Sabrina SPEICH
The EU H2020 AtlantOS Project
AtlantOS is a large-scale research and innovation project aiming to deliver an advanced framework for the development of an integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System that goes beyond the state-of-the-art, and leaves a legacy of sustainability after the lifetime of the project. The general vision of AtlantOS is to improve Atlantic observing to obtain an international, more sustainable, more efficient, more integrated, and fit-for- purpose ocean observing system. Ultimately, this will improve the value for money, extent, completeness, quality and ease of access to ocean data with the aim of delivering comprehensive ocean information to assess current trends and predict future scenarios.
The project is largely funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, but is truly pan-Atlantic initiative with partners from Brazil, Canada, South Africa and the USA. As such, AtlantOS contributes to the Trans- Atlantic Research Alliance (Galway Initiative), the Group on Earth Observations and to the implementation of SDG14 entitled ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’.
The AtlantOS project is a driver in the vision of an integrated Atlantic Ocean observing system that achieves a transition from a loosely- coordinated and fragmented set of existing activities, into a system that is sustained and sustainable, efficient, and fit- for-purpose. This system covers the value chain from observations to use of information products by policy- and decision- makers, and includes data management, analysis and modelling, and dissemination of information and products, as well as continuous improvement of the system through technological advances and user feedback. The sustainability of the observing system is intimately linked to its fitness-for-purpose – how closely it meets the requirements of society and of science for sustained ocean observations and information.
The AtlantOS project uses a systems approach, based on the Framework for Ocean Observing (2012), to: identify a common understanding of requirements across the stakeholders of Atlantic sustained ocean observing systems; coordinate existing observation efforts and augment them, where necessary, to fill identified gaps; integrate data streams; and make data and information widely available for societal benefit across areas as diverse as climate, operational ocean services (e.g., for industry), and ocean health.
This is an ambitious vision, and relies on developing a voluntary collaborative system, where all countries around the Atlantic Rim and all stakeholders see the value in mutual cooperation, using commonly-agreed standards and best practices, and coordinating all of the pieces into a more valuable integrated whole. While the AtlantOS project is driven by European funding, the vision broadly includes a much wider set of partners, and seeks to build a common effort.
An analysis of existing requirements and observing programs has been completed and informs innovation activities within the project and with outside partners to: better define integrated requirements; identify capacities and gaps; and understand trade-offs between the feasibility and impact of different observing networks in capturing Atlantic Ocean phenomena and delivering for scientific and operational applications. It forms a basis for ongoing discussions about common priorities amongst AtlantOS project partners and all stakeholders, around the Atlantic basin, in a future AtlantOS integrated and sustained ocean observing system
©Thomas BLANKE 2018