TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Global Ocean Observing System & Argo Mathieu Belbéoch Argo Technical Coordinator JCOMMOPS Head Global Ocean Observing System & Argo Mathieu Belbéoch Argo Technical Coordinator JCOMMOPS Head

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec The Ocean The (ocean) planet is in age of increasing human impact and vulnerability. « The sustainability of the planet depends on the health of the ocean » I. Bokova UNESCO DG

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Ocean Observations? CO2 … Heat content, sea ice, sea level Acidification, deoxygenation Resources over-exploitation Nutrients, sound, plastics Climate extremes Natural/non natural hazards Ecosystems health

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Ocean Observations? ¾ of human population lives in the coastal zone … 60% of our proteins is produced by the ocean 60% of our oxygen is produced by the ocean 90 % of commercial transits via the ocean Ocean heat/carbon store Ocean is at the heart of climate machine

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Ocean Observations? Predict the impact of global/local changes on coastal communities and nations Improve safety and efficiency of maritime operations Mitigate effects of hazards Guide international action and optimize government’s policies Shape economic strategies Enable sustained used of ocean resources Reduce public health risks, protect ecosystems Prepare high quality and multi-disciplinary datasets for use by future generations Healthy ocean = healthy blue economy

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec History British survey : Challenger

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec WOCE There have been several attempts to do global surveys of the ocean, Challenger was one, Meteor another. The very best was in the early to mid 1990s called WOCE – World Ocean Circulation Experiment. This was a huge effort, cost a lot of money, and took way too long, we need to survey the ocean cheaper and much faster.

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec History 60s: electronic, miniaturisation, … instrumentation Before the 80s, most of ocean observations were made via research vessels (specific regional campaigns, expensive, seasonal bias, data sequestrated) Advent of satellite measurements and in-situ moored/floating instruments led to enormous improvements in our understanding of the ocean Socioeconomic benefits of global ocean observations were formally recognized in 1990 (GOOS establishment) The joint IOC-WMO commission for oceanography and marine meteorology was then established in 1999 (JCOMM)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Ocean Observations? In-situ Satellites Operational forecasting systems – Weather – « Ocean weather » Large range of global/regional ocean analysis, including climate science and ecosystems health

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Ocean Observations

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Ocean Observations Global observing programmes are funded and implemented nationally International and technical coordination is required between all actors IOC/UNESCO, WMO, JCOMM, GOOS …. JCOMMOPS: – coordination mecanism, developing standard procedures, best practices for fully integrated marine observing, data management, and services system

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec JCOMMOPS IOC/WMO Operational Centre (Brest/France) international/intergovernmental context, transparency Monitor ( units), coordinate and harmonize practices of sustained international ocean observing programmes Measure the performance vs objectives

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Re - opening early 2016 Currently under review

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo vision proposed in 1999 And approved Target: 3000 floats …. T/S Achieved in 2007

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo revolution Unprecedented international cooperation in history of oceanography Free and unrestricted data access ~4000 autonomous robots monitor the ocean in real-time

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Profiling Floats TEMPERATURE, SALINITY, PRESSURE (2000m) Subsurface currents Biogeochemical sensors (oxygen, chlorophyl, nitrates, pH, etc) Others: acoustic listeners, cameras.. Operates 5-10 years, 15k$ / base unit profiles/year (1 million achieved in 2012)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Float Cycle Cost WOCE CTD: $ Cost Argo Profile 150$ T/S levels Argo data in Labrado r Sea (Canada)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo: Dominant ocean dataset WOCE: 8000 profiles / 7 years Argo: / month …

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo’s future (6000 units ?) Global (space/regional) Full depth: ocean warming below 2000m too (SO)! Multidisciplinary (Essential Ocean/Climate Variables)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo Contributions 30 Participating countries

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo Contributions Key contributors decreasing or flat (below inflation) funding

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo applications Ocean research: circulation/storage heat, climate, rainfall/drought patterns,variability Operational oceanography (with satellite data), climate prediction: seasons, years, decades ideal vector for education and outreach

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo can monitor global climate change Global [0;2000m] ocean heat content seen by Argo. Small signal detected in only 8 years. Remarkable, due to uniform coverage and high quality of the dataset

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo trajectories give unprecedented details of ocean circulation at 1000m Ollitrault and Colin De Verdiere, 2014

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo Argo makes visible large-scale ocean and climate features and processes that were once hidden to scientists. The network has enabled new revelations about ocean dynamics that are helping society understand and forecast global climate. It will continue to take the pulses of the ocean for many decades

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Argo Argo allows the progress of planetary warming to be tracked in unprecedented accuracy and in near realtime, due to the fact that most of the extra heat trapped by Greenhouse gases on Earth is absorbed into the global ocean (90%). Argo network will start soon degrading !!!

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Deployments Challenge: 1000 units / year ( surface drifters)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Civil Society Develop international cooperation Developing partnerships and sponsoring with civil society is essential: – Sailing (exploration, races, rallyes, NGOs) – Blue economy Develop outreach (future generations)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Conclusion GOOS System is not achieved (60%) and vulnerable Completion and multidisciplinary evolution seems unachievable … In-situ ocean observations are crucial, but far away from societal applications In-situ observations are cheap vs the outcomes – Argo = 25 M$ / year …

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Conclusion Governing is observing … CALL to UNFCC Member States: i) Raise national contributions to help Argo become truly global and multidisciplinary, and facilitate access to Maritime Zones under their sovereignty. ii) and help sustain the other in-situ elements of the GOOS

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec Thank you Questions? B. Stamm Barcelona World Race