The Full Picture

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Mediterranean

), handling assimilative 3D modelling capacities, and

data assembly centres for satellite altimetry, ocean colour, sea ice, sea

surface temperature, and forcing fields, and for in situ data. Atmospheric

analyses and forecasts are provided by the European Centre for Medium

Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) and National Weather Services.

The centres, located throughout Europe, are interconnected to form

an integrated system of systems thanks to information management

components (global workflow monitoring and supervision systems).

They are organized to ensure three groups of activities or ‘divisions’:

• A research and development group which can be partly internal

and external to the centre

• A production “unit” in charge of routine production and quality

control

• A service division in charge of service operations, including bulk

delivery and provision of expertise and assistance.

The components are networked into a single framework and infor-

mation management system to deliver integrated services. All

components of the EMCS are being developed in line with the trans-

verse areas concepts of GEO, in particular the architecture,

interoperability and data management standards. They adhere to inter-

nationally agreed protocols, formats and other recommendations of

the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and other rele-

vant bodies.

Serving user needs in the societal benefit areas

The basic tenet underpinning the EMCS is that it delivers generic

information, serving the needs of intermediate users in support of

their missions and activities. Users include public agencies (national

and international, e.g. the European Environmental Agency, the

European Maritime Safety Agency), research laboratories, and private

companies.

The EMCS is highly relevant to several of the societal benefit areas

identified by GEO, as illustrated by several examples:

Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced

disasters

– forecasting of ocean currents and sea ice in support of

ship routing and offshore operations, coastal management, storm

surge forecasts, oil spill detection and drift forecasts; support to

search and rescue operations at sea.

Understanding environmental factors affecting human

health and well-being

– coastal water quality monitor-

ing, pollution detection and monitoring, harmful algal

blooms, responsible fishing strategies.

Improving management of energy resources

– lending

support to offshore operations and maritime transport.

Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and

adapting to climate variability and change

– the role of

the ocean in all climate issues is paramount and obvious

(heat, sea ice, carbon cycle). EMCS monitors sea level,

storm surges and extreme events, works to develop

ocean climate indicators, and monitors ocean circula-

tion and heat patterns changes.

Improving water resource management through better

understanding of the water cycle

– understanding the role

of the ocean in the global water cycle, e.g. evaporation-

precipitation.

Improving weather information, forecasting and warning

– extended weather forecasts need timely, high-quality

ocean information; in particular, hurricane prediction

requires information on upper-ocean heat content.

Improving the management and protection of terrestrial,

coastal and marine ecosystems

– the MCS delivers

boundary conditions needed for coastal monitoring

systems. The development of ecosystem models in the

coastal domains is an active area of research; their imple-

mentation and validation into the EMCS is ongoing.

Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity

– the products of the EMCS on the physical and primary

ecosystem variables contribute to understanding the

oceanic environmental factors.

Supporting sustainable agriculture (including fishery) and

combating desertification

– the coupling of the physical

state of the ocean to the biogeochemical state and the influ-

ence on ecosystem development is of great importance for

a sustainable ecosystem based fishery management.

Present status and perspectives

The EMCS has been developed with significant support

from national agencies,

from the European

Commission and the European Space Agency. EMCS

participates in the Global Data Assimilation Experiment

(GODAE). Most of the centres are in operation, and

deliver regularly high-quality data and products. Further

developments are underway to consolidate and transi-

tion to fully operational status, and to be included in

the European Global Monitoring for Environment and

Security (GEMS) system. Research results (in particu-

lar in ecosystem modelling) are regularly incorporated

into the operational systems.

A special focus is given to the development of the

services and to the engagement of users; links with

coastal systems are strengthened.

The EMCS provides significant added value to Earth

observations, for the benefit of society in Europe and

worldwide. It is inherently dependent on the availabil-

ity of data from Earth observation satellites and from in

situ ocean observation networks. Continuity of those is

crucial for the future.

Ice monitoring and forecasting in support of ship routing

and climate change studies

Photo: Canadian Coast Guards

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