Since OceanObs 1999, ocean monitoring and forecasting core services have reached an initial level of maturity. A world-wide network of operational oceanography centres now provide real-time information on the ocean based on space and in situ observations and assimilative models.
Europe has defined in 2005 the “Marine Core Service” as a new pan-European service aiming at delivering to anyone, and particularly downstream service providers, core information on the ocean (currents, temperature, sea surface height, ice coverage and thickness, primary ecosystems, ...) recognized as common denominator data required to develop adding-value services.
MyOcean is the first implementation project of this integrated pan-European Marine Core Service for ocean monitoring and forecasting. This 3-year project started in 2009 and involves 61 partners in 29 countries.
MyOcean users are service providers involved in four application areas: marine safety, marine resources, marine and coastal environment and weather, seasonal and climate prediction. They form a wide and diverse community but share a common interest for a generic information on the ocean state as an input to their own services.
MyOcean has already opened a first marine core service for ocean monitoring and forecasting, and provides access to a range of observation-based and model-based products. This is based on a “system of systems” organization interconnecting different centres in Europe to form a single pan-European capacity with five thematic assembly centres dealing with observations, seven monitoring and forecasting centres dealing with assimilative models and a single service desk to ensure the easiest access to users. This operational oceanography service relies on remote-sensed and in situ observation networks and their sustainability. What are the main choices we’ve made in Europe to define MyOcean? The market, the service offer, the production capacity and the organization that will drive the implementation of a Marine Core Service in Europe? What is required upstream from observation networks to run such a service? What is required downstream from this service by operational oceanography users to develop further their mission?