EuroSea/OceanPredict Workshop report published

Executive summary

The main objective of the EuroSea/OceanPredict workshop was to strengthen the linkages of the EuroSea community with the leading edge of global forecast and prediction through representative of the OceanPredict community and other international research efforts.  This was achieved by setting up a workshop that allowed focus on a specific set of sessions, exploring observation and ocean prediction efforts in a global context, discussing issues and developing recommendations for solutions. Furthermore, the workshop highlighted the UN Decade of Ocean Science current programmes’ initiatives for the “Predicted Ocean”, which showed the importance of global efforts for the improvement and advancement of the observing system and prediction system capabilities.

The workshop sessions (see Sessions below) culminated in the round table discussion. Outcomes from the four workshop sessions were collated and passed on as questions to the round table panel, summarised under the topics: Ocean Observations, Sustainability, Essential Ocean Variables, Ocean Prediction and Ocean Best Practice. The recommendations from the round table discussion highlighted the

• need for better communication and closer collaboration of the observation and prediction communities, the
• importance to involving intermediate and end-users in questions of ocean observations, the
• consideration of a fully integrated ocean observing system (including all regions and observation types), the
• plan to create a fully ocean information value-chain (from user needs, to observations, data assembly and distribution, ocean prediction and services to user and societal benefits) and the
• value of defining and describing all processes involved in operational oceanography through ocean best practice methodology.

With over 150 participants in total, the overall workshop participation was higher than expected and despite Covid-19 almost 40 people joined the workshop in person. This added a lot of positive energy at the event and provided a good backdrop for strong engagement and valuable discussions. Although Covid-19 is generally limiting the number of in-person attendees, the advance in remote/hybrid meeting technology is providing improved opportunities for new communities to join the discussion. New research groups and initiatives from South America and Asia have joined and their contribution were welcomed.

EUROSEA / OCEANPREDICT FULL REPORT