Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission to implement Global Ocean Observing System

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) has been tasked with the establishment of a Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) to continue with the implementation of Agenda 21 and the subsequent 2002 Johannesburg Plan.

Agenda 21 specifically calls for a global ocean observing system that will enable effective management of the marine environment and sustainable utilization of its natural resources.

The IOC is currently attempting to broaden the GOOS observation network from a limited set of physical observations to one that embraces biological and chemical variables to underpin assessment of the state of the oceans beyond climate, including, for example, carbon uptake, acidification, ecosystem change and biodiversity.

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