Abed El Rahman Hassoun, GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany
Maciej Telszewski, IO PAN, Sopot, Poland
WP1 strengthens how we observe and understand ocean biogeochemistry. It updates international standards for Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), develops new indicators on acidification, oxygen loss, the carbon pump, and greenhouse gas exchange, and validates them with stakeholders. By working with global partners and the WMO’s Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR), WP1 ensures these methods meet worldwide needs and make ocean observations more consistent, useful, and trusted.
This task brings together BioGeoSea and its sister projects, ObsSea4Clim and BioEcoOcean, to harmonize approaches to Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs). By sharing methods and lessons learned, the task helps design ocean indicators that combine physical, chemical, and biological data while responding to scientific and societal needs. It ensures Europe’s ocean observations work as one integrated, efficient, and coordinated system.
This task reviews and updates international specifications for biogeochemical EOVs, core variables such as oxygen, carbon, and nutrients used to track ocean change. In close collaboration with GOOS, GCOS, and WMO, the team identifies gaps, improves technical readiness, and aligns best practices through the Ocean Best Practices System. The result: more reliable, comparable, and policy-relevant ocean observations.
Task 1.3 develops new indicators to describe key ocean changes like acidification, deoxygenation, biological carbon pump, and greenhouse gas fluxes. These indicators turn complex ocean data into clear, usable measures of ocean health. Designed with scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders, they will help connect observations with decisions and be delivered through the project’s online BioGeoSea software platform.
This task ensures that BioGeoSea’s outputs match user needs. By engaging scientists, policymakers, industry, and environmental organisations, it collects feedback to validate indicators, refine tools, and strengthen links to marine policies. Joint activities with sister projects reduce stakeholder fatigue and promote collaboration, ensuring that ocean data and indicators are both trusted and actionable.
This task identifies and promotes best practices for observing ocean biogeochemistry. It assesses the maturity of observation methods, fills gaps, and improves guidance for collecting high-quality, consistent data. By making these methods openly available through the Ocean Best Practices System, the task helps ensure that ocean observations are harmonised, interoperable, and ready for global use.
This task supports the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s Rolling Review of Requirements, ensuring that the needs of ocean biogeochemistry are reflected in global observing frameworks. Focusing on ocean acidification and greenhouse gas fluxes, it defines what measurements are essential for reliable services and embeds these requirements into WMO systems, strengthening the ocean’s role in global climate monitoring.
