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Issue No.3, September 2006 | PDF version | go to archives »

Highlighted below are the JCOMM sessions at the IOC and WMO Executive Councils (June 2006).  Other activities are going ahead, and we are preparing for a busy boreal autumn with the JCOMM Management Committee meeting and two Programme Area Co-ordination Group meetings (Data Management and Services). 

Remember, this communication is a two-way street and you are encouraged to submit information of interest to the wider JCOMM community for inclusion in future JCOMM Newsletters (submit to: c.clark@unesco.org). 

• JCOMM sessions at Executive Council meetings:

IOC - 23 June 2006, Paris
WMO - 27 June 2006, Geneva

• Welcome to new DBCP/SOT Technical Co-ordinator with personal message
• Ad hoc Task Team on Coastal GOOS Implementation
• Oceanography meetings, July 2006, Hobart
• List of upcoming meetings
  

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IOC Executive Council, 39th Session (Report by Dr Jean-Louis Fellous)

Both the JCOMM co-presidents were present for the report to plenary on JCOMM and the results of JCOMM-II, and for the subsequent discussions. The verbal report was delivered by the JCOMM co-president Dr Jean-Louis Fellous. Members states of the Council expressed their appreciation for the significant progress made in JCOMM activities , and a number of delegations described their contributions to the work of JCOMM.

The Executive Council recognized that support from the regular budget was not likely to change during the current biennium, that extra-budgetary funds would need to be secured for JCOMM to accomplish the work plan approved by JCOMM-II, and therefore urged Member States to consider this extra-budgetary support for specific activities. The representative from WMO emphasized the strong partnership that exists between IOC and WMO on JCOMM. The Executive Council recognized the challenges associated with this collaboration, and noted that JCOMM provided an incentive for the oceanographic and meteorological communities at the national level to work together for the advancement of oceanography and marine meteorology.  Emphasis was given to the importance of communicating the activities of the Technical Commission, both within the JCOMM community and externally. 

Finally the Executive Council urged that the work plan and priorities of JCOMM should be incorporated into the IOC Medium Term Strategy, and adopted Resolution EC-XXXIX (4.3.1) to take action on the recommendations adopted by JCOMM-II.

Other work taken up by the Executive Council included extension discussions of the development and implementation of the regional tsunami early warning and mitigation systems, and adoption of the IOC Draft Medium Term Strategy for 2008-2013, which identifies four high-level objectives for the IOC:

• Prevention and reduction of the impacts of natural hazards;
• Mitigation of the impacts and adaptation to climate change and variability;
• Safeguarding the health of oceans ecosystems;
• Management procedures and policies leading to the sustainability of coastal and ocean environment and resources.

The full text of the Executive Council report is available at: http://ioc.unesco.org/iocms/contents.php?id=39.

Dr Jean-Louis Fellous reporting on JCOMM status at IOC Executive Council, Paris, June 2006

from left to right: Candyce Clark, JCOMM Secretariat; Jean-Louis Fellous, Co-president JCOMM;
David Pugh, Chairman IOC; Keith Alverson, Director GOOS Project Office

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WMO Executive Council, 58th Session (Report by Dr Peter Dexter)

JCOMM in plenary

Both the JCOMM co-presidents were present for the report to plenary on JCOMM and the results of JCOMM-II, and for the subsequent discussions. The verbal report was delivered by the JCOMM co-president Dr Peter Dexter. Unfortunately, the plenary discussions were dominated by the ship security issue (see the paragraphs below), leaving little time for any comment or debate on JCOMM, its programme and priorities, and on the recommendations from JCOMM-II. Nevertheless, what reaction there was to JCOMM and its work was very positive, and the recommendations were all approved without comment or apparent concern. Two EC members stressed the importance of marine meteorological services to the large number of maritime Members in Africa, and urged that special attention should be paid to assisting Members in the region to enhance their capacity to provide such services to their user communities. In response, the co-president and Secretariat referred to the major regional development projects in marine meteorology and oceanography that have been prepared, for West Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (WIOMAP). Funding support for both is now being actively sought.

JCOMM side meeting

The timing for the special JCOMM Information Session was a little unfortunate, coming immediately after an unscheduled long night session of the Council, so attendance was lower than hoped. Nevertheless, the response of participants to the presentation by the co-president was very positive and supportive. The presentation covered not just JCOMM objectives, programmes, status and priorities, in particular as they relate to WMO and its Members, but also detailed governance, Secretariat support and funding aspects of the jointly sponsored Commission. There is now evidence of an enhanced understanding of and support for JCOMM, in WMO, IOC and within the JCOMM community itself, which is encouraging. This all builds on the more positive, informed and enthusiastic response to JCOMM work and achievements evident in the debates at JCOMM-II.

Ship security issue

Over recent years, mounting concern has been expressed at the increased security risks to ships participating in the VOS scheme, resulting from the ready availability of their observations and associated ID and position, in real time, on web sites outside the control of NMHS. The issue is not so much that there have actually been security incidents related to the availability of this information, but that ship’s masters perceive an increased risk to their safety. This concern has been openly expressed in ICS, and has led already to the withdrawal of some ships from the VOS.

The issue has been brought to the attention of EC in previous years, without significant response, and was again raised strongly at EC-58 by the Co-president of JCOMM, with some proposals from JCOMM for strong action by WMO to respond to the concerns.

Unfortunately, EC again largely side-stepped the issue. It did not accept the primary JCOMM proposal, and instead adopted, through Res. 3.4.4/2, a partial solution, involving the masking of the call signs of some of the VOS reports for GTS distribution. As well as only partially addressing the problem, this solution also complicates the management of the ship metadata for real time data quality monitoring and feedback, as well as for climate studies. Considerable work, therefore, remains to be done in the coming year, through the high level dialogue established by EC (involving interested/affected NMHS, JCOMM, CBS, IMO, ICS, shipping companies), which is to report again to EC-59 in 2007, if we are to avoid a severe reduction in the VOS numbers in the near future. 

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Welcome to the New DBCP/SOT Technical Co-ordinator Ms. Hester Viola

(Reminder:  DBCP = Data Buoy Co-operation Panel and SOT = Ship Observations Team)

A message from the new DBCP/SOT Technical Co-ordinator, Ms. Hester Viola:

As you may be aware, I have taken up the position of Technical Co-ordinator and commenced in the role beginning of July 2006. I am looking forward to working with you all and continuing the efforts here at JCOMMOPS in Toulouse, with Mathieu Belbéoch.

I am from Australia, where I worked for the last few years at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in a technical role, focussing on geospatial data management and online mapping systems. Prior to that, I worked as an Analyst/Consultant in the field of geospatial data and systems. I studied Meteorology and Geomatics at Bachelor level and last year, completed a Master of Information Management and Systems.

While it will take some time for me to get fully up to speed, I can respond to issues that arise and will resume normal JCOMMOPS operations (especially the provision of monitoring reports and maps) as quickly as possible, by referring to relevant documentation and under the guidance of Etienne Charpentier and Mathieu Belbéoch.

So, I encourage you to contact me (viola@jcommops.org) with any questions, requests for technical assistance or guidance

As well as familiarising myself with this role and the panels I represent, I will be focussing on challenges such as:

- Supporting and providing technical assistance with GTS distribution of buoy data;
- Continuing investigations into the area of quality control;
- Looking at the timeliness of data and possible improvements;
- Preparing for the next panel session in San Diego this October, which will provide a good opportunity to meet everybody.

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JCOMM-GSSC-GRA ad hoc Task Team on Implementing the Coastal Module of GOOS

The second session of the Commission recommended the establishment of a joint JCOMM-GSSC-GRA ad hoc Task Team (TT) to advise JCOMM, the GSSC and GRAs concerning four issues critical to implementing the coastal module of GOOS:

1. co-ordination between the JCOMM, GSSC and GRAs, actions that should be taken by these bodies in both,
2. short- and
3. long-terms, and
4. the extent to which JCOMM should coordinate implementation of operational elements of the coastal module of GOOS (and, by implication, the need for another JCOMM-like body to oversee see co-ordinated implementation of the coastal module).

The ad hoc Task Team met in June in Paris, and has completed a first draft of recommendations to be discussed at  the upcoming JCOMM Management meeting in October 2006 and the 3rd Forum of the GOOS Regional Alliances (14-17 November, Cape Town; http://www.ioc-goos.org/content/view/57/). Chair Tom Malone is aiming to complete the recommendations in advance of the next GOOS Scientific Steering Committee (13-17 March 2007, Seoul; http://www.ioc-goos.org/content/view/67/).

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Oceanography Meetings, Hobart, 11 and 15 July 2006

Background

The Second Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) took place in Hobart, Australia, from 12-14 July 2006. A number of side meetings were organized in conjunction with this conference, including, inter alia, a meeting of the SCAR/SCOR Expert Group on Oceanography (10-11 July) and a Workshop on a Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) (15 July), sponsored by POGO, CoML and CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. Peter Dexter was invited to address the Expert Group meeting on 11 July, and to present a paper to the SOOS workshop, in his capacity as co-president of JCOMM. He also represented the Bureau of Meteorology at both meetings.

Australian Antarctic Supply vessel "Aurora Australis" in Hobart
during the SCAR Open Science Conference, July 2006

 SCAR/SCOR Expert Group on Oceanography

The SCAR/SCOR Expert Group has been set up to encourage an inter-disciplinary approach to Southern Ocean observations, modelling and research, recognizing the inter-dependence of physical, chemical and biological processes in the ocean at present and in the past; to facilitate coordination between the physical oceanographic research groups currently active and those planning research in the Southern Ocean; to identify historical and reference data sets of value to researchers, focusing initially on physical oceanography data; to encourage the exchange of information with operational agencies; and to recognize the need to develop initiatives for education and training.

The initial focus of the Group is on physical oceanography, to ensure that a comprehensive view is obtained of the physical processes on which biological and chemical processes ultimately depend. The activities of the Group are complementary to, and do not duplicate, the activities of other groups currently active in Southern Ocean research, such as Southern Ocean GLOBEC, the CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Implementation Panel, iAnZone (which is affiliated to both SCAR and SCOR), and future projects sponsored by SCOR, such as GEOTRACES, the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project, and the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS).

The presentation to the group on JCOMM, which followed and was complementary to a presentation on GOOS by Colin Summerhayes, was intended to introduce the group to a wider intergovernmental perspective on the global coordination of ocean observing systems and services. It outlined JCOMM’s existing capabilities and interests, with a focus on the Southern Ocean, and suggested ways in which JCOMM might cooperate with the Expert Group, in particular in the follow up to the IPY.

The meeting recognized the potential value of co-operation with JCOMM, and identified some immediate actions, which include investigating the possibilities for JCOMMOPS to support its work through the development of monitoring and status products for ocean observations (including non-physical) in the Southern Ocean. The group also recognized the need for a more systematic and sustained approach to monitoring the Southern Ocean, and agreed to cooperate in and support any wider initiative to develop a SOOS.

SOOS Workshop

The importance of the Southern Ocean in global climate and its role in climate change is well known, and this region has become an important focus in climate and oceanographic research. The region is remote and logistically difficult to operate, so a range of methods are used by many different national research programmes to collect the data required to conduct this research. Ship-based techniques and ARGO floats are commonly used at present, and there is increasing interest in data that can be obtained from birds and mammals that live in the region. This SOOS workshop brought together oceanographers, biologists and engineers, to investigate the development of a coordinated program for a Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS). The Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) is coordinating projects on top predators, as part of an integrated approach to the diversity of organisms and their environment. The potential of this approach has been recognised by the International Polar Year (IPY), which has endorsed Marine Mammal Exploration of the Oceans – Pole to Pole (MEOP) as one of its programs. Such a program is an important adjunct to major biology and oceanographic programs such as CoML and GOOS. The overall objective of this workshop was to examine the feasibility of establishing a Southern Ocean Observation System (SOOS), and in particular to investigate the possibility of incorporating data collected by marine mammals and seabirds.

The presentation to the workshop on JCOMM, which again followed and was complementary to the presentation on GOOS by Colin Summerhayes, was intended to introduce the meeting to the wider intergovernmental perspective on the global coordination of ocean observing systems and services. It again outlined JCOMM’s existing capabilities and interests, with a focus on the Southern Ocean, and suggested ways in which JCOMM might support and contribute to the development, implementation and maintenance of a Southern Ocean Observing System. From a personal perspective, the workshop was interesting because of the wider view it gave of the non-physical aspects of ocean observing systems, as well as of the increasing and widespread use of marine mammals as platforms for ocean observations, to complement more conventional platforms such as ships and buoys.

During the afternoon discussion session, the need for, and difficulties inherent in making the case for comprehensive and sustained observations of the Southern Ocean, as opposed to the current situation of specific and un-coordinated research projects, was clearly recognized. In this context, it was agreed that support and advocacy for a SOOS would eventually be required from bodies such as the UNFCCC/COP (for ocean observations for climate) and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Organization (for biological and other non-physical observations). The meeting eventually agreed that a more comprehensive, broadly-based, three-day workshop will be necessary, to fully develop the case and design plan for a SOOS. Conceptually, this workshop could be developed along the lines of the OceanObs99 Symposium in St Raphael in 1999, based around a series of pre-prepared community consensus papers on different aspects of a SOOS. The workshop is planned for early to mid-2007, possibly in conjunction with another ocean science meeting (the possibility of backing it onto the 2007 GOOS Scientific Steering Committee meeting was suggested). The interest of JCOMM in participating in this workshop was made clear to the interim Organizing Committee.

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Upcoming Meetings

See full calendar at: http://www.wmo.ch/web/aom/marprog/Forthcoming-Events/forthcoming-events.htm

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Opinions expressed in attributed articles appearing in the JCOMM newsletter are the author's opinions and do not necessarily
reflect those of WMO and IOC.