1. Update on “COCOS” COordination action Carbon Observation System EU FP6 Integrated Project CARBOOCEAN ”Marine carbon sources and sinks assessment” 4 th Annual Meeting – Dourdan France 8-12 December 2008

2. Objectives COCOS 1 mprove the interoperability of a priori data sets that are used in global scale inversion studies through through joint activities between ecosystem and ocean bottom-up observation communities, 2 Perform integrated regional-scale multiple constraint assessments of the land and ocean carbon balance through the use of harmonized data sets, 3 Assess the status, and update where required, the essential carbon cycle variables of the IGCO list of core variables, 4 Identify, narrow down uncertainties and decrease differences in emerging global data sets that are aimed at providing constraints on the vulnerability of the global carbon cycle, i.e fire, carbon in frozen soils 5 Contribute to the implementation and improvement of the global observing systems by organizing a large international conference to demonstrate the status and way ahead of global carbon observations in light of monitoring requirements for GEO and the implementation of future climate change mitigation commitments, 6 Through executing these objectives, demonstrate and strengthen European leadership in designing and operating systematic long-term carbon observations in critical regions of the globe.

3. WP5 Filling gaps on ocean WP4 Filling gaps on land WP1 Enhancing interoperability WP2 Efficient use of data WP3 Regional carbon budgets Land Coast Ocean Data identification Data use and interoperability Regional up-scaling Global application (Users, Policy & GEO) WP6 EU contribution to a global C-observing system

4. COCOS – update: Kick-off meeting: 21 May 2008 in Amsterdam Contract not yet signed Link to RECCAP (WP3 Doug) First deliverable, guidelines for meetings: Common guidelines for tasks 1.1-1.5 to be carried out in the “small meetings” and “workshops” (M1, at kickoff meeting) 1. To design concrete procedures for enabling the different carbon cycle research programs and projects (land, ocean, atmosphere; international/national) to exchange information and data seamlessly. 2. To provide methods for enabling the different carbon cycle research programs and projects to easily use both the information and data, which have been exchanged. Concise but technically detailed report after meeting: (1) “What variables?” (2) “Quality assessment, standardisations, corrections to be made, unified quality reporting (flagging)” (3) “What format?” “How to read the data?” “What units?” (4) “How to protect property rights reasonably?” “How to achieve a more open data policy (also with respect to other international standards)?” (5) “Wishes and recommendations for data portal” “Experiences from data portals (what works/what does not work usually)”

5. RECCAP related