J. She

The Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service Ocean State Report

ABSTRACT The Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) Ocean State Report (OSR) provides an annual report of the state of the global ocean and European regional seas for policy and decision-makers with the additional aim of increasing general public awareness about the status of, and changes in, the marine environment. The CMEMS OSR draws on expert analysis and provides a 3-D view (through reanalysis systems), a view from above (through remote-sensing data) and a direct view of the interior (through in situ measurements) of the global ocean and the European regional seas. The report is based on the unique CMEMS monitoring capabilities of the blue (hydrography, currents), white (sea ice) and green (e.g. Chlorophyll) marine environment. This first issue of the CMEMS OSR provides guidance on Essential Variables, large-scale changes and specific events related to the physical ocean state over the period 1993–2015. Principal findings of this first CMEMS OSR show a significant increase in global and regional sea levels, thermosteric expansion, ocean heat content, sea surface temperature and Antarctic sea ice extent and conversely a decrease in Arctic sea ice extent during the 1993–2015 period. During the year 2015 exceptionally strong large-scale changes were monitored such as, for example, a strong El Niño Southern Oscillation, a high frequency of extreme storms and sea level events in specific regions in addition to areas of high sea level and harmful algae blooms. At the same time, some areas in the Arctic Ocean experienced exceptionally low sea ice extent and temperatures below average were observed in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Integrated marine science in European shelf seas and adjacent waters

The European Shelf sea Integrated Project (ESIP) and Integrated infrastructure for European Research Area in Marine Science (SERAM) are two proposed integration activities to establish an integrated, world-leading operational modelling and observing system in European shelf seas and adjacent waters. The ESIP-SERAM system is consti- tuted by an integrated next generation operational modelling system, supported by an integrated marine observing system, a data exchange system, distributed data centres and a service system. It will serve as an efficient tool to transfer state-of-the-art marine science and technology into valuable information products for end-users, especially for: 1. operational agencies with value added forecast products and new forecasting capabil- ities 2. environmental monitoring agencies with optimised monitoring strategies 3. regional environmental protection organisations such as HELCOM and OSPARCOM with high quality and fast delivered environmental indicators (rapid environment assessment) 4. GMES with a full set of operational (near) real-time in situ marine observations in major parts of the marine Economic Exploration Zone in 15 countries (9 EU member countries and 6 associated countries) 5. being an integrated infrastructure basis for European Research Area in marine science.

Sustainability analysis in marine research, monitoring and forecasting systems

Abstract End-users are driving forces behind the development of marine science. A sustainable Research and Technological Development (RTD) system serves as a basic tool to transfer basic research to service products. Successful development of next generation marine research, monitoring and forecasting systems relies on sustainable strategy in management human, monitoring and computing resources. This paper analyses relation- ships between European marine research, monitoring and forecasting systems, reveals existing problems (e.g. bottle-neck effects) and highlights possible solutions in order to maintain sustainable development in these systems.