Strategic Planning for Operational Oceanography
15
predictions can probably be marketed as cash services. A full study of the costs
and benefits of EuroGOOS Member activities would have to break down the services into a range of categories between these two extremes.
1.5 Conclusions
Regional strategy is an essential component of GOOS, and operational oceanography in general. With few exceptions the nation state is too small, and has too
small an area of EEZ within its control, to install a range of observing systems
which will be meaningful on their own. Regional sea areas such as the Baltic, the
North Sea, or the Mediterranean are natural strategic planning and development
areas for operational oceanography. The adjacent coastal states then have an incentive to collaborate, as provided by the examples of the MFSPP (pinardi and Flemming, 1998) or the BOOS Plan (Buch and Dahlin, 2000).
The rate of development of instruments, computers, satellite sensors, and communications through the internet is such that strategic thinking and planning must
be pragmatic. Some things are going to happen anyway, both good and bad. Successful planning for operational oceanography depends upon identifying those
developments which we can influence, and concentrating effort on these factors,
while exploiting other development as well as we can.
By definition, operational oceanography requires investment to achieve a purpose, and the benefits ofthe outcome must have greater value than the cost. Different countries and regions have different needs, both sort term and long term,
depending upon their local industries, services, social needs, and environmental
conditions. A great deal can be learned by example, comparing previous studies
with new areas, but it is almost always necessary to conduct new analysis to identify local priorities.
Europe is an archipelago continent, and this includes the north shore of the Mediterranean. The region depends to a high degree on marine transport and marine
resources while being prone to a wide range of maritime hazards and the effects of
climate change. It is therefore practical to develop marine observing systems on all
scales from coastal to shelf to oceanic, in order to obtain short, medium, and long
term benefits. The shorter timescale products and benefits provide an economic
and social return which counter-balances the negative cash flow in the long term
system which has to be built up over decades.
15
predictions can probably be marketed as cash services. A full study of the costs
and benefits of EuroGOOS Member activities would have to break down the services into a range of categories between these two extremes.
1.5 Conclusions
Regional strategy is an essential component of GOOS, and operational oceanography in general. With few exceptions the nation state is too small, and has too
small an area of EEZ within its control, to install a range of observing systems
which will be meaningful on their own. Regional sea areas such as the Baltic, the
North Sea, or the Mediterranean are natural strategic planning and development
areas for operational oceanography. The adjacent coastal states then have an incentive to collaborate, as provided by the examples of the MFSPP (pinardi and Flemming, 1998) or the BOOS Plan (Buch and Dahlin, 2000).
The rate of development of instruments, computers, satellite sensors, and communications through the internet is such that strategic thinking and planning must
be pragmatic. Some things are going to happen anyway, both good and bad. Successful planning for operational oceanography depends upon identifying those
developments which we can influence, and concentrating effort on these factors,
while exploiting other development as well as we can.
By definition, operational oceanography requires investment to achieve a purpose, and the benefits ofthe outcome must have greater value than the cost. Different countries and regions have different needs, both sort term and long term,
depending upon their local industries, services, social needs, and environmental
conditions. A great deal can be learned by example, comparing previous studies
with new areas, but it is almost always necessary to conduct new analysis to identify local priorities.
Europe is an archipelago continent, and this includes the north shore of the Mediterranean. The region depends to a high degree on marine transport and marine
resources while being prone to a wide range of maritime hazards and the effects of
climate change. It is therefore practical to develop marine observing systems on all
scales from coastal to shelf to oceanic, in order to obtain short, medium, and long
term benefits. The shorter timescale products and benefits provide an economic
and social return which counter-balances the negative cash flow in the long term
system which has to be built up over decades.