12 Nicholas C. Flemming
orates with the other GOOS Regions, especially with Mediterranean GOOS
(MedGOOS) (Drago, 1998), and Africa GOOS, and Black Sea GOOS.
There are therefore several fundamental assumptions in the design of EuroGOOS
activities, and its justification as a worthwhile investment.
• The maximum benefit of operational oceanography can be developed only ifwe
include regional and sub-regional components.
• Effectiveness depends strongly on the ability to obtain data fast and run real
time models.
• Models need to be nested and interfaced on different scales, and representing
different variables.
• Europe must play a proportionate role in the global observing system.
• The missing factors which EuroGOOS can provide are to promote the transition
from research mode to operational mode, and to promote focused collaboration
on agreed objectives.
• Present scientific knowledge enables us to start designing a fully operational
system, but continuing research is needed to exploit the full possibilities in
terms of resolution, forecast horizon, and variables.
• New technology is needed to enable more data to be obtained routinely without
increased personnel and ship requirements.
Civilian operational oceanography has existed in one form or another for a
decade or more, and increasingly complex proposals are being developed now. It
therefore seems embarrassing to have to admit that a thorough costing of the proposals, at either national or regionallevel, has not been carried out. There is a genuine problem here of which we should not be ashamed. Various rough estimates
have been made (e.g., lOC, 1993; Flemming, 1994; lOC, 1998, p.30-33). The following discussion is based on consideration of the costs of a global operational
observing system such as GOOS, but the same caveats apply to attempting an oversimple analysis of the costs of EuroGOOS. Since the European region tends to
gain benefits from investing in an efficient global system, as well as from applications directly within the European sea areas, we can consider comments on the global system and European components as having equivalent force.
An attempt to sum the cost of global or regional ocean observations, or a complete operational observing system including modelling and forecasting, naturally
involves summing a wide range of sub-costs, purchases of equipment, deployment
costs, ship operations, maintenance and replacement of equipment, satellite launch
costs, equipment planning and design costs, communications and data processing,
modelling centres, computers, product delivery, and so ono Each component has a
different proportion of capital investment, duration, and running costs. Aggregation of these costs requires that each component should be analysed to see whether
there are multiple beneficiaries who should share the cost, hidden overheads, sunk
costs, or whether it might be developed anyway for other purposes, and thus have a
zero cost to GOOS.
orates with the other GOOS Regions, especially with Mediterranean GOOS
(MedGOOS) (Drago, 1998), and Africa GOOS, and Black Sea GOOS.
There are therefore several fundamental assumptions in the design of EuroGOOS
activities, and its justification as a worthwhile investment.
• The maximum benefit of operational oceanography can be developed only ifwe
include regional and sub-regional components.
• Effectiveness depends strongly on the ability to obtain data fast and run real
time models.
• Models need to be nested and interfaced on different scales, and representing
different variables.
• Europe must play a proportionate role in the global observing system.
• The missing factors which EuroGOOS can provide are to promote the transition
from research mode to operational mode, and to promote focused collaboration
on agreed objectives.
• Present scientific knowledge enables us to start designing a fully operational
system, but continuing research is needed to exploit the full possibilities in
terms of resolution, forecast horizon, and variables.
• New technology is needed to enable more data to be obtained routinely without
increased personnel and ship requirements.
Civilian operational oceanography has existed in one form or another for a
decade or more, and increasingly complex proposals are being developed now. It
therefore seems embarrassing to have to admit that a thorough costing of the proposals, at either national or regionallevel, has not been carried out. There is a genuine problem here of which we should not be ashamed. Various rough estimates
have been made (e.g., lOC, 1993; Flemming, 1994; lOC, 1998, p.30-33). The following discussion is based on consideration of the costs of a global operational
observing system such as GOOS, but the same caveats apply to attempting an oversimple analysis of the costs of EuroGOOS. Since the European region tends to
gain benefits from investing in an efficient global system, as well as from applications directly within the European sea areas, we can consider comments on the global system and European components as having equivalent force.
An attempt to sum the cost of global or regional ocean observations, or a complete operational observing system including modelling and forecasting, naturally
involves summing a wide range of sub-costs, purchases of equipment, deployment
costs, ship operations, maintenance and replacement of equipment, satellite launch
costs, equipment planning and design costs, communications and data processing,
modelling centres, computers, product delivery, and so ono Each component has a
different proportion of capital investment, duration, and running costs. Aggregation of these costs requires that each component should be analysed to see whether
there are multiple beneficiaries who should share the cost, hidden overheads, sunk
costs, or whether it might be developed anyway for other purposes, and thus have a
zero cost to GOOS.