Internationally, sustained ocean observation is coordinated through the UNESCO-IOC Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) which is also a contribution to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Blue Planet initiative. But also a number of related programs and projects working to develop and implement effective ocean observing capacities, improving their efficiency and their timely and high quality information delivery.

Despite that the current ocean observing system remains fragmented especially for in situ observations. In addition several of the networks and individual contributions are not well resourced and lack long term funding perspectives.

There is therefore a strong rationale to advance the current system components to obtain an international, more sustainable, more efficient, more integrated, and fit-for-purpose ocean observing system that will improve the value for money, extent, completeness, quality and ease of access to Ocean data to jointly deliver comprehensive ocean information to assess current trends and predict future scenarios.

An internationally developed Blueprint of Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing Systems will be developed for the OceanObs19 conference. Such a group will benefit from the work of AtlantOS and similar projects. So far, a small Blueprint prefix team was appointed that will oversee the process of the development of the plan with input from a balanced team comprising observing experts, marine scientist and the wider stakeholder communities. In order to assemble the best possible team a nomination call process was initiated with the goal of expert nominations to serve in this capacity.

Self-nomination can be submitted under the following website: https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/B8GSSFX. The deadline for applications is the 6 January 2017.

Secretarial support will be provided. Please, contact for further questions Sandra Ketelhake (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel) at sketelhake@geomar.de.

Download: Call For Expert Nominations For The Author Team Of The Atlantic OceanObserving System Blueprint 2019