The Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) was formally adopted as an IOC project in June 2019, jointly sponsored by IODE and GOOS Programmes. It is hosted at the Project Office of IODE of IOC-UNESCO in Oostende, Belgium and managed by a Steering Group (see below) representing major stakeholders. These stakeholders include representatives from IOC programmes, invited experts from the ocean observing community, and representatives of IODE and GOOS Secretariats.
The work of the OBPS is structured and implemented through Work Packages (WP) led by members of the Steering Group: WP1: Project Management Leads: Pauline Simpson, Rene Garello, George Petihakis Oversees the management of the project including system administration, reporting and progress of the IOC OBPS project. WP2: Operations (Repository) Leads: Pauline Simpson, Arno Lambert Ensures efficient day-to-day management, administration and development of the OBPS Repository, including new user-facing and back-end support and technology enhancements. WP3: Advanced Technologies and Interoperability Leads: Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Cristian Munoz Mas and Justin Buck Identify technology developments and scope capacity to build into the present service, including technical documentation and the introduction of automated processes. WP4: Publications, Convergence and Endorsement Leads Cora Hoerstmann, Johannes Karstensen, Virginie Van Dongen-Vogels, Frank Muller-Karger Support the synthesis or convergence of fragmented practices, address the endorsement of best practices, and coordinate the editorship of the scientific journal: Frontiers in Marine Science Research Topic: Best Practices in Ocean Observation . WP5-6: Communication, Outreach and Community Engagement Leads: Rachel Przeslawski, Virginie Van Dongen-Vogels, Mark Bushnell, Frank Muller-Karger , Edem Mahu A new joining of WP5 and WP 6 (Community Engagement) to ensure visibility and relevance of the system through community engagement activities, including the production and dissemination of promotional material of the OBPS, including the OBPS News Flash. In addition to build and develop the interfaces between the OBPS and global user communities, representing specific domain interests and nurturing domain experts as OBPS advocates. WP7: Training and Capacity Development Leads: Ana Carolina Peralta, Ana Carolina Mazzuco Address training needs and explore synergies with any organizations developing or delivering training within this scope, including building a portfolio of courses available for the relevant audiences. WP8: OBPS 'Ocean Practices for the Decade' Coordination Leads: Rebecca Zitoun, Aileen Tan Shau-Hwai Coordinate the Ocean Practices for the Decade, an endorsed UN Ocean Decade Programme contributing to transformative Decade Actions. It supports all ocean stakeholders in securing, equitably sharing, and collectively advancing ocean research methodological heritage. By engaging diverse communities of practice across Ocean Decade Programmes it will address the major challenge of developing global consensus on how methods should interoperate and evolve into best practices .
