The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is a global system for sustained observations of the ocean comprising the oceanographic component of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (
GEOSS). GOOS is administrated by the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and joins the Global Climate Observing System,
GCOS, and Global Terrestrial Observing System,
GTOS, as fundamental building blocks of the GEOSS.
GOOS is a platform for:
* International cooperation for sustained observations of the oceans.
* Generation of oceanographic products and services.
* Interaction between research, operational, and user communities.
GOOS serves oceanographic researchers, coastal managers, parties to international conventions, national meteorological and oceanographic agencies, hydrographic offices, marine and coastal industries, policy makers and the interested general public.
GOOS is sponsored by the IOC,
UNEP,
WMO and
ICSU
The International Council for Science (ICSU, after its former name, International Council of Scientific Unions) was an international non-governmental organization devoted to multilateralism, international cooperation in the advancement of scie ...
. It is implemented by member states via their government agencies, navies and oceanographic research institutions working together in a wide range of thematic panels and regional alliances.
The GOOS Scientific Steering Committee provides guidance, while Scientific and Technical Panels evaluate Essential Ocean Variable observation systems. The secretariat director, from 2004 to 2011 was Keith Alverson. The secretariat director from 2011–present is Albert Fischer.
Essential ocean variables
Essential Ocean Variables are a collection of ocean properties selected in a way so as to provide the best, most cost-effective suite of data that enable quantification of key ocean processes. They are selected based on their Relevance, Feasibility and Cost effectiveness. They fall into four categories - physics, biogeochemistry, ecosystems and cross-disciplinary. Their consistent usage is promoted by agencies such as GOOS and
Southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
.
The EOVs are:
*Physics
**Sea state
**Ocean surface stress
**
Sea ice
Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice, which has an even lower density). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oce ...
**
Sea surface height
**
Sea surface temperature
**Subsurface temperature
**Surface currents
**Subsurface currents
**Sea surface salinity
**Subsurface salinity
**Ocean surface heat flux
*Biogeochemistry
**Oxygen
**Nutrients
**Inorganic carbon
**Transient tracers
**Particulate matter
**Nitrous oxide
**Stable carbon isotopes
**Dissolved organic carbon
*Ecosystems
**Phytoplankton biomass and diversity
**Zooplankton biomass and diversity
**Fish abundance and distribution
**Marine turtles, birds, mammals abundance and distribution
**Hard coral cover and composition
**Seagrass cover and composition
**Macroalgal canopy cover and composition
**Mangrove cover and composition
**Microbe biomass and diversity (*emerging)
**Invertebrate abundance and distribution (*emerging)
*Cross-disciplinary
**Ocean colour
**Ocean Sound
See also
*
Integrated Ocean Observing System
*
Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites (GTOS)
References
External links
GOOS Web
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goos
Oceanography
Earth observation projects