Pacific Islands GOOS *

*  ex-PacificGOOS; the name was changed 
by the PacificGOOS Steering Committee
at its last meeting, in October 2002

 

    What is Pacific Islands GOOS?

The Pacific Islands Global Ocean Observing System [PI-GOOS[1]] Global Regional Alliance [GRA] was established in 1998 at the Pacific Regional GOOS Capacity Building Workshop, which convened in Suva, Fiji in 1998. The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission [SOPAC] was identified as the interim secretariat for PI-GOOS at the same workshop.

PI-GOOS was established to place an obligation on the participating countries to review their ongoing research and monitoring activities, as well as to assess their priority demands and the need of developing and implementing an internationally co-ordinated strategy for gathering, acquisition and exchange of these data.

The PI-GOOS GRA permits to integrate present ongoing ocean research and monitoring activities into the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy, as well as to broaden the scope of activities for marine environment protection and marine resources management. It facilitates, encourages and widens data usage to develop enabling tools and services for better and sustainable use of ocean resources and ocean environment. The PI-GOOS GRA can possibly trigger opportunities for new activities and new partnerships both within and outside the region.

[1] At the Pacific Regional GOOS Capacity Building Workshop convened in Suva, Fiji in February 1998, it was agreed to call the Pacific GOOS Regional Alliance PacificGOOS. The PacificGOOS ad hoc Steering Committee at its meeting in October 2002 agreed that it was prudent to change the name of the regional alliance to Pacific Islands GOOS (PI-GOOS) to dispel uncertainty in terms of the geographic coverage of the membership of the alliance.

    Membership

(Potential) Partners

National Governments and Administrations

American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Northern Marianas, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

Pacific Regional Organisations

Pacific Islands Forum [PIF], South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission [SOPAC – which is currently the interim Secretariat for PI-GOOS], International Oceans Institute–Pacific Islands [IOI-PI], Secretariat of the Pacific Community [SPC], South Pacific Regional Environment Programme [SPREP], Forum Fisheries Agency [FFA], South Pacific Tourism Organisation [SPTO], University of the South Pacific [USP], University of Papua New Guinea [UPNG], University of New Caledonia [UNC], universities in Australia and New Zealand.

External Agencies and Organisations

Bureau of Meteorology Australia [BoM], Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Great Barrier Marine Park, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), Institut de recherche pour le Development (IRD), Institut francais de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer [French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea] (IFREMER), University of Hawaii.  

    Meetings and reports

Workshop Report on Pacific GOOS, Suva, Fiji, 13-17 February 1998

Workshop Report on Pacific GOOS,
Apia, Samoa, 16-17 August 2000

PacificGOOS Steering Committee Meeting Report, Nadi, Fiji, 6 October 2002

PAOOP Workshop Report,
Nadi, Fiji, 4-10 October 2002

PIROIS Proposal

PI-GOOS Regional Report 
[final version to be available soon]

    Strategic Plan

        PI-GOOS Strategy