Open AccessScientists push for an integrated ocean observing system
Author(s) -
Showstack Randy
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/00eo00182
Subject(s) - ocean observations , oceanography , oak ridge national laboratory , government (linguistics) , argo , environmental science , pacific ocean , ridge , environmental resource management , geography , geology , linguistics , physics , philosophy , cartography , nuclear physics
Some elements of a U.S. system to monitor the world s oceans already are in place. For instance, the El Niæo‐Southern Oscillation Observing System provided important data to scientists and planners tracking the 1998 El Niæo in the Pacific Ocean. The VENTS program, established in 1984, is helping to increase understanding of the spreading of the sea floor in the Pacific. The Long‐Term Ecosystem Observatory in 15 meters of water (LEO‐15) monitors the marine environment off the coast of New Jersey. Additional programs include a federal network of 22 National Estuarine Research reserve monitoring sites, the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), RIDGE (Ridge Inter‐Disciplinary Global Experiments), and other projects and observing stations maintained by research institutions and government agencies. These pieces, however, do not yet add up to an integrated ocean observing system (IOOS), according to proponents, who argue that an investment to create a national ocean information system that fits in with an international oceans system would be similar to existing national and global weather information systems. While the price tag for an IOOS and an international oceans system could be expensive, the human, ecological, and economic benefits far outweigh the costs, these individuals say.