global scale, to define the common elements of regional marine environmental problems, or to provide the data on which collective national response or amelioration can be built. For GOOS it is assumed that a basic set of ocean observations can be used to generate a wide range of economically important products relevant to maritime activities of various kinds, protection of life and property facilitation of commerce, agriculture, energy, transportation, tourism, etc. Furthermore it is also assumed that an observing system to support product generation can be built from sustained national contributions to an international co-ordinated and integrated plan.
The broad objectives of GOOS can be briefly summarized as follows:
To specify and detail in terms of space, time, quality and other relevant factors, the marine observational data needed on a continuing basis to meet the common and identifiable requirements of the world community of users of the oceanic environment.
To develop and implement an internationally co-ordinated strategy for the gathering or acquisition of these data.
To facilitate development of uses and products of these data, and encourage and widen their application to the use and protection of the marine environment.
To facilitate means by which less-developed nations can increase their capacity to acquire and use marine data according to the GOOS framework.
To co-ordinate the ongoing operation of GOOS and ensure its integration within wider global observation and environmental management strategies.
There are several key principles that apply to observations incorporated in GOOS. First, GOOS observations should be long-term, systematic, cost-effective, routine, and relevant to the overall objectives. Second, GOOS data should be freely available and rapidly exchanged. Also, to the extent possible, GOOS should build on existing observational and data management systems.
For planning purposes GOOS has been defined in terms of five "modules" according to categories of perceived user interest:
Climate Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction
Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Living Resources
Monitoring of the Coastal Environment and its Changes
Assessment and Prediction of the Health of the Ocean
Marine Meteorological and Oceanographic Operational Services
Scientific design of each module is being undertaken by international committees of experts. Implementation of the program will utilize the scientific design but, in general, will not be confined by the bounds of the modular interpretation. The observing systems themselves often serve many purposes and satisfy scientific requirements across several modules. Likewise some overarching implementation issues such as data management, space-based remote sensing
