Obviously, because of its complexity, GOOS cannot easily be distilled to a single table. It is important to recognize that there are many dimensions and aspects that need to be resolved as we proceed to implementing GOOS. Table 1 may help guide your understanding of the framework for the U.S. GOOS under consideration, but in detail it should be considered very much a work in progress and not comprehensive.
4. Priorities for GOOS
Clear priorities for an observing system have only really been completed for the Climate module of GOOS (the ocean component of GCOS). This is the result of the work of the Ocean Observing System Development Panel (OOSDP; 1995). They published a comprehensive design document in March 1995. Fortunately, this is also the GOOS component relevant to discussion of the Pacific Buoy Network. The OOSDP concluded that the TOGA tropical observing system in the Pacific (including the Buoy Network) is one of the high priority systems for continuation. As such, it is a high priority for support and continuation with the framework of the Global Ocean Observing System. The U.S. is currently attempting to "operationalize" its contribution to the Pacific Buoy Network by securing long-term financial support for its continued operation.
5. A GOOS Agreements Meeting
Despite the success of efforts designed to identify ongoing activities that should be included in a GOOS/GCOS, incorporating them in a GOOS/GCOS framework has been and continues to be a slow and difficult process. In some countries new funds have not been made available for GOOS and an erosion of support for some ongoing programs has been witnessed. Peculiarly, it has been difficult to gain long-term commitments and incorporation into GOOS of those observations started as research endeavors and now demonstrated as has having operational significance. However, it is generally recognized that long-term systematic observations are essential for both operational and research uses and that global coordination is nessecary to achieve a cost-effective system responsive to a wide range of requirements.
At the Intergovermental GOOS Committee Planning Session in May 1996 (Bethesda, Maryland, USA) it was agreed that an international meeting is required to begin and invigorate the process of GOOS implementation. The Committee agreed that the objectives of such a meeting are:
to secure agreement on a number of simple principles, to include such issues as the rules of involvement, capacity building, data management;
to secure definite "pragmatic" commitments to GOOS elements that can be implemented immediately from existing activities, components, and systems (particularly those relating to the Climate module).
Also agreed was that the meeting would be conducted in two conjunctive parts:
A high level "principals" meeting linked to intergovernmental processes for agreement on
