AMRIT

The European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) is the foundation of European ocean knowledge. The core Marine Research Infrastructures (MRIs) focused on ocean observing (EMSO, EURO-ARGO and ICOS ERICs; EuroFleets+, EuroGoShip, GROOM RI, JERICO RI and MINKE as INFRA projects) are the main providers of in situ ocean data for the EOOS and Copernicus, and the primary managers of instrumental capacity supporting fundamental research.

These MRIs are aware that the lack of effective cross coordination prevents them from fully supporting frontier research, while the lack of integration makesit difficult to reach a critical massfor EOOSand resultsin significant cost duplication.

Accordingly, AMRIT gathers these MRIs together with OceanOPS/WMO international coordination experience with the objective to:

– ensure seamless operation of marine observation platforms.

– ensure the full nominal use of sensors and accelerate their evolution.

– exploit the complementarity of the various observation platforms.

– ensure the overall coherence of the ocean data value chain.

To achieve these objectives, AMRIT will design and implement an EOOS Technical Support Center (EOOS TSC) for a fully integrated information service across the data value chain from early planning stages to final delivery to users; a cross-platform fully standardised data acquisition methodology for Essential Ocean Variables; a collaborative federal structure to operate these services, relying on the ERIs and their members.

The EOOS TSC will be the cornerstone in establishing and maintaining the EOOS, upon which European ocean observing can be strengthened in the coming decades. AMRIT will provide a catalyst for the development and consolidation of MRIs throughout Europe, providing a benchmark for operational coordination and collaboration. AMRIT will advance EOOS in line with its 2023-2027 Strategy and beyond, and the European Commission’s ambitions for sharing responsibility in ocean observing across Europe.

EMSO ERIC’s interest in the project is related to developing a central new generation monitoring dashboard for all EOOS implementers to share, federate and aggregate day-to-day operations, connecting through APIs each EOOS metadata provider (nodes) participating in AMRIT for a sustained information flow, and enrich the current global monitoring capabilities with coastal systems and Research Vessel (R/V) schedules. EMSO will lead also the organisation of a high-level dissemination event at a major meeting of the European and international marine community to share the main outcome of the project.