The European Ocean Observing System EuroGOOS, an association of national government agencies, research institutions and private companies committed to oceanography in the context of the Global Intergovernmental Ocean Observing System (GOOS), has recently held its annual general assembly of members. The Canary Islands Ocean Platform (PLOCAN), a member delegate of the organization, contributed to the event with the presentation of the annual activity balance of the EuroGOOS Glider Task Team, a group of forty gliderport facilities across Europe, currently under PLOCAN coordination.
EuroGOOS responds to the European delegation of the Global Ocean Observing System of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) under the auspices of UNESCO, which currently chairs the GOOS Regional Alliances Forum.
The event, held at the Finnish National Meteorological Institute (FMI) headquarters in Helsinki, brought together delegates representing the set of member institutions, together with the leaders of working groups and task teams, among the regional ocean observing systems that they comprise, all under the coordination of the EuroGOOS board.
The different sessions of the work agenda enabled to address a wide range of tasks, highlighting the detailed review of progress in scientific-technical terms by the working groups, task teams and regional ocean observation systems; the nomination and approval of new members; the economic balances; training and dissemination actions; cooperation within the framework of European projects, the definition and implementation of future strategic lines, among others.
Founded in 1994, EuroGOOS currently consists of 46 member entities from 19 European countries that provide operational oceanographic services and conduct ocean research with the latest technology. EuroGOOS is registered as an international non-profit association under Belgian law and has its headquarters in Brussels. The objectives of EuroGOOS focus on identifying strategies, cooperating, co-producing and promoting the value of operational oceanography for society through the EOOS (European Ocean Observing System) framework strategy. Together with EuroGOOS, its members and partners improve European capacity and competitiveness at a global level in the various sectors related to ocean observing.
