Improving and Integrating European Ocean Observing and Forecasting Systems for Sustainable use of the Oceans

Project Information

EuroSea

Grant agreement ID: 862626

DOI

10.3030/862626

Project closed

EC signature date 20 September 2019

Start date 1 November 2019

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 12 623 666,37

EU contribution

€ 12 246 700,13

Coordinated by

HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR OZEANFORSCHUNG KIEL (GEOMAR)
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - EuroSea (Improving and Integrating European Ocean Observing and Forecasting Systems for Sustainable use of the Oceans)

Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Ocean is a fundamental component of the Earth system that covers more than 70% of the planet’s surface, is host of the largest ecosystem, is a driver of global climate and much more. In addition, the ocean is providing a wealth of resources for humanity, such as food, transport, recreation and increasingly a source of genetic material. Despite all of this, the sustained observing and information system from the ocean is, for most parts, still in a pilot phase. This means that the knowledge on the ocean and changes in the ocean is fragmented and not fully functional so that the system to provide the information is fragile. Ocean observing is “big science” and cannot be solved by individual nations; it is necessary to ensure adequate integration, coordination, and support for the diverse actors along the ocean observing value chain. The ocean knows no borders, and 2/3 of the ocean is outside of national jurisdiction which is another argument for the need of international cooperation.
EuroSea aimed at improving the coordination and integration of a sustained ocean observing and forecasting system for sustainable use of the oceans. In order to focus on the overall objectives of EuroSea, we have been working towards the vision and mission statements:
Vision: Research and innovation towards a user-focused, truly interdisciplinary, and responsive European ocean observing and forecasting system, that delivers the essential information needed for human wellbeing and safety, sustainable development and blue economy in a changing world.
Mission: Use a co-design approach to significantly improve European ocean observing and forecasting services and products by building the community needed for a system that delivers services and products on the ocean, ocean climate, marine ecosystems and their vulnerability to human impacts.
EuroSea has formulated three overarching goals of the action: 1) Improve the European ocean observing system integrated into a global context, 2) Deliver ocean observations and forecasts, leading to increased knowledge about ocean climate, marine ecosystems and their vulnerability to human impacts, and 3) Demonstrate the importance of the ocean as significant for an economically viable and healthy society. EuroSea brought together key actors of ocean observing and forecasting such as operators of the observing system and information providers with the end users of ocean observations, responding to the Future of the Seas and Oceans Flagship Initiative. EuroSea was increasing the technology readiness levels (TRL) of critical components of ocean observations systems and tools and in particular the TRL of the integrated ocean observing system as such. It worked towards integrating individual observing elements to an integrated observing system and demonstrated the utility of the European Ocean Observing System through three demonstration activities focused on operational services, ocean health and climate where a dialogue between actors in the ocean observing system guided the development of the services, including market replication and innovation supporting the development of the blue economy. EuroSea was strengthening the European and Global Ocean Observing System (EOOS and GOOS) and supported their partners.

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 completion of important EuroSea achievements resulted in several services and products that support various societal benefit areas. The project actively engaged in a number of important international events and helped shaping the global agenda on ocean observing and forecasting: EuroSea was participating in UNFCCC COP26, COP27 and COP28 and has helped supporting the research and systematic observation agenda of UNFCCC highlighting the importance of the ocean for climate. This has been successful and the role of the ocean and the need to observe and forecast the ocean is now more widely accepted by the parties of UNFCCC. Another important event was the 2nd Ocean Conference held in Lisbon in 2022 that was attended by several EuroSea scientists advocating widely for the importance of sustained ocean observing and forecasting. These are only two examples of high-level events where the need of ocean information underpinned by sustained ocean observing and forecasting systems was recognized. EuroSea scientists advocated for this during many other occasions.
EuroSea has organized a number of workshops and meetings to harmonize and integrate the ocean observing and forecasting community: For instance, the macroalgal and the seagrass monitoring systems and the Integrated Marine Litter Monitoring System (IMDOS) made great progress thanks to EuroSea. EuroSea scientists also published several best practices guides on the Ocean Best Practices repository.
Recognizing the importance of the careful design of ocean observing efforts, Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) were conducted in order to evaluate an effective in situ observing system used to validate the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission that was launched late in 2022.

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 ocean observing system consists of various observing networks that share common technology or interest in a particular essential ocean variable (EOV). EuroSea supported 8 of these networks to improve their governance, best practices and data flows and delivered several impactful improvements for networks like ocean gliders, moorings, autonomous surface vehicles, high frequency radar etc. EuroSea scientists have made great progress in assimilating (i.e. including) in-situ observations from, for instance, underwater gliders into ocean models. In addition, EuroSea has improved the skill of seasonal forecasts of sea surface temperature and height (SST and SSH) as well as Ocean Heat Content (OHC).
In an effort to increase the efficiency of the observing system and increase the value of results from our partners, EuroSea has made great strides toward ensuring that an increased volume of near real time data from ship-based and other ocean observing platforms in the Baltic Sea are made available to the Copernicus Marine Services and EMODnet. Advances were made to assimilate these data into numerical models aimed at developing suitable products to help improve HELCOM MSFD reporting efforts. Similarly, excellent progress was made in building a data buoy delivery system delivered to aquaculture co-developers where data streams from the buoys flow to the Copernicus Marine Service In Situ TAC. EuroSea has also deployed and evaluated different ocean carbon observing platforms in the tropical Atlantic Ocean that should be able to increase the effectiveness and the accuracy of tropical carbon flux estimates.
EuroSea has measurable positive impact on ocean observing and forecasting in eight areas: 1) Strengthen EOOS and support GOOS and the GOOS Regional Alliances; 2) Increase ocean data sharing and integration; 3) Deliver improved climate change predictions; 4) Build capacity, internally in EuroSea and externally with EuroSea users; 5) Develop innovations, including exploitation of novel ideas or concepts; shorten the time span between research and innovation and foster economic value in the blue economy; 6) Facilitate methodologies, best practices, and knowledge transfer in ocean observing and forecasting; 7) Contribute to policy making in research, innovation, and technology; 8) Raise awareness of the need for a fit for purpose and sustained observing and forecasting system in Europe.