"Ocean weather and ecosystem" in the Nordic Seas - a Norwegian Component to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

Efficient and safe use of the oceans in the Nordic Seas is essential for many human activities and operational oceanography will support the needed observations and forecasts. Increasing human activities in the marine and coastal waters are related to oil and gas exploration on the continental shelf regions, deep waters and in the Arctic margin including the ice covered Russian sectors. Transport of oil and gas from Russian Arctic along the west coast of Norway is a treat to environmental safety. Fisherie s, aquaculture and climate change studies are other aspects that benefit from improved capabilities in operational ocean oceanography and forecasting. During the last decades basic and applied competence has been build up in operational oceanography at th e Nansen Center and Geophysical Institute/UoBergen. Our vision is to maintain and strengthen our international forefront and edge cutting knowledge and experience in: * Regional and large scale coupled ocean-ice circulation modelling * Coupled physical an d eco-system modelling * Remote sensing analysis and interpretation * Advanced data assimilation techniques in order to implement and demonstrate integrated data and model systems for ocean monitoring and forecasting (operational oceanography) for the Nor dic Seas. The "Mohn-Sverdrup Center for global ocean studies and operational oceanography" at the Nansen Center, in cooperation with University of Bergen will be formally opened on October 20. 2004. The present project (if funded) will therefore be a very important and necessary component of the new Mohn-Sverdrup Center, which will be a part of the development of a "Sverdrup school in operational oceanography" between Geophysical Institute at University of Bergen and the Nansen Center.