Background

Both the CLIVAR community and the ocean carbon community have recognized the urgent need for better coordination of planning, implementation, standardization, data synthesis and interpretation efforts for hydrography.  The hydrography community has also recognized that today’s hydrography programs address different issues than were addressed during the WOCE era; issues that require a more integrated approach both in terms of variables measured, sampling strategy, and integration of ship-based sampling with other platforms such as Argo and time series stations.

Following an action set at the International Repeat Hydrography and Carbon Workshop (Shonan Village, Japan, November 2005), the IOCCP, CLIVAR, and the SOLAS-IMBER Carbon Coordination Group are sponsoring the Global Ocean Shipbased Hydrographic Investigations Panel (GO_SHIP) to bring together interests from physical hydrography, carbon, biogeochemistry, Argo, OceanSITES, and other users and collectors of hydrographic data, to develop guidelines and advice for the development of a globally coordinated network of sustained ship-based hydrographic sections that will become an integral component of the ocean observing system.

GO_SHIP Panel Members

Masao Fukasawa (JAMSTEC, Japan)
Chris Sabine (NOAA, USA)
Bernadette Sloyan (CSIRO, Australia)
Toste Tanhua and Arne Koertzinger (IfM-GeoMar, Germany)
Gregory Johnson (NOAA, USA)
Nicolas Gruber (ETH, Switzerland)

The Secretariat for this group will be provided by Maria Hood (International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project) and Nico Caltabiano (International CLIVAR Project Office).

Terms of Reference

i.  To develop the scientific justification and general strategy for a ship-based repeat hydrography network, building on existing programs and future plans, that will constitute the core global network, post-CLIVAR; considerations should include:

1. a set of basic requirements to define a coordinated repeat hydrography network (e.g., sample spacing, repeat frequency, recommended core measurements, etc.);
2. an inventory of existing and planned sections that meet those criteria;
3. an assessment of other observing programs that can either contribute to or use hydrography data (e.g., Argo, OceanSITES, GeoTraces, etc.);
4. an assessment of data release needs to meet research and operational objectives;
5. an inventory of on-going or planned scientific synthesis activities (basin and global) that might benefit from closer collaboration;
6. guidelines for the transition from the CLIVAR hydrographic program to the new system, including sections, data and information management, and synthesis activities.

ii.  To develop guidelines for a single global information and data center for ship-based repeat hydrography;

iii.  To review and provide guidance on the need to update the WOCE hydrographic manual, including a review and update of data quality control issues.

Work Plans

It is envisaged that the advisory group will develop a report within a <2 year period that will be circulated widely for consultation and consensus on the way forward. The final startegy will be presented at OceanObs 09.   This document may then be used by the sponsoring organizations as well as national agencies to develop a coordinated network of ship-based repeat hydrography that will contribute to the global ocean / climate observing system. 

Documents

Working drafts and meeting summaries will be made available on-line as they are developed.