successful follow-up to the conference

• Broader-marine-community agreement on aspirations for the coming decade

• Input to v.2 of GCOS Implementation Plan, which is the climate observations plan for UNFCCC and GEOSS

• New cross-community connections• Agreed Conference Statement• Conference publication of Plenary presentations and White

papers• Electronic publication of Additional Contributions

• Envision ongoing activities to build specific observing plans around the community consensus formed at the conference - international ocean research programmes have a key role here

Accepted Community White Papers (selection)• Carbon, oxygen and nutrients

– Sensors and Systems for Observations of Marine CO2 System Variables Byrne, DeGrandpre Short

– Bio-optical profiling floats as new observational tools for biogeochemical and ecosystem studies : potential synergies with ocean colour remote sensing Claustre

– Recent Advances in Coastal Biological and Biogeochemical Observations in Support of Research and Applications DiGiacomo

– Adding oxygen to Argo : An opportunity to develop a global in-situ observatory for ocean productivity and biogeochemistry in a changing climate Gruber

– Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Project (GO-SHIP) Hood– A global sea surface carbon observing system: assessment of sea surface CO2

and air-sea CO2 fluxes Schuster

• Ecosystems and biodiversity– Observing Climate Impacts on Marine Ecosystems Using Autonomous

Underwater Gliders Barth– Biologging in the Global Ocean Observing System Boehme– Bio-optical profiling floats as new observational tools for biogeochemical and

ecosystem studies : potential synergies with ocean colour remote sensing Claustre– TOPP as a Marine Life Observatory: Using Electronic tags to monitor the

movements, behaviour and habitats of marine vertebrates Costa– Recent Advances in Coastal Biological and Biogeochemical Observations in

Support of Research and Applications DiGiacomo

– ChloroGIN: enabling and promoting use of Earth Observation and in situ data in support of marine ecosystems and development of GOOS Groom

– Adding oxygen to Argo : An opportunity to develop a global in-situ observatory for ocean productivity and biogeochemistry in a changing climate Gruber

– Biologging and physical/biological/ecosystems studies Guinet– Designing and deploying a global ocean Mid-trophic Automatic Acoustic Sampler

(MAAS) Maury– The Ocean Tracking Network O'Dor– Coupling bio-optical measurements of ocean parameter made from underwater

autonomous gliders and ocean color satellites Perry– A global Continuous Plankton Recorder programme Reid– Technology Legacy of the Census of Marine Life Rogers– Optical plankton imaging systems for ocean observations Sieracki– Marine Barcoding Steinke– Integrating biological data into ocean observing systems: the future role of OBIS

Vanden Berghe

• Plenary Talk: Habitats and corals– Benthic biology time-series: Indicators of climate change Larkin, Ruhl

• Plenary Talk: Ocean acidification– Ocean Acidification Observational Network Feely

more at www.oceanobs09.net

Accepted Community White Papers (selection)

How can the community contribute?

• Gaps in Community White Papers - contact the organizers (info@oceanobs09.net) with short proposals to fill

• Contribute to and comment on CWPs already in the pipeline Submit Additional Contributions (www.oceanobs09.net)

• Work with organizers to build community fora at meeting that will contribute to its outcome

How can the community contribute?

• Have your organization join the meeting as sponsors or endorsers

• Give the members of the Organizing or Program Committees (see list at www.oceanobs09.net) your feedback

• Thank you!