The EU4OceanObs Action Coordinator of GEO Blue Planet component, heads the GEO Blue Planet EU Office, established and hosted by Mercator Ocean International. The EU Office, together with the US and Asian Offices, make up the GEO Blue Planet secretariat, which provides scientific and logistical support to all GEO Blue Planet activities, and develops partnerships.
Specifically, the EU4OceanObs’ component on the GEO Blue Planet initiative will
- Monitor and promote relevant EU-supported programmes, projects and activities within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and GEO Blue Planet communities such as Copernicus Services (including Copernicus Marine), Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe projects, the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), and European Research Infrastructures, among others
- Promote Blue Planet activities which are beneficial for Europe and develop partnerships and linkages with EU programmes
- Provide technical and coordination support to the international GEO and GEO Blue Planet activities and events (EuroGEO, AfriGEO, GEO Week, GEO Blue Planet Symposium)
- Promote the use of ocean observations across the value chain for the development of sustainable applications and best practices related to seas and the ocean with training, technology transfer and scientific exchanges
- Co-lead the GEO/GEO BP Coordination Working Group to strengthen the cooperation and linkages between the two organisations
- Integrate relevant EU priority areas into Blue Planet activities, ensuring coordination of activities supported by EU4OceanObs Action Coordinator of the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative, notably in the Atlantic, Arctic sea and the European sea basins
EU-led GEO Blue Planet Working Groups
The GEO Blue Planet EU coordination team, supported by EU4OceanObs, (co)leads the following GEO Blue Planet Working Groups. For a full list of the GEO Blue Planet working groups, click here. All GEO Blue Planet activities support and contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Marine Litter
This Working Group will work with a network of experts and existing programmes to support the development and use of observations and observation-based information on marine litter by actions including promoting cooperation and identifying and addressing gaps in user needs and knowledge sharing for the academic and decision-making communities. To find out more, click here.
Fisheries
This Working Group will work with countries to identify the needs and the gaps in data availability and knowledge sharing for the fisheries communities from local-to-global levels and across all scales and types of marine fisheries. This Working Group will support the implementation of actions to promote informed socio-economic strategies, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and decision-makers. To find out more, click here.
Sargassum
The main goal of this Working Group is to support the successful development of operational satellite-based monitoring and early warning systems for Sargassum for all impacted regions of the Tropical Atlantic involving international and regional partners. To find out more, click here.
Coastal Changes
This Working Group will work with countries to identify the needs and the gaps in data availability and knowledge sharing for the coastal communities. It will support the implementation of actions to promote informed socio-economic strategies, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and decision-makers. To find out more, click here.
The European Office of the GEO Blue Planet is hosted at Mercator Ocean International in Toulouse, France, and headed by Audrey Hasson. Audrey is a physical oceanographer, specialising in the study of water masses using satellite-borne, situ observations and numerical simulations. She has worked for the US, French and European space agencies, co-founded the Ocean Plastic Webinars and led several science outreach projects.
Contact
Audrey Hasson – Audrey.Hasson@mercator-ocean.fr
GEO Blue Planet – EU Action Coordinator at Mercator Ocean International
