AtlantOS: Transatlantic Integration of Ocean Observing Systems
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AtlantOS: Transatlantic Integration of Ocean Observing Systems

The large-scale EU research project AtlantOS aims to advance Atlantic Ocean observation to become more integrated, more efficient and more sustainable. The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) participates in the work package responsible in increasing the harmonisation of data flows and cooperates in the setup of an Atlantic fish tracking network. After the kick-off meeting on 10-12 June 2015 in Brussels, Belgium, the 62 partners of the AtlantOS-project – from the EU, USA, Canada, Brazil and South Africa – set out to significantly enhance observing the Atlantic Ocean.

The EU is funding AtlantOS as part of its framework programme "Horizon2020" with 21 million euros over a period of four years. The project is coordinated by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The project fits within the Galway Statement, where Europe, USA, Canada and Brazil united to join forces in transatlantic ocean research.

VLIZ participates in the work package for increasing data flow and harmonisation. Under the lead of the French Ifremer and the Univesrity of Bremen (UniHB) – and in coorperation with GEOMAR, NERC, CNRS, ICES, UiB, SAHFOS, MET O, UNEXE, EUMETNET, CLS, Mercator, ECMWF, PML, ETT, SPA and Maris – the datasets from the different and diverse in-situ observing systems will be made readily and freely available to the wider, international ocean science community and other stakeholders in this field. This will be achieved by harmonising work flows, data processing and distribution and by integrating observations in existing European and other contributing international data infrastructures. Existing, international standards will be implemented and innovative methods (e.g. cloud concepts) will be studied to explore the feasibility of an efficient handling and distribution of observational data and information in particular real-time data. Further, the impact of AtlantOS observations in models will be tested and ocean products derived from these observations both for research and for applications will be developed and delivered.

In AtlantOS, biological observations will be recorded as well within the observation system. The existing transatlantic observation systems like the Continuous Plankton Recorder and the Atlantic Fish Surveys will contribute to AtlantOS, and the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) will be wider extended in the Atlantic Ocean. VLIZ will develop the data infrastructure to save and manage the detection data of the tagged fish.

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