Sabrina SPEICH

I am a physical oceanographer with three decades of experience in modeling and designing large international observing projects to better assess ocean and climate processes and monitor changes. The approach I have favored during the last 15 years is to promote interdisciplinary studies to understand the nonlinear dynamics of the ocean and its impact on biogeochemistry, marine biomes and ecosystems, and the atmosphere. I also work with the international community (within projects and organizations) to improve the ocean observing strategy and capacity. Indeed, the ocean is key to the future of humanity challenged by a rapidly changing climate.


I am Full Professor of Oceanography and Climate Sciences at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) of Paris and I am member of the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) and the French climate Institute Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL).


I have been actively involved in national and international organizations and programs since the early 2000s. I am currently involved in efforts to develop a fit-for-purpose global climate observing system. This is realized by co-chairing the Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC, which is a panel under GOOS, GCOS and WCRP programs sponsored by the United Nations, the International Science Council, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Meteorological Organization). 


Until recently, I co-chaired the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences programme: Ocean Observing Co-Design and I was member of the Scientific Steering Group developing the new Earth System Modelling and Observations  WCRP’s core project. In the past, I have been a member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the co-chair of the Atlantic CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability) Regional Panel, which facilitates global climate research in the atmosphere and ocean with a focus on the Atlantic and pan-European regions. In this context, I have co-chaired the Tropical Atlantic Observing System (TAOS) Review Report published in 2020 by CLIVAR.

©Thomas BLANKE 2018