The U. S. IOOS program & strategy

Released in December 2004 as the Administration´s response to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the U.S. Ocean Action Plan provides priority actions for ocean and coastal research, and management of resources. Among these priorities is building the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), including the U.S. ocean and coastal component, the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) with U.S. leadership by NOAA. The cabinet level Committee on Ocean Policy and the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration (ICOSRMI) have been established. In November 2005, the ICOSRMI approved the First U.S. IOOS Development Plan which represents the interagency priorities and plans for the U.S. contribution to IOOS. An Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observations has been established through the Ocean Action Plan governance structure. This working group is specifically concerned with the interagency management and coordination of IOOS. IOOS will address seven societal goals, as defined in the IOOS Development Plan, through a governance structure of Regional Associations designed to meet specific regional requirements and needs coupled with a national backbone of critical observations. Common data management standards and protocols will enable interoperability of regional and national backbone observing systems.