Euro-Argo Research Infrastructure Sustainability and Enhancement

Project Information

Euro-Argo RISE

Grant agreement ID: 824131

DOI

10.3030/824131

Project closed

EC signature date 20 November 2018

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 31 December 2022

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Research Infrastructures

Total cost

€ 3 953 406,25

EU contribution

€ 3 953 406,25

Coordinated by

EURO-ARGO ERIC
France

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Euro-Argo RISE (Euro-Argo Research Infrastructure Sustainability and Enhancement)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2022-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Consisting of 3800 profilers that dive up and down over the oceans, Argo is the first global, real-time in situ ocean-observation network and marks a true revolution in global ocean observation. By providing essential ocean observations, Argo is a game changer and complements satellite observations that are limited to measuring some physical and biogeochemical properties of the ocean, but only at the surface or down to a few metres of the subsurface. Euro-Argo, aggregated in the form of an ERIC, is the European component of the network, comprising namely one fourth of the global fleet.
As a major component of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Argo programme is actively participating in monitoring and understanding climate change and its impact on ocean health. Argo therefore ultimately contributes to two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015: SDG13 “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” and SDG14 “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.
In 2020, Argo became OneArgo and aims to expand from core Argo to a global, full depth, interdisciplinary array. In doing so, it will revolutionise our ability to observe and' predict the ocean, its role in the climate system and its health. OneArgo now consists of 3 missions: core-Argo, Deep-Argo and BGC-Argo. Developing Argo and its extensions is, in particular, one of the top priorities of the G7 Future of Oceans.
The overall objectives of the Euro-Argo RISE project followed this impetus and aimed at sustaining and extending the Argo network at the European level. During four years, Euro-Argo RISE supported the European extension of Argo observations further towards biogeochemistry, greater depth, partially ice-covered and shallower water regions and also aimed to secure and improve the current network. With this in mind, the project secured the strategy for further development of OneArgo in Europe for the next decade, defined an implementation plan together with a long-term sustainability plan supported by Member States and funding agencies.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Euro-Argo RISE project has been instrumental in boosting the European contribution to the Argo program. Through 4 key topics, Euro-Argo RISE enables Europe to fulfil its international commitments to the further development of OneArgo. At technological level, Euro-Argo RISE progressed the development of new sensors in support of OneArgo. New sensors and sampling techniques in shallow/coastal and ice-covered areas have been made available to the community as well as recommendations to better sample boundary currents in a cost-effective manner. On data management, quality control procedures have been improved, but also have become more accessible (open-source software), transparent and reproducible (code and expertise sharing). Recommendations for the organisation of the biogeochemical Argo data processing have been proposed and different scenarios are currently being discussed with the Euro-Argo ERIC governing bodies to be adopted in 2023. Services and tools were improved and made known to the Argo community and beyond. Some of these tools, like the Euro-Argo Data selection application, argopy software or the Argo Online School, have been endorsed by the international community. Others like the float recovery web service facilitate Euro-Argo operational activities. Collaboration between Euro-Argo and main operational users (Copernicus Marine, ECMWF and EMODnet) is strengthened and collaborative actions will facilitate uptake of Argo by those communities. Interoperability with other Research Infrastructures has been improved to ease joint use of the data acquired by the different observing networks. Finally, the Euro-Argo community is better structured and collaboration with other Research Infrastructures and between members is strengthened. Actions have been taken for raising awareness among young people and is continuing both at national and European level in partnership with OceanOPS and EuroGOOS. New countries and institutes expressed their interest and would like to collaborate with Euro-Argo through the new EuroGOOS task team that was just endorsed by the EuroGOOS board. Denmark joined Euro-Argo as a Candidate member and other countries like Portugal or Belgium have started discussions with their headquarters and ministries. Advocacy towards main stakeholders on the importance of Argo for environment and society will continue within Euro-Argo.
Last but not least, the Euro-Argo strategy for next decade has been elaborated as well as a first draft of the next 5-year implementation plan and Long-Term sustainability plan. Those documents will be key for the Euro-Argo ERIC 5-year evaluation and the ESFRI Landmark monitoring planned in 2023.
Each of these results is crucially taking Euro-Argo members to a higher level of performance in Argo activities and contributes to improving the overall Argo network and enhancing the Euro-Argo community.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The Euro-Argo RISE project aimed to support the European contribution to OneArgo in all its components and aspects and to reinforce its sustainability in the long term. Euro-Argo RISE achievements will enable Euro-Argo to further understand the future trajectory of our climate with systematic observations of the ocean as stated during COP27 and contribute to answering the urgent challenges that we are facing with regard to global change.
The innovation potential of the project (sensor diversification, implementation of Deep and Biogeochemical Argo, Marginal Seas uniqueness and adaptation of monitoring tools, enhancement of data quality, development of new services and tools for users, collaborations and engagement with new communities, higher level of integration in the framework of in situ ocean observing systems) already had a positive impact on the research infrastructure, on scientific, technological, training and education, economic, societal and social aspects.
Socio-economic impacts of the Euro-Argo RISE activities, by consolidating the European contribution to OneArgo, are expected to be large in the longer run. Given the prominent role of Argo for climate change research, its contribution to (as indicated in the last IPCC report), and impact for seasonal and decadal climate forecasting, is of paramount importance for citizens and policy makers. Indeed, Argo’s socio-economic impacts extend to the wide range of ocean services developed through global and regional operational oceanography systems, such as those developed by the Copernicus Marine Service, ECMWF or EMODnet, in areas including maritime transport and safety, fishery management and water quality (MSFD).
In the coming decade, thanks to the Euro-Argo RISE project, Euro-Argo will tremendously boost the scientific impact of Argo, by involving new scientific users and communities. In addition, thanks to the progress made in the Euro-Argo RISE project, Euro-Argo will collaborate with European industry providing technological expertise in ocean observation and will support, in collaboration with Copernicus and EMODnet, the development of new downstream services, with important socioeconomic impacts on national and European levels. Investing in such global ocean observations has thus potentially a high benefits/costs ratio.

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