The OceanObs'09 conference (21-25 September 2009, Venice, Italy) celebrated a decade of progress in implementing an initial ocean observing system focused on ocean physics and carbon, identified the scientific and societal benefits it has enabled, and looked forward to the coming decade. The conference called for full implementation and sustaining of the planned physical and carbon observing system, and highlighted a wealth of opportunities to extend the system to include comprehensive integrated observations, data sharing, analysis and forecasting of the biogeochemical state of the ocean and the status of marine biodiversity and ecosystems.The executive summary of the conference (Section 1) outlines the key accomplishments of the conference in highlighting societal needs for a sustained ocean observing system, identifying opportunities and challenges. Section 2 describes the process of community input that culminated in the conference and the papers in these proceedings. Section 3 provides our view of key opportunities and challenges for components of the ocean observing system identified by the conference participants through the Plenary Papers and Community White Papers.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ocean information for societyThe global oceans influence mankind in profound ways. They hold 97% of all water on Earth, and half of the surface of our planet is made up of the high seas, under the legal jurisdiction of no one nation, but under the common stewardship of all. The oceans absorb about a quarter of ongoing human emissions of greenhouse gases, preventing stronger warming of the atmosphere, but as a consequence are acidifying, with growing but still uncertain impacts on marine ecosystems.The health of ocean ecosystems and their ability to sustain ecosystem services and societal benefits are threatened by human activity: through pollution, nutrient loading, harvesting of marine resources, habitat destruction, increasing CO 2 concentration and ocean acidification, and by global changes in ocean temperature, stratification, and biogeochemistry. Management of these threats to the oceans is critical to sustaining benefits to society for both present and future generations, and requires better understanding, models, assessments, and therefore observation of the natural state and of how these threats are changing the ocean.Coastal populations exposed to ocean-related natural hazards such as tsunamis and storm surges, as well as longer-timescale sea level rise, are projected to grow rapidly. Early warning systems, as well as accurate regional projections that underpin adaptation and mitigation strategies, depend on real-time sharing of ocean observations. Global forecasts of marine hazards built on observations also support the more than 90% of internationally-traded goods that are transported by sea.Ocean dynamics play a key role in regulating and modulating the hydrological cycle and climate on timescales of weeks to decades, and good ocean observations, analyses, and forecast systems provide key information for decision...
