Climate change profoundly impacts ocean systems through warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and altered circulation patterns. Current ocean monitoring systems lack the coordination and standardisation needed to support robust climate assessments and policy implementation. The project addresses five key objectives: developing standardised ocean monitoring indicators that comply with international programmes supporting global assessments; improving Earth System Models to reduce uncertainty in regional climate projections; advancing understanding of links between ocean variability and environmental stressors; strengthening common standards for climate records; and enabling evidence-based decision-making. These objectives directly support the European Green Deal, climate adaptation strategies, and the conservation of marine biodiversity.
ObsSea4Clim unites European and international actors in ocean observing, climate assessment, Earth system modelling, and data management to strengthen sustained, multipurpose observations essential for climate monitoring. Building on theEssential Ocean Variables/Essential Climate Variables framework and a Rolling Review of Requirements, it will develop regional indicators, advance national observing systems, and integrate results with European and global initiatives. Focusing on key ocean–climate processes such as sea ice loss, ocean transports, stratification, sea level rise, ocean warming, marine heatwaves, and mesoscale variability, ObsSea4Clim will advance the use of best practices in ocean observing and apply Artificial Intelligence methods for data quality control. Its outcomes will enhance regional and global climate assessments, support the development of the Earth System Model (CMIP7), provide actionable indicators for sustainable development, and reinforce European leadership at the ocean–climate nexus.
