SynObs & Ocean Observing Co-Design, Joint International Workshop

Motivation & Objectives

Motivation

Ocean observations are an essential component for a wide range of societal applications, across spatial scales from global to local, and temporal scales from days to decades. Their value is realised not only through sustained observing networks, but through their effective integration into numerical models, data assimilation systems, and impact assessment frameworks that translate observations into actionable information. In turn, models can also be used through sensitivity experiments, to optimize the ocean observing system.

This workshop aims to bring together everyone working across the full value chain of ocean observing system co-design, including observations and data management to modelling, data assimilation, and impact evaluation, to exchange experiences, assess progress, and plan future activities. In particular, this workshop aims to integrate the achievements made so far by SynObs and Ocean Observing Co-design, and to plan their future activities. By linking observing system co-design with modelling-based evaluation, synthesis techniques (including emerging AI/ML approaches), and societal impact assessment, the workshop seeks to strengthen the feedback loop between observations and models. This integrated perspective is essential for guiding the design, optimisation, and sustainability of future ocean observing networks and for ensuring that observations deliver maximum benefit to science, services, and society.

Main Purposes of the workshop

1. Development of data assimilation and other techniques for effective use and impact assessment of ocean and interface observations
2. Evaluation of the impact of ocean observations on ocean, weather and climate predictions and other applications
3. Sharing experiences of co-designing ocean observing systems
4. Planning future activities of SynObs and Ocean Observing Co-design and their collaboration

For further details go to Themes

Date and location

The workshop will take place at the Shimokita Culture Hall, Mutsu, Japan from 24-29 August 2026.

Abstract submission & registration

If you like to submit an abstract you have to use the abstract submission form in addition.

Please note that once open, everyone who is planning to attend the SynObs & Ocean Observing Co-Design, Joint International Workshop will have to register using the link above (will open on 7 April 2026).

Schedule / agenda

The detailed agenda will be confirmed after the closure of the abstract submission. The tentative schedule for now:

Format

• The workshop will be an in-person event with online (hybrid) access.
• The expected number of in-person participants is 50 people.
• The workshop is jointly organized with the 30^th Data Assimilation Summer School in Japan (DASS, 26 (Wed) -30 (Sun))
• DASS plans to accept up to 10 international students and several international guests.

Details

• The main international meeting will take place 24-27 August. There will be an additional Japanese Town Hall meeting on 29 August for local attendees and possibly others interested in extending their stay.
• The 30^th Data Assimilation Summer School in Japan will be organized together with the workshop in the same week (27-30 August) at the same venue. The summer school will have a joint session with SynObs and Ocean Observing Codesign in the afternoon of 28 August. Participants of the main international meeting can attend the joint session without registering for the summer school. The summer school will also accept around 10 international students. The registration for the international students of the summer school is now open (webpage) and will be closed on 27 March 2026.
• The following side meetings will also take place during the main international meeting (24-27 August) or after the main meeting (28 August).
  • SynObs planning meeting
  • Ocean Observing Co-design Tropical Cyclone Exemplar Meeting
  • Ocean Observing Co-design Coordinating Group Meeting
• Our host plans to allow remote participation to the main international workshop (24-27 August).
• Most events of the workshop will be held at Shimokita Culture Hall (https://shimobun.com/). Our host will take care of providing the meeting rooms, coffee breaks, wifi facilities, and will also offer a workshop reception and some other side events. The hotel rooms for the guests will be reserved by the host (the room charge needs to be paid by the guests). Lunch will not be provided, and participants will be asked to find lunch at restaurants or convenience stores nearby. More information about hotel rooms, lunch options, reception, and side events will be provided later.

Themes

Four main themes of the workshop have been identified:

1. Development of data assimilation and other techniques for effective use and impact assessment of ocean and interface observations
2. Evaluation of the impact of ocean observations on ocean, weather and climate  predictions and other applications 
3. Sharing experiences of co-designing ocean observing systems
4. Planning future activities of SynObs and Ocean Observing Co-design and their collaboration

These themes have associated sub-themes (the list is given below). Please use the check boxes below to let us know what sub-theme your abstract is contributing to.

1. Theme 1
   • 1.1 Data assimilation and other synthesizing methodologies (including AI/ML) for effective use of ocean (physical and BGC) and interface observations.
   • 1.2 Observation data processing, quality control, delivery and other applications for improving use of observation data.
   • 1.3 Methodology for the observation impact assessment and optimal design of the observation network (OSEs, OSSEs, adjoint sensitivity studies, ensemble-based evaluation, etc.).
2. Theme 2
   • 2.1 Achievements of the coordinated experiments for the observation impacts (SynObs Flagship OSEs).
   • 2.2 Evaluation of synergy between satellite and in-situ observations or among various in situ observation platforms.
   • 2.3 Evaluation of air-sea interface observations for model forcing fields and data assimilation.
   • 2.4 Observation impact studies for the social benefit applications close to end-users (including applications for fishery, marine transportation, marine ecosystem management, marine pollution, etc.).
   • 2.5 Observation gap analysis and model uncertainty assessment
3. Theme 3
   • 3.1 Strategy, methodology, and best practice for co-designing ocean observing systems.
   • 3.2 Co-designing ocean observing networks across coastal-shelf-deep sea continuum: synergy between open-ocean and coastal observations (i.e., interaction between boundary currents and coastal/regional seas, polar ocean/sea ice).
   • 3.3 Use of ocean observing system evaluation in guiding co-design of ocean observing systems.
   • 3.4 Co-designing the ocean observing system for better understanding of tropical cyclones and improving their prediction.
4. Theme 4
   • 4.1 Future plans of the coordinated experiments for evaluating the ocean observing network (SynObs Flagship OSE) and other SynObs activities.
   • 4.2 Future plans of Ocean Observing Co-design activities, including those for the exemplars.
   • 4.3 Work plan for developing future ocean observing network recommendations and desirable contribution to OceanObs’29.

Important dates

Important dates

Organizers and Supporters

• Main Organizer:
  • Japan Meteorological Agency, Meteorological Research Institute (JMA/MRI) → https://www.mri-jma.go.jp/index_en.html
• • Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) → https://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/
  • Japan Marine Science Foundation (JMSF) → http://jmsfmml.or.jp/j/index.html (Japanese)
  • UN Ocean Deacde Japan (Domestic committee) → https://oceandecade.jp/en/Local Institutes:
  • Mutsu City → https://www.city.mutsu.lg.jp/#
• Collaborating International Group:
  • Synergistic Observing Network for Ocean Prediction (SynObs, UN Ocean Decade Project) → https://oceanpredict.org/un-decade-of-ocean-science/synobs-2/
  • Ocean Observing Codesign (UN Ocean Decade Program) → https://goosocean.org/what-we-do/goos-at-the-heart-of-the-ocean-decade/ocean-observing-co-design/
  • Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS, jointly organized by WMO and UNESCO-IOC) → https://goosocean.org/
  • CLIVAR → https://www.clivar.org/
  • KUSCO (Korea-U.S. Science Cooperation Center) → https://kusco.org/
  • OceanPredict → https://oceanpredict.org/
• Other sponsors and fundings:
  • Habitable Japan (MEXT/JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas A)
  • MEXT/JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25K01073
• Science Organizing Committee:
  • Magdalena Balmaseda, ECMWF (SynObs member)
  • Stephanie Cuven, Mercator Ocean International (OceanPredict programme office coordinator)
  • Yosuke Fujii, JMA/MRI (SynObs co-chair)
  • Juliet Hermes, SAEON (Ocean Observing Co-design MHW Exemplar co-chair)
  • Andrew Moore, UC Santa Cruz (SynObs member)
  • Tammy Morris, SAEON (Ocean Observing Co-design BC Exemplar co-chair)
  • Satoshi Osafune, JAMSTEC (SynObs member)
  • Andrew Peterson, ECCC (SynObs member)
  • Hasibur Rahaman, INCOIS (SynObs ﾓember)
  • Elisabeth Remy, Mercator Ocean International (SynObs co-chair)
  • Jun She, DMI (Ocean Observing Co-design Coordinating Group member)
  • Cheyenne Stienbarger, NOAA (Ocean Observing Co-design TC Exemplar co-chair)
  • Kirsten Wilmer-Becker, Met Office (OceanPredict programme office coordinator)
• SynObs contact mail address:
  • [email protected]

Planning space

Organising an planning space

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