1. JCOMM III, Nov. 2009, Marrakech Mathieu Belbeoch & Hester Viola
JCOMM Observing Programme Support Centre Activities, future directions and opportunities.
JCOMM III, Nov. 2009, Marrakech
Mathieu Belbeoch &
Hester Viola

2. Aims of this talk Background Infrastructure Products and Services
Future Directions
Discussion of Opportunities

3. Background
The JCOMM (In-situ) Observing Programme Support Centre is a component of the international coordination mechanism, which aims on behalf of JCOMM to:
assist in the planning, implementation and operations of the observing systems
monitor and evaluate the performance of the networks
encourage cooperation between communities and member states
encourage data sharing
assist in data distribution on the Internet and GTS
relay user feedback on data quality to platform operators
provide technical assistance and user support worldwide
act as a clearing house and focal point on all programme aspects
develop synergies between observing systems

4. Background
Supporting the implementation of OPA

5. Background
JCOMMOPS is involved with the implementation of the main global in-situ observing systems, including:
DBCP: Drifting and moored buoys in the high seas and tropical moorings
SOT: XBTs, TSGs, atmospheric soundings from ships, meteorological observations from ships
Argo: Profiling floats
OceanSITES: Deep ocean time-series reference stations
JCOMMOPS is now “firmly established as a major support facility for operational ocean observing system.” JCOMM co-presidents, 2009

6. DBCP: ~1500 surface drifters & ~500 moorings

7. Argo: ~3000 profiling floats

8. SOT: ~2500 ships

9. OceanSITES: ~80 reference sites & ~20 transport sites

10. CTDs, Tide Gauges, Polar platforms, marine mammals, …
These GOOS/JCOMM components would need a proper focal point within (or cooperating with) JCOMMOPS. so that sustained support can be provided ...

11. JCOMMOPS …

12. Benefits of a shared infrastructure
Resources available for Coordination or Project office support are limited.
Sharing a common infrastructure (technical and logistical) is especially necessary.
The transfer of skills and expertise between TCs ensures a good continuity in the services to the community and allows long term support to the programmes.
While each Coordinator focuses on their programme, the “integrated centre” concept facilitates cooperation between observing systems components, via the day-to-day cooperation between the Coordinators.
New programmes incorporated into JCOMMOPS today would immediately benefit from the existing infrastructure and experience gained.

13. Infrastructure: office, staff and Information System
JCOMMOPS is hosted by France (CLS/IFREMER), in Toulouse
JCOMMOPS comprises two Technical Coordinators:
Mathieu Belbeoch The Argo Profiling Float programme (70%) The Ship Observations Team (30%)
Hester Viola The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (70%) The OceanSITES Program (30%)
Plus a ½ time I.T. resource that is being made full time
And a ¼ time senior scientist, students on work experience
Work priorities are set by panel chairs or steering committee for each programme, in close cooperation with IOC/WMO.

14. Infrastructure: Office, Staff and Information System
250 k€ / year of global funding (staff salary / mission / hosting contract)
Truly international support (and growing support from Asia)
Host contribution (logistic contract, I.T. resource, ~50% covered).
Administrative support by IOC and WMO (Employment and travel support )
Summary of National Voluntary Contributions (annual or ad hoc)
DBCP
Australia, Canada, Europe (E-SURFMAR), France, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, India, United Kingdom, USA.
Maintained
Argo
Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Korea, United Kingdom, USA.
OceanSITES
Australia, USA and DBCP
being increased
SOT
Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, USA
to be increased
The JCOMMOPS budget is just sufficient for the existing needs but does not allow any flexibility for growth

15. Infrastructure: Office, Staff and Information System
The requirements for an integrated I.S. was recognized in and built gradually by JCOMMOPS staff (99%):
International programmes need centralized and efficient information and communication tools.
Information on the programs, platforms, people, data, etc, is constantly changing and needs to be well structured.
Database, GIS technologies are required to manage information and web based technologies are required to share and communicate this information.
The development and maintenance of such system has to be properly supported
The new I.T. resource will certainly allow JCOMMOPS to maintain and modernize its system.
A new system is being designed to be used into the next decade, with a new generation of integrated web products and services ( )

16. Infrastructure: Office, Staff and Information System
The JCOMMOPS I.S. routinely takes in information from different sources:
GTS , Global Data Centres , platform tracking data from telecom. providers, various metadata centres, etc.
Platform operators feed the system regularly (e.g. deployment planning) and data users (including operational centres) feedback on data quality to data producers via JCOMMOPS.
Coordinators feed the system regularly and control crucial metadata
Information is then made available through different products and web tools, permitting:
tracking the status, development, and efficiency of the networks
Mapping the programme structure to facilitate communication
provides a common interface and visibility for the programmes.
JCOMMOPS is not a data centre
… but a support centre managing metadata

17. Web Site Audience: broad, regular, intended and truly international
25000 visits per year, from 135 countries (e.g. for Argo)
Source: Google Analytics

18. Products & Services: focal points
The JCOMMOPS Coordinators monitor and provide oversight for the global arrays, and understand all the elements of the system: platforms, people, data systems and unique international/national/regional/institutional considerations (including Law of the Sea issues: JCOMMOPS/AIC role acknowledged in IOC Res XX-6 and XLI-4 – float drift in EEZ).
JCOMMOPS provides a team of focal points,
fully dedicated to the development of a specific programme,
with a truly international focus and a neutral representation,
To mediate and help communicate
in constant liaison with people implementing the arrays.
They support the programme on a wide range of issues: Assistance, Monitoring, Cooperation
Integration of the elements of a global system requires focal points, working together

19. Products & Services: Assistance
Assistance to national programs and individual platform operators
on any issue required to participate in an international program
on data distribution, following appropriate standards
on logistics (deployment planning, deployment methods, instrument retrieval)
Programme reporting information
Assistance through
a web portal to find information relating to ocean observing systems, including a centralized source of documentation, contact details, programme information and platforms, etc, and
common system for managing communications (e.g. news items, mailing lists, picture galleries, etc)
Assistance to individual scientists and data users (growing and rationalized)
Assistance to the community or media (photos, maps, articles, presentations, etc)
In addition to its web sites, JCOMMOPS provides a responsive and proactive focal point.

20. Products & Services: Monitoring
Monitoring goals:
An authoritative source of metadata for platforms and official status of the arrays
Common and integrated monitoring tools across the networks
Common and specific performance evaluation tools for the networks
Integration of quality control feedback mechanisms across programmes and platforms
Centralised deployment planning tools and capacity for shared deployment opportunities
Detection of problems with data formats, data archives
Monitoring Tools:
Real-time web applications to browse the platform database
Real-time GIS/Chart based monitoring and tracking tools
Daily Metadata export files (Textual, XML, Google Earth outputs).
A portal for access to community (national/regional) web based monitoring tools
Various monthly and yearly products and reports

21. Products & Services: Cooperation
Encouraging cooperation between research and operational communities within the domains of oceanography and marine meteorology.
Encouraging, providing recognition and visibility to every single contribution to the programmes
Encouraging standardization (or harmonization) of Data Formats and Table driven code forms, in close cooperation with JCOMM DMPA.
Encouraging and coordinating international cooperation through bilateral/multilateral and cross-programme initiatives
e.g. training sessions on floats/buoys/XBTs related practices, proactive development of international cooperation through Platform Donor Programs, Sharing ship time
(to work with regional GOOS / RMIC / IODE)

22. Products & Services: Cooperation
Platform Donor Programme:
Opportunity for a country to start participating in global programme
Permit to identify new deployment opportunities and fill regional gaps
Permit to increase the international support to the programme
Permit to smooth political issues (EEZ access)
Permit to increase the data user community
Not a high priority for JCOMMOPS (and no appropriate resource)
Latest example (Morocco/France, floats to be deployed early 2010)
Do not hesitate to contact JCOMMOPS to set up such initiatives.

23. Products & Services: Examples
Real-time ... Very early on, JCOMMOPS provided online, interactive GIS–based, real-time tracking tools for ocean platforms and is now working on a partnership with Google to include JCOMM/GOOS observing system status and products within Google Ocean Interoperability targeted: Web Map Services, XML metadata exports, etc.
Monthly ...
JCOMMOPS Status maps are widely recognised as authoritative and giving an up-to-date, verified status of the arrays, encouraging community to share the data and showing how the programmes assess and meet their requirements

24. Products & Services: Examples
Products (on-line or on-demand) measuring the growth and efficiency of the arrays.
If there is a need for new information products on platforms, statistics about national/regional contributions, or a map, etc ... just ask JCOMMOPS,

25. Products & Services: Examples
Cruise Scoring System (Argo)
Encourages array coverage optimization
Helps manufacturers to prioritize platform delivery to customers

26. Products & Services: Examples

27. Products & Services: Examples
QC feedback
Operational for DBCP/VOS Under development for Argo
Array: Monthly Monitoring Stats allow to look at the trends and detect issues or show progress on a global dataset
Platform: on a specific platform. JCOMMOPS relays quality information from users to producers
Products developed for one programme initially will be adopted for all JCOMMOPS programmes.

28. Future Directions Strengthening the existing infrastructure
Designing a new generation of integrated products/services
Expanding JCOMMOPS to support new observing systems.

29. Future directions: Strengthening the existing infrastructure
“A major support facility for operational ocean observing system” costs money !!!
JCOMMOPS is under-resourced and not tasked with seeking its own resources
There are limits on the amount of extra financial input from CLS/IFREMER
Document 6.4: “encouraging Member States to commit resources to JCOMMOPS …”.
Funding
Human resources
Should JCOMM seek support from other international organizations, Europe ?

30. Future directions: Strengthening the existing infrastructure
Ships are the common denominator of all ocean observing systems.
JCOMMOPS needs a dedicated cruise information coordinator for a cross-programme benefit.
Future directions: Strengthening the existing infrastructure
Facilitate maintenance and operations of global arrays through logistics coordination when required.
Further develop cooperation between programs (e.g. shared cruises, ship time).
Further develop platform donor programs and identify new regional deployment opportunities.
Identify future research cruises, and CTD data essential to Argo data quality control, in cooperation with the GO-SHIP, CCHDO and POGO initiatives.
JCOMMOPS already handles similar data (e.g. Argo/DBCP planning, SOT)
GO-SHIP is planning to be a sustained programme and identified the need for more coordination. (see #2 meeting aside of OceanObs’09 )
Identification of future research cruises , developing new products, synthesizing information, similar to typical functions for a coordinator within JCOMMOPS
We could combine those two needs in a single full time position: 50% JCOMMOPS Cruise / 50% GO-SHIP coordination ( in line with plans of the JCOMM OPA & partners)

31. Future directions: Integrated products / services
Design a new generation of integrated web tools:
Integration of the technical elements of the information System
Design a new structure for the JCOMMOPS website (and flexible enough to handle new programmes)
Analyze in depth the results of the websites audience tracking
Get more feedback from the community on the tools they need
Using more interactivity in navigation (via latest web technologies)
Develop a profile based service: “My JCOMMOPS”
priorities are - deployment planning, monitoring, QC feedback tools (from operational centres), Ship callsign Masking (MASK scheme)
Developing further cooperation by cross-programme training workshops and platform donation
Make cross-programme “variable oriented” monitoring products (in cooperation with JCOMM OCG).

32. Future directions: Expanding JCOMMOPS
How encourage the emerging programmes to participate in the centre activities and contribute to JCOMM?
Assistance provided to various programmes hasn’t really lead to any substantial progress (marine mammals, etc)
New Opportunity:
during OceanObs’09: JCOMMOPS was approached by the Glider community (EGO) initiative and invited to Cyprus meeting this month.
JCOMMOPS will be represented to promote JCOMM international coordination mechanisms and feedback on the successful development of Argo/DBCP, to encourage the glider community to fund a dedicated coordinator cooperating within JCOMMOPS.
Satellites (cooperation with GHRSST), Coastal and multi-disciplinary observations ?

33. Conclusions JCOMMOPS is ready to fulfill new expectations
JCOMMOPS has an infrastructure in place, providing services to the JCOMM community
Feedback from JCOMM and its programmes indicates that JCOMMOPS is a major element in the successful implemention of the observing systems
JCOMMOPS is visible (evidenced by the 15 proposals for the OPSC)
JCOMMOPS has achieved a lot with meagre means
JCOMMOPS is ready to fulfill new expectations
and pursue new challenges

34. Discussion Activities, Products and Services: feedback or suggestions?
Resources: What solutions are recommended by JCOMM?
Future Directions: other suggestions?
General Feedback or questions: general discussion
Thank you …