EuroGOOS 2021

Our 9th International Conference has been an overwhelming success. More than 540 registered participants from 45 countries joined our online event tackling all aspects of operational oceanography. A total of 90 scientific presentations were given in parallel sessions and 22 posters presented, while international speakers shared their insights on coordination, governance, and impact in our five plenary sessions.

At the closing we asked our audience about their key takeaways and among the many answers one came in most prominently – integration. Our new 2030 Strategy, launched at the conference, is addressing the integration needs though various key themes, such as expanding and enhancing the communities of practice and partnerships, as well as joining efforts more efficiently and impactfully in common advocacy, public mobilization, and interactions at science-policy interface.

Integration is not something that happens at once. The communities represented at the 9th EuroGOOS Conference have demonstrated through their diverse voices and a joint imperative to foster co-production of oceanographic services and value to society, that this integration is ongoing at full steam. To help this process, we will deliver not only the conference proceedings but also the conference recommendations which will set out a list of priorities for our members and partners in the coming years, aligned with our vision and strategy.

EuroGOOS Chair George Petihakis presented the key messages of this statement in the conference closing. Those are:

• Operational monitoring, data provision, and services for ocean health and climate – seamless Earth-system approach, synergies between operational, environmental, and climate research and monitoring, enhanced biology and bio-geo-chemistry observations and data delivery;
• Common approach to strengthening marine Research Infrastructures – joint observing system implementation, stronger user engagement and capacity building, joint actions at international level;
• Coastal oceanography – fit-for-purpose technologies, FAIR, timely & interoperable data, metrology standards towards Ocean Digital Twin, user-friendly interfaces;
• From acquisition to modelling – EuroGOOS and EOOS supporting sustainability of in situ systems, shared standards and practices, user engagement in co-design, improved data assimilation, esp. in coastal areas and for bio-geo-chemical and biological modelling;
• User-oriented products and services – targeted interactions with users, clear messaging, technological cooperation, best practices;
• Big data and artificial intelligence – FAIR data management plans for transdisciplinary analyses with AI, training in machine learning and programming, collaborations between marine and computer scientists;
• Contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development – co-production of new products and services, data aggregation, advocacy for sustained operations, international partnerships;
• EOOS Framework – linking European ocean observing networks, stakeholders, and initiatives, stakeholder engagement and co-design, synergies across disciplines, interface between national and pan-European ocean observing management.

Co-design and co-production of science, models and forecasting will bring the needed paradigm shift in ocean observing to deliver better and timelier knowledge to society. At the heart of this are partnerships, integration, capacity development and diversity.

Our Conference platform with all its contents (the programme, posters, abstracts of the breakout session presentations, and the marketplace) will remain open for the coming year.