Societal need for improved understanding of climate change, anthropogenic impacts, and geo-hazard warning drive development of ocean observatories in European Seas
| Type | Article | ||||||||||||
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| Date | 2011-10 | ||||||||||||
| Language | English | ||||||||||||
| Author(s) | Ruhl Henry A.1, Andre Michel2, Beranzoli Laura3, Cagatay M. Namik4, Colaco Ana5, Cannat Mathilde6, Danobeitia Juanjo J.7, Favali Paolo3, Geli Louis 8, Gillooly Michael9, Greinert Jens10, Hall Per O. J.11, Huber Robert12, Karstensen Johannes13, Lampitt Richard S.1, Larkin Kate E.1, Lykousis Vasilios14, Mienert Jurgen15, Miguel Miranda J.16, Person Roland8, Priede Imants G.17, Puillat Ingrid8, Thomsen Laurenz18, Waldmann Christoph12 |
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| Affiliation(s) | 1 : Univ Southampton, Natl Oceanog Ctr, Southampton S014 3ZH, Hants, England 2 : Univ Politecn Cataluna, Lab Aplicac Bioacust, Ctr Tecnol Vilanova & Geltru, Barcelona 08800, Spain 3 : Ist Nazl Geofis & Vulcanol, I-00143 Rome, Italy 4 : Istanbul Tech Univ, TR-80626 Istanbul, Turkey 5 : Univ Azores, Dept Oceanog & Fisheries, IMAR, P-9901862 Cais De Sta Cruz, Horta, Portugal 6 : Inst Phys Globe, Lab Geosci Marines, F-75252 Paris, France 7 : CSIC, Unidad Tecnol Marina, Barcelona, Spain 8 : IFREMER, F-29280 Plouzane, France 9 : Marine Inst Headquarters, Oranmore, Co Galway, Ireland 10 : Royal Netherlands Inst Sea Res, NL-1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands 11 : Univ Gothenburg, Dept Chem, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden 12 : Univ Bremen, MARUM Ctr Marine Environm Sci, D-28359 Bremen, Germany 13 : Univ Kiel, Leibniz Inst Meereswissensch, D-24105 Kiel, Germany 14 : Hellen Ctr Marine Res, Athens 19013, Greece 15 : Univ Tromso, Dept Geol, N-9037 Tromso, Norway 16 : Univ Lisbon, Ctr Geofis, P-1749016 Lisbon, Portugal 17 : Univ Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB41 6AA, Scotland 18 : Univ Bremen, D-28759 Bremen, Germany |
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| Source | Progress In Oceanography (0079-6611) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2011-10 , Vol. 91 , N. 1 , P. 1-33 | ||||||||||||
| DOI | 10.1016/j.pocean.2011.05.001 | ||||||||||||
| WOS© Times Cited | 66 | ||||||||||||
| Abstract | Society's needs for a network of in situ ocean observing systems cross many areas of earth and marine science. Here we review the science themes that benefit from data supplied from ocean observatories. Understanding from existing studies is fragmented to the extent that it lacks the coherent long-term monitoring needed to address questions at the scales essential to understand climate change and improve geo-hazard early warning. Data sets from the deep sea are particularly rare with long-term data available from only a few locations worldwide. These science areas have impacts on societal health and well-being and our awareness of ocean function in a shifting climate. Substantial efforts are underway to realise a network of open-ocean observatories around European Seas that will operate over multiple decades. Some systems are already collecting high-resolution data from surface, water column, seafloor, and sub-seafloor sensors linked to shore by satellite or cable connection in real or near-real time, along with samples and other data collected in a delayed mode. We expect that such observatories will contribute to answering major ocean science questions including: How can monitoring of factors such as seismic activity, pore fluid chemistry and pressure, and gas hydrate stability improve seismic, slope failure, and tsunami warning? What aspects of physical oceanography, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystems will be most sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic change? What are natural versus anthropogenic changes? Most fundamentally, how are marine processes that occur at differing scales related? The development of ocean observatories provides a substantial opportunity for ocean science to evolve in Europe. Here we also describe some basic attributes of network design. Observatory networks provide the means to coordinate and integrate the collection of standardised data capable of bridging measurement scales across a dispersed area in European Seas adding needed certainty to estimates of future oceanic conditions. Observatory data can be analysed along with other data such as those from satellites, drifting floats, autonomous underwater vehicles, model analysis, and the known distribution and abundances of marine fauna in order to address some of the questions posed above. Standardised methods for information management are also becoming established to ensure better accessibility and traceability of these data sets and ultimately to increase their use for societal benefit. The connection of ocean observatory effort into larger frameworks including the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and the Global Monitoring of Environment and Security (GMES) is integral to its success. It is in a greater integrated framework that the full potential of the component systems will be realised. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | ||||||||||||
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