EuroGOOS contributes to NSF consultation on future ocean observing priorities

EuroGOOS has submitted input to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) consultation on future ocean observing priorities, highlighting the importance of sustained, internationally coordinated, and interoperable ocean observing.

The NSF consultation invited perspectives on how future ocean observing systems should evolve to meet scientific and societal needs, including priorities for observing gaps, existing infrastructure, new technologies, and cooperation with national and international efforts.

In its contribution, EuroGOOS welcomed NSF’s renewed commitment to operating and modernizing the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) and emphasized that national and regional observing assets form part of a shared global ocean observing system.

Key messages from the EuroGOOS response include:

• Strengthening international complementarity: Future NSF investments should consider their contribution to the wider Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), alongside U.S. and international observing programmes and networks.
• Addressing critical observing gaps: Deep-sea, polar, and Southern Ocean regions remain under-observed, while stronger integration of physical, biogeochemical, biological, and ecosystem observations is also needed.
• Safeguarding long-term observations: Continuity of time series, observing infrastructure, technical expertise, and robust data systems is essential for research, forecasting, operational services, and emerging applications such as ocean digital twins.
• Combining innovation with interoperability: New observing technologies can help extend coverage, but should complement established infrastructure and be supported by quality control, calibration, common standards, and FAIR and CARE data practices.

EuroGOOS also stressed that international coordination can increase the value, reach, and resilience of national investments. EuroGOOS and its members stand ready to strengthen this cooperation through existing global and regional mechanisms, supporting a sustained, interoperable, and globally connected ocean observing system.

The full EuroGOOS response will be made available here once the consultation responses are published by NSF.