Linking Capacity Development to GOOS Monitoring Networks to Achieve Sustained Ocean Observation

Nicholas J Bax,Toste Tanhua,Albert Fischer,Ward Appeltans,Melissa Andersen Garcia,Eduardo Klein,John Gunn,J Emmett Duffy,David Obura,Harriet Harden Davies,Francis Marsac,Sanae Chiba,Patricia Miloslavich,John Wilkin,Raphael M Kudela,Bernadette M Sloyan ,Octavio Aburto‐Oropeza ,Samantha E Simmons ,Sonia D Batten ,Frank E Müller-Karger ,Russell E Brainard ,Jeremy M Hills ,Quentin Hanich ,Piers K Dunstan ,Yunne-Jaï Shin ,David M Checkley ,Lisandro Benedetti‐Cecchi

doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00346

Abstract

Developing enduring capacity to monitor ocean life requires investing in people and their institutions to build infrastructure, ownership, and long-term support networks. International initiatives can enhance access to scientific data, tools and methodologies, and develop local expertise to use them, but without ongoing engagement may fail to have lasting benefit. Linking capacity development and technology transfer to sustained ocean monitoring is a win-win proposition. Trained local experts will benefit from joining global communities of experts who are building the comprehensive Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). This two-way exchange will benefit scientists and policy makers in developing and developed countries. The first step toward the GOOS is complete: identification of an initial set of biological Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) that incorporate the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Essential Biological Variables (EBVs), and link to the physical and biogeochemical EOVs. EOVs provide a globally consistent approach to monitoring where the costs of monitoring oceans can be shared and where capacity and expertise can be transferred globally. Integrating monitoring with existing international reporting and policy development connects ocean observations with agreements underlying many countries' commitments and obligations, including under SDG 14, thus catalyzing progress toward sustained use of the ocean. Combining scientific expertise with international capacity development initiatives can help meet the need of developing countries to engage in the agreed United Nations (UN) initiatives including new negotiations for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, and the needs of the global community to understand how the ocean is changing.

Highlights

The ocean provides essential services—food, transport, climate modulation, and recreation—for all nations, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as recognized by Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030.1 ocean changes such as warming, increased stratification, decreasing dissolved oxygen (Rhein et al, 2013; Schmidtko et al, 2017) and changes in productivity (Stock et al, 2017) are adversely impacting human activities and marine life
1https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg14 knowledge exchange, capacity development and technology transfer to established global ocean observing networks would meet the need expressed in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14a supporting countries’ efforts to sustainably manage their ocean resources
We focus on scientific capacity development, including human, institutional, and technological capacity, where technology transfer includes access to hardware, software, data and information, and equipment (IOC/UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2005)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The ocean provides essential services—food, transport, climate modulation, and recreation—for all nations, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as recognized by Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030.1 ocean changes such as warming, increased stratification, decreasing dissolved oxygen (Rhein et al, 2013; Schmidtko et al, 2017) and changes in productivity (Stock et al, 2017) are adversely impacting human activities and marine life. Spatially distributed, and interdisciplinary information is increasingly important to measure progress against agreed targets and support decisions that balance increased economic activities with long-term sustainability. This could be achieved by linking efforts to build oceanobserving capacity in developing countries with the growing global sustained observation networks. Measuring progress toward achieving agreed performance targets requires robust indicators of state and trends of ocean health, but such indicators have been challenging to select and implement for several reasons (Tittensor et al, 2014; Inniss et al, 2016). 1https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg knowledge exchange, capacity development and technology transfer to established global ocean observing networks would meet the need expressed in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14a supporting countries’ efforts to sustainably manage their ocean resources. The development of capacity would enable developing countries to manage their own resources more effectively, and build the global scientific capacity to monitor, manage, and adapt to ocean change

GLOBAL MARINE POLICY ENVIRONMENT

MARINE OBSERVING COMMUNITY

ESSENTIAL OCEAN VARIABLES

Findings

Biology and Ecosystems