The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is intended to be a permanent
global system for observations, modelling and analysis of marine
and ocean variables needed to support operational ocean services
worldwide. GOOS will provide: (i) accurate descriptions of the present
state of the oceans, including living resources; (ii) continuous
forecasts of the future conditions of the sea for as far ahead as
possible; and (iii) the basis for forecasts of climate change.
GOOS is co-ordinated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
(IOC), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the International Council for Science (ICSU)
and is being implemented by national and international facilities
and services, including the Met Office. GOOS consists of an international
GOOS Steering Committee, a number of regional programmes (e.g. EuroGOOS),
national co-ordinating committees (e.g. in the UK the Inter-Agency
Committee on Marine Science and Technology (IACMST) GOOS Action
Group) and scientific and technical panels. GOOS has two main themes,
(i) coastal and shelf monitoring and modelling, and (ii) global
open-ocean monitoring and modelling.
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