Background and Rationale

1. Background and Rationale Dave Mills Cefas EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

2. Purpose of meeting • Take stock of where we are • Consider current needs for EMECO – policy (and research) • Review status (and the case for a North Sea Observatory) • Determine next steps in relation to needs and opportunities (gap filling) EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

3. Agenda • Session 1 – Welcome, scene setting • EU call – Infrastructure Initiative • Session 2 – Policy perspective • Current and future policy and research needs • Prototype policy products • Link to other relevant initiatives • Policy leading the science ? • Session 3 – Towards a North Sea Observatory • Where are we now, how does it fit together, lessons from elsewhere, case for North Sea Observatory • Session 4 – Future • FP7 call, JERICHO, what have we learnt from meeting so far, how does it effect next steps • NOOS – Northwest Shelf Operational Oceanographic System EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

4. Background EMECO – The Vision EMECO’s vision is to integrate monitoring, modelling and research to gain knowledge and support of Europe’s need for an ecosystem approach. It will strive to meet this challenge by bringing together the wide range of data required from physics to fish at regional scales and create and disseminate the new knowledge it will acquire. EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

5. EMECO overview of recent developments • EMECO relaunch at EuroGOOS June 08 • EMECO funding from Defra Sept 08 (Mar 2010) status • Develop tool for integration of data to create maps & other products related to eutrophication • Seek to gain consensus of validity of products • Extend consortium • Encourage stakeholder engagement, public outreach • EMECO session at the NOC FerryBox meeting • Contribution to MarinERA workshop • EMECO and Western Shelf Observatory EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

6. Builds on existing infrastructure Multi-scale – time & space Supports the Ecosystem Approach EuroGOOS-NOOS project Anticipates EU current & future policy needs End to end solution EMECO - European Marine Ecosystem Observatory EMECO is a an informal European network for integration of monitoring, modelling & research. UK-Cefas, EA, NOC, SAHFOS, AFBI, PML, POL; NL-Rijkswaterstaat, Deltares, NIOZ, Norway-IMR, NIVA; NERSC, Met Off; DE-GKSS, BSH, BE – MUMM, F – IFREMER, RoE – Marine Institute, Denmark–DHI, S - SMHI www.emecogroup.org EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

7. EMECO example product Data Integration & Assessment System • User generated maps • ‘Agreed’ international map of chlorophyll • Transparent information product with estimate of confidence • Step towards EU harmonisation EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

8. Policy challenge Eutrophication & ecosystem health • UNEP • International convention – OSPAR, HELCOM • European Directives • Nitrates/UWWTD • Habitats Directive • Water Framework Directive • Marine Strategy Directive EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

9. Determining Good Environmental Status EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

10. EU Research Infrastructure call • The overall objective of the Research Infrastructures part of the 'Capacities' specific programme is to optimise the use and development of the best research infrastructures existing in Europe, and to help to create in all fields of science and technology new research infrastructures of pan-European interest needed by the European scientific community to remain at the forefront of the advancement of research, and able to help industry to strengthen its base of knowledge and its technological know how. • Context - Research infrastructures play an increasing role in the advancement of knowledge and technology and their exploitation. For example, radiation sources, data banks in genomics and data banks in social science, observatories for environmental sciences, ….. EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

11. European call • Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (I3) model • Networking activities • Trans-national access and/or service activities • Joint Research activities EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

12. EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

13. Networking activities • joint management and pooling of distributed resources; • strengthening of virtual research communities; • development of common standards, protocols and interoperability, benchmarking; • development and maintenance of common databases for the purpose of networking and management of the users and infrastructures; • spreading of good practices, consultancy and training courses to new users; • foresight studies for new instrumentation, methods, concepts and/or technologies; • promotion of clustering and coordinated actions amongst related projects; • coordination with national or international related initiatives and support to the deployment of global approaches to science; • dissemination of knowledge; internal and external communication. EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

14. Trans-national access and/or service activities • Trans-national • Coordinated access to one or more infrastructures • Access to external users through provision of remote scientific services • Publicity of services • Service activities • Scientific services freely available through networks • Upgrading of communication infrastructure – end to end service • Quality assurance • Vertical integration EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

15. Joint research activities • Innovative and explore new fundamental technologies/techniques underpinning the efficient and joint use of infrastructures • To improve quality or quantity the services provided by infrastructure • For example: • higher performance methodologies and protocols, • innovative solutions for data collection, management, curation and annotation; EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009

16. Towards a North Sea Observatory • Why do we need an observatory • Visibility • Demonstrable national contribution to coordinated regional observing and modelling network • EMECO acting EMECO-NOOS Planning Meeting June 2-3 2009