ࡱ> 354 9bjbj .*jj9l  C   $   H HHH^ H HzH   M2  0C H HInformation Note on Oceanography Meetings, Hobart, 11 and 15 July 2006 Background The Second Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research took place in Hobart, Australia, from 12-14 July 2006. A number of side meetings were organized in conjunction with this conference, including, inter alia, a meeting of the SCAR/SCOR Expert Group on Oceanography (10-11 July) and a Workshop on a Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) (15 July), sponsored by POGO, CAML and CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. Peter Dexter was invited to address the Expert Group meeting on 11 July, and to present a paper to the SOOS workshop, in his capacity as co-president of JCOMM. He also represented the Bureau of Meteorology at both meetings. SCAR/SCOR Expert Group on Oceanography The SCAR/SCOR Expert Group has been set up to encourage an inter-disciplinary approach to Southern Ocean observations, modelling and research, recognizing the inter-dependence of physical, chemical and biological processes in the ocean at present and in the past; to facilitate coordination between the physical oceanographic research groups currently active and those planning research in the Southern Ocean; to identify historical and reference data sets of value to researchers, focusing initially on physical oceanography data; to encourage the exchange of information with operational agencies; and to recognize the need to develop initiatives for education and training. The initial focus of the Group is on physical oceanography, to ensure that a comprehensive view is obtained of the physical processes on which biological and chemical processes ultimately depend. The activities of the Group are complementary to, and do not duplicate, the activities of other groups currently active in Southern Ocean research, such as Southern Ocean GLOBEC, the CLIVAR/CliC/SCAR Southern Ocean Implementation Panel, iAnZone (which is affiliated to both SCAR and SCOR), and future projects sponsored by SCOR, such as GEOTRACES, the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project, and the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS). The presentation to the group on JCOMM, which followed and was complementary to a presentation on GOOS by Colin Summerhayes, was intended to introduce the group to a wider intergovernmental perspective on the global coordination of ocean observing systems and services. It outlined JCOMMs existing capabilities and interests, with a focus on the Southern Ocean, and suggested ways in which JCOMM might cooperate with the Expert Group, in particular in the follow up to the IPY. The meeting recognized the potential value of cooperation with JCOMM, and identified some immediate actions, which include investigating the possibilities for JCOMMOPS to support its work through the development of monitoring and status products for ocean observations (including non-physical) in the Southern Ocean. The group also recognized the need for a more systematic and sustained approach to monitoring the Southern Ocean, and agreed to cooperate in and support any wider initiative to develop a SOOS. SOOS Workshop The importance of the Southern Ocean in global climate and its role in climate change is well known, and this region has become an important focus in climate and oceanographic research. The region is remote and logistically difficult to operate, so a range of methods are used by many different national research programmes to collect the data required to conduct this research. Ship-based techniques and Argo floats are commonly used at present, and there is increasing interest in data that can be obtained from birds and mammals that live in the region. This SOOS workshop brought together oceanographers, biologists and engineers, to investigate the development of a coordinated program for a Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS). The Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) is coordinating projects on top predators, as part of an integrated approach to the diversity of organisms and their environment. The potential of this approach has been recognised by the International Polar Year (IPY), which has endorsed Marine Mammal Exploration of the Oceans Pole to Pole (MEOP) as one of its programs. Such a program is an important adjunct to major biology and oceanographic programs such as CoML and GOOS. The overall objective of this workshop was to examine the feasibility of establishing a Southern Ocean Observation System (SOOS), and in particular to investigate the possibility of incorporating data collected by marine mammals and seabirds. The presentation to the workshop on JCOMM, which again followed and was complementary to the presentation on GOOS by Colin Summerhayes, was intended to introduce the meeting to the wider intergovernmental perspective on the global coordination of ocean observing systems and services. It again outlined JCOMMs existing capabilities and interests, with a focus on the Southern Ocean, and suggested ways in which JCOMM might support and contribute to the development, implementation and maintenance of a Southern Ocean Observing System. From a personal perspective, the workshop was interesting because of the wider view it gave of the non-physical aspects of ocean observing systems, as well as of the increasing and widespread use of marine mammals as platforms for ocean observations, to complement more conventional platforms such as ships and buoys. During the afternoon discussion session, the need for, and difficulties inherent in making the case for comprehensive and sustained observations of the Southern Ocean, as opposed to the current situation of specific and un-coordinated research projects, was clearly recognized. In this context, it was agreed that support and advocacy for a SOOS would eventually be required from bodies such as the UNFCCC/COP (for ocean observations for climate) and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Organization (for biological and other non-physical observations). The meeting eventually agreed that a more comprehensive, broadly-based, three-day workshop will be necessary, to fully develop the case and design plan for a SOOS. Conceptually, this workshop could be developed along the lines of the OceanObs99 Symposium in St Raphael in 1999, based around a series of pre-prepared community consensus papers on different aspects of a SOOS. The workshop is planned for early to mid-2007, possibly in conjunction with another ocean science meeting (the possibility of backing it onto the 2007 GOOS Scientific Steering Committee meeting was suggested). The interest of JCOMM in participating in this workshop was made clear to the interim Organizing Committee. 1 y { GUV89 B*aJ$ph B*aJ$ph"""5\GHST g h GHFGUV[\9$a$9,1h. A!"#$%  i8@8 NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH F@F Heading 1$$@&a$5B*\aJ$ph"""<A@< Default Paragraph Font*>@* Title$a$5\*J@* Subtitle5\,B@, Body Text$a$>P"> Body Text 2$a$ B*aJ$ph"""9*GHSTghG H F G U V [\;000000000000000006 006 06 06 0999EIt{ 4;;;3pedb\\officebom1\ped$\Documents\PED\Science\SCAR\File Report on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.docpedC:\Documents and Settings\ped\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of File Report on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.asdpedC:\Documents and Settings\ped\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of File Report on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.asdpedC:\Documents and Settings\ped\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of File Report on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.asdped_\\officebom1\ped$\documents\PED\Science\SCAR\Inf Note on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.docped_\\officebom1\ped$\documents\PED\Science\SCAR\Inf Note on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.docped_\\officebom1\ped$\documents\PED\Science\SCAR\Inf Note on Oceanography Meetings Hobart 07_06.doc@wwYVVww9P@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z Arial"qha⧦㧦뛧f  .!202Q=Report on Oceanography Meetings, Hobart, 11 and 15 July 2006 pedpedOh+'0 , 8D ` l x >Report on Oceanography Meetings, Hobart, 11 and 15 July 2006 bepopededed Normal.dotcped4dMicrosoft Word 9.0p@H'@J1@<Ա@V!՜.+,0$ hp|  BoM.  >Report on Oceanography Meetings, Hobart, 11 and 15 July 2006 Title  !"#$%'()*+,-0Root Entry FO21TableWordDocument.*SummaryInformation(DocumentSummaryInformation8&CompObjjObjectPoolOO  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89qRoot Entry F 8@1TableWordDocument.*SummaryInformation(  !"#$%76, DocumentSummaryInformation8CompObjjObjectPoolOO  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q՜.+,D՜.+,h$ hp|  BoM.  >Report on Oceanography Meetings, Hobart, 11 and 15 July 2006 Title4 $