1. Graeme Ball Chairman, Ship Observations Team Ship Observations Team PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg, Germany.

2. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 2 Outline  Background.  Objectives.  Relationship with JCOMM.  JCOMM Structure.  Working Arrangements.  Meetings.  Panel Chairs.  Achievements.  Websites.

3. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 3 Background  SOT consists of a group of enduring and successful data collection programs: Voluntary Observing Ships’ (VOS) Scheme. Ship of Opportunity Programme (SOOP). Automated Shipboard Aerological Programme (ASAP).

4. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 4 Objectives  To manage, coordinate and, wherever possible, integrate the VOS Scheme, SOOP and ASAP to support a range of well defined operational and research applications.  To liaise and coordinate with other groups involved in using volunteer ships as environmental observing platforms with a view to their participation in SOT.  To foster greater national coordination between agencies involved in similar or related programs.

5. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 5 Relationship with JCOMM  SOT sits alongside the DBCP and the GLOSS-GE as the three Implementation Panels in the Observations Programme Area of JCOMM*.  JCOMM is the reporting and coordinating mechanism for the operational marine activities of WMO and IOC.  Formally established in 1999 through a merger of the Commission for Marine Meteorology of WMO and the Integrated Global Ocean Services System of IOC. * WMO/IOC Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology

6. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 6 JCOMM Structure

7. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 7 Working Arrangements  SOT meets every two years and incorporates plenary sessions of the VOSP, SOOPIP and ASAPP.  Most work is undertaken during the inter-sessional period by specific Task Teams that report at SOT.  Scientific guidance is provided by expert panels and bodies for climate and operational meteorology.

8. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 8 Meetings SessionDateLocationPlenary Sessions 1Mar2001Goa, India.VOSP-II, SOOPIP-IV, ASAPP-XIII 2July2003London,UK.VOSP-III, SOOPIP-V, ASAPP-XIV (with PMO-II & VOSClim-IV) 3Mar2005Brest, France.VOSP-IV, VOSClim-V, SOOPIP-VI, ASAPP-XV. 4Apr2007Rome, Italy.VOSP-V, SOOPIP-VII, ASAPP-XVI

9. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 9 Panel Chairs SOTGraeme BallAustralia VOSPJulie FletcherNew Zealand SOOPIPSteve CookUnited States ASAPPSarah NorthUnited Kingdom

10. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 10 Achievements  Greater cooperation and coordination between: VOSP, SOOPIP and ASAPP; International VOS, SOOP and ASAP operators; and National agencies operating similar programs.  Liaison with other groups that use volunteer ships as observing platforms: International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project; and Seakeepers International.

11. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 11 Achievements  Increasing use of PMOs to find ships for other national agencies for special purposes or sampling programs: The Master only has to deal with one familiar face; and Reduced number of visitors wanting to meet with the Master.  Spreading the load to ensure that better reporting and more obliging ships are not over-tasked with sampling programs.

12. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 12 Achievements  Greater deployment opportunities in support of global drifting buoy and profiling float programs.  Improved channels of communications between VOS & PMO Focal Points.  Greater involvement in PMO training and in defining the role, responsibility and functions of the PMO.  Lead role in defining the VOS metadata requirements.

13. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 13 Achievements  Revised Terms of Reference for JCOMMOPS were approved at JCOMM-II (Halifax, September 2005) to increase the level of support to SOT.  Raising awareness of the need for: Comprehensive observer training and re-training; Equipment standards leading to data quality assurance; Regular instrument calibration checks or replacement; Robust data processing and reporting methods; and Data quality control and quality monitoring.

14. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 14 Achievements  Enhanced VOS monitoring tools: Timeliness of receipt of observations (UKMO); Multi-recruitment (Liz Kent); and Data quality monitoring (UKMO).  Integration opportunities provided by the Task Team on VOS Recruitment and Programme Promotion: Design Guidelines for shipbuilders; SOT Certificate of Appreciation; SOT flyer; and Ship recruitment presentation.

15. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 15 Websites JCOMMwww.wmo.ch/web/aom/marprog/ SOTwww.jcommops.org/sot/ VOSwww.bom.gov.au/jcomm/vos/ SOOPwww.ifremer.fr/ird/soopip/ JCOMMOPSwww.jcommops.org

16. PMO-III, 23-24 March 2006, Hamburg. 16