Whitt et al. Future of Autonomous Ocean Observations reductions. Cost reductions could enable order-of-magnitude increases in platform operations and increase sampling resolution for a given level of investment. Energy harvesting technologies should be integral to the system design, for sensors, platforms, vehicles, and docking stations. Connections are needed between the marine energy and ocean observing communities to coordinate among funding sources, researchers, and end users. Regional teams should work with global organizations such as IOC/GOOS in governance development. International networks such as emerging glider operations (EGO) should also provide a forum for addressing governance. Networks of multiple vehicles can improve operational efficiencies and transform operational patterns. There is a need to develop operational architectures at regional and global scales to provide a backbone for active networking of autonomous platforms.

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Ocean-atmosphere interactions in the North Indian Ocean play a vital role in the onset, progression and withdrawal of the Indian monsoon. This paper describes the Ocean Observation System (OOS), an operational observational programme of the Earth System Science Organization and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (ESSO-NIOT) under India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Since 1997 it has provided oceanographic and surface meteorological data in real time for weather forecasting, climate research and several other applications. The programme focuses on understanding the phenomenon of the mean seasonal cycle of the Indian monsoon, the intra-seasonal to intra-decadal oscillations of air-sea interactions, trends that are related to tropical cyclones and the annual cycle balance in the exchange of waters between the two limbs of North Indian Ocean, i.e. the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. In situ observations are also used to develop, initialise and validate regional forecast models that provide high resolution data. There is also a growing need to understand the spatial phenomenon of oceans using satellite observations, wherein the quality of data needs to be validated and verified carefully. This paper also provides an overview of the scientific and societal impact of the Indian moored buoy network over two decades of operation. ARTICLE HISTORYHistorically, ocean surface measurements have been made via ships of opportunity, cargo vessels that sail the oceans to conduct maritime trade. These measurements were made for the safety of the ships' navigation,