EuroSea – EU H2020 project

EuroSea/OceanPredict Workshop 1: “Ocean Prediction and Observing System Design”

The main objective of the EuroSea/OceanPredict workshop 1 (June 2022) 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.  The focus on observation and ocean prediction efforts in a global context showed the importance of international collaboration when planning to improve and advance the observing system and prediction system capabilities. A round table discussion which reflected on the workshop presentation 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.

workshop REport 1 

EuroSea/OceanPredict Workshop 2: “A vision for the Ocean information value-chain: systematically connecting up components from observations to user applications”

The EuroSea/OceanPredict workshop 2 (July 2023) provided insight into the current activities and progress of the development of the ocean information value chain. It has become clear that the community approach of connecting ocean information value chain components into an integrated structure by improving communication and interaction, with a strong emphasis on ocean best practice, is the future for operational oceanography. The Eurosea project had already recognized this when it set up its work packages resembling some of the value chain components and encouraged interdisciplinary exchanges. It must also be emphasized that the initiation of the UN Decade for Ocean Science during the time of the EuroSea project strongly supports better collaboration and interaction with everyone engaged in ocean science.

The workshop ended with a panel discussion focusing on the present value chain status, gaps and issues and future developments. A few aspects are standing out. These included suggestions and recommendations for the:

• Improvement to the ocean observing system by
  • creating a sustained funding mechanism for ocean observations contributing to the sustained ocean observing system by observations of EOVs
  • increasing ecological and biological observations
  • setting up a rolling review of requirements for the improvement of the ocean observing system
• Improvement of operational prediction systems by
  • implementing digital twin set ups
  • defining an operational readiness level
  • setting up observing system experiments and system assessments operationally
• Improvement to ocean product user experience by
  • developing ways to deliver ocean product confidence
  • setting up feedback loops with users to learn of ocean product performance and requirements
• Setting up the ocean information value chain by
  • developing good relationships between value chain components
  • working interdisciplinary and reaching out to social science and economics
  • using the increasing visibility and relevance of the ocean to develop links with industry (e.g tap into private data to make a case for a data marketplace)
• Ocean best practice
  • setting up a Federated Network for the approval, distribution, application and community-based repository of ocean best practice

workshop report 2

OceanPredict involvement

OceanPredict involvement in this project linked EuroSea with the international activities of the international science programme for the development and advancement of regional and global operational ocean predictions (OceanPredict) to facilitate knowledge transfer and explore synergies from ongoing complementary activities. Two dedicated workshop provided opportunities for detailed communication regarding the establishment and improvement of a European Ocean Observing system and its role within the operational oceanography value chain. This task also opened connections of EuroSea with the efforts initiated through the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, like the SynObs project and the Ocean Prediction Decade Collaborative Centre. Strong and global community interest let to two successful workshops which provided a platform for intense communication and led to a list of recommendations in support of sustaining the ocean observing system and better community collaboration.

OceanPredict strengthening EuroSea links to the leading edge of global forecast and prediction by:

• Linking EuroSea with the international activities of OceanPredict task teams (DA, MEAP, COSS but also OS-Eval)
• Exploring the feasibility of uptake of outputs from EuroSea observational data in an international data assimilation and ocean forecasting context
• Developing stronger collaboration between the Coastal Ocean and Shelf Sea Task Team and the EuroGOOS coastal working group
• Organising two dedicated workshops between EuroSea and OceanPredict
  • to share project results and exchange on outcomes
  • to facilitate knowledge transfer / foster science networking
  • to explore synergy from ongoing complementary activities