UK Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

Observations that are routinely made as part of the National Marine Monitoring Programme (NMMP) i.e. measurements of a variety of contaminants in water, sediments and biota, and of biological effects, are in principle available as a contribution to GOOS observations. They will be particularly relevant to the coastal observing elements of GOOS. The organisations involved in the NMMP are FRS Aberdeen, CEFAS (mainly the Burnham on Crouch Laboratory), the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), DARDNI and the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland.

The British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) housed alongside POL is NERCs designated data centre for oceanographic data. BODC acts as the processing centre and repository for a variety of oceanographic observations and as the UK Argo Data Centre. BODC also contributes to the IACMST MED-AG by hosting the MED-AG coordinator. BODC is the home of the IACMST Inventory of Marine Monitoring Observations

The Joint Nature Conservation Council (JNCC) is responsible for co-ordinating the collection of a variety of information on the biota found around the UK coast and these data are available to GOOS as a contribution to the marine living resources component if required.

The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOC) operates a variety of programmes, mainly in deeper ocean waters e.g. it operates standard hydrographic sections in association with the POL Drake Passage study. In principle its data are also available as contributions to GOOS.

The DEFRA supports a UK Marine Environmental Change Network which draws upon observations currently in progress or planned and assess the extent of change in recent time. In 2005 IACMST published 'Marine Processes and Climate' the first of what is intended to become a regular publication reviewing what is currently known about temporal trends in e.g. salinity and temperature in waters around the UK. This publication is available for download as pdf or view an interactive version in the reports section.

The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) intends to be involved in deploying Bottom Pressure Recorders in the Atlantic as support to the satellite missions CHAMP, GOCE and GRACE. POL has developed a Coastal Observatory in the Irish Sea. This focuses particularly on Liverpool Bay the aim is to prove the concept of obtaining measurements in real-time/near real-time and integrating them with a pre-operational predictive modelling system. Measurements in real-time/near real-time include: -

a) In situ time series of current, temperature and salinity profiles and of waves and meteorology from one site and of surface properties via the CEFAS SMART buoy.
b) tide gauges, some fitted with extra sensors (for meteorology, sea surface temperature, salinity and waves).
c) a shore-based HF radar system measuring waves and surface currents
d) Liverpool to Belfast ferry measuring near-surface temperature, salinity, transmittance and fluorescence.
e) drifters, measuring surface currents and properties such as temperature and salinity.

f) satellite measurements of sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, suspended matter

POL is also concerned with the development of ocean models and through such activities supports programmes within EuroGOOS, including the North West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System (NOOS), as well as a variety of national coastal studies.