The EOOS Resource Forum (RF) and the EOOS Operations Committee (OC) combined their annual meetings for the first time, welcoming participants both online and in person at the JPI Oceans secretariat in Brussels. The joint meeting, placed back-to-back with the EMODnet Conference 2023, aimed to foster synergistic discussions. The agenda included updates from EOOS and other key ocean observing initiatives and resourcing discussions related to national structures and to innovative observing technologies.
Thorsten Kiefer, chair of the EOOS RF and Executive Director of JPI Oceans, and Laurent Delauney, chair of the EOOS OC, welcomed the participants. Thorsten Kiefer reviewed the progress since the EOOS Resource Forum met in 2022. A collation of data flows on ocean observation in national charts has been started, countries were encouraged to join the OECD value chain studies, the joint meeting with the Operations Committee was organised, and the topic of upscaling of new technologies was promoted.
EuroGOOS chair, Inga Lips, detailed EOOS's latest developments, focusing on improving visibility through a planning tool developed with the European Commission.
Rémy Denos, DG MARE, provided insights into the "sharing responsibilities" initiative, opting for a digital platform to coordinate European ocean observing systems. Maurice Heral from the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership outlined goals for a climate-neutral blue economy by 2030, with ambitions to incorporate ocean observing components from 2025 onwards.
Laurent Mortier, ENSTA-ParisTech, presented the AMRIT project ‘Advance Marine Research Infrastructures Together’, set to commence in March 2024. AMRIT builds on competencies of the Metrology for Integrated Marine Management and Knowledge-Transfer Network (MINKE) and aims to strengthen EOOS and enhance European ocean observation through coordinated efforts.
Outcomes from a foresight workshop on climate-related predictions in Europe were shared by Sheila Heymans, European Marine Board, emphasising the importance of sustained ocean observation and standardised approaches.
Discussions also delved into national and regional coordination efforts. Ángel Muñiz Piniella, European Marine Board, focused on the current challenges in obtaining standardised information. Jella Kandziora, JPI Oceans, presented the approach and first prototype of the national charts to identify responsibilities and show funding structures for ocean observing in European countries.
Laurent Delauney focused on opportunities through technological innovation, stressing the need to address funding challenges for expanded innovation in ocean observing systems.
The meeting concluded with identified take-home messages, including suggestions for the creation of a suite of overviews on national ocean observation constellations, a sense for needing stronger industry involvement in the mid-term, an improved idea of the main obstacles for the upscaling and uptake of ocean observing and related infrastructures, and an appreciation of the blossoming collaboration between the EOOS OC and RF. The next joint meeting is scheduled for the end of 2024.
For more details and updates, visit https://www.eoos-ocean.eu/.