What is MedGOOS ?

The Mediterranean Global Ocean Observing System (MedGOOS) is an informal association founded under the auspices of the UNESCO/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to provide a concerted approach to the planning and implementation of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) in the Mediterranean.

 
Mission of MedGOOS
MedGOOS aims to facilitate the development of an operational forecasting system at a regional and coastal scale to the benefit of a wide group of users in the region. The key priorities targeted by MedGOOS include

the identification of the regional priorities for operational ocean forecasting and marine meteorology, an assessment of the related economic and social implications, and the guidance and assistance to the riparian states towards the harmonious implementation of the Mediterranean ocean observing and forecasting system built on existing elements and based on principles of co-development, co-ownership and sharing of benefits.

MedGOOS aims to build a system to the benefit of a vast spectrum of customers and marine industries, addressing the requirements of governments to enable sustainable development and lead to socio-economic goals. MedGOOS will ensure the upgrading of national systems to the same level of expertise and infra-structure and will stimulate the necessary pre-operational R&D to ensure that GOOS is fully effective when it is eventually established, hopefully in ten to twenty years time.

 
Brief History of MedGOOS

MedGOOS was founded in November 1997 in Malta during the Workshop on GOOS Capacity Building for the Mediterranean Region. The signing of the MedGOOS Memorandum of Understanding, during a special session at the 2 nd EuroGOOS Conference in 1999, marked the formal establishment of MedGOOS. Subsequently the Workshop on the Benefits of the Implementation of the Global Ocean Observing System in the Mediterranean Region , held on 1-3 November 1999 in Rabat, Morocco, provided a forum to establish the MedGOOS strategy and obtain consensus at a regional level. The Workshop also helped to broaden the participation in MedGOOS to all Mediterranean countries as well as to bring together scientists and representatives of the institutions involved in operational oceanography in the Mediterranean to define priorities, and plan the way forward with integration of efforts and appropriate measures in favour of technology transfer, cooperation, training and sharing of expertise to bring capacities in different countries at comparable levels.  

Silvana Vallerga from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche at the International Marine Centre in Sardinia, Italy, presides MedGOOS, establishes and consolidates links with international organisations, and identifies projects to be developed by the MedGOOS members. The Executive Secretary, Aldo Drago heads the MedGOOS Secretariat hosted by the IOI-Malta Operational Centre at the University of Malta, supporting the networking of the leading marine institutions in the Mediterranean committed to reach the scope of MedGOOS and the implementation of projects.

In 2002, the 3-year thematic network project entitled Mediterranean network to Assess and upgrade Monitoring and forecasting Activity in the region (MAMA) was launched. The project is funded by the Vth Framework Programme, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development of the European Union. It brings together a consortium made up of major marine institutions from all the Mediterranean countries, to identify the needs of the region and provide guidance to the Mediterranean states to shape an integrated effort towards the planning and design of the long term sustained ocean monitoring system in the region.

- For more information visit the MedGOOS website