52 G.M.R. Manzella and MFS-VOS Group
Although the main goal of the MFS-vas programme is to deliver data for forecasting, there are also some other important results, which will be more deeply
exploited in forecoming papers, demonstrating how the real time data deliver give
a rapid assessment ofthe environmental status. For example, MFS-VOS monitoring of the temperature allow to detect changes in the Mediterranean Sea, in comparison with the climatological values. The sampling intervals (both in time and
space) allow also a study of the stratification in some key areas. In particular, it was
seen that during the winter 1999-2000 the convection in some dense water formation areas (e.g. the Liguro-Provencal basin and the Adriatic Sea) was not deep as in
previous years. During the period September 1999 - May 2000, it was also noted
that the eastem Mediterranean Sea had higher temperatures than climatology (~2
ce higher).
An improved monitoring system capable of detecting physical, chemical and biological parameters could allow an effective management of the marine environment, assess in real time the status of it, provide the necessary data for its forecast.
The lesson leamed from the first experience of an operational observing system
in the Mediterranean is of paramount importance for the future implementation of
the future data collecting activities:
• due to the relatively high costs it is necessary to maintain a consortium of institutions belonging to different countries,
• the institutions must be coordinated by a pane1, in the same manner as the global vas XBT community is coordinated by the Ship of Opportunity Programme Implementation Pane1 (SOaPIP),
• it is critical to ensure that the data collected gets to the users in a timely fashion,
• as a consequence, an efficient flow of data and information must be ensured,
• the dissemination of data in a timely way limits the time available for quality
control, which cannot be completely automated. MFS-vas has realised a 3step control, the first being on board by a 'customised' software, the second in
the Near-Real-Time data center, the third before the assimilation into forecast
model,
• still supplementary end-to-end information management system must be established in order to include the wide public among the 'privileged' users.
It must be underlined that the success of MFS-vas is due to the fact that the
observational network is maintained by the research community, which defined the
important signals to observe and the spatial and temporal resolution needed. This
led to the final conclusion ofthis paper: the Marine Information System is an valuable tool for oceanographic studies and decision making processes, however, any
decision must be based on a deep scientific knowledge ofthe marine environment.
Although the main goal of the MFS-vas programme is to deliver data for forecasting, there are also some other important results, which will be more deeply
exploited in forecoming papers, demonstrating how the real time data deliver give
a rapid assessment ofthe environmental status. For example, MFS-VOS monitoring of the temperature allow to detect changes in the Mediterranean Sea, in comparison with the climatological values. The sampling intervals (both in time and
space) allow also a study of the stratification in some key areas. In particular, it was
seen that during the winter 1999-2000 the convection in some dense water formation areas (e.g. the Liguro-Provencal basin and the Adriatic Sea) was not deep as in
previous years. During the period September 1999 - May 2000, it was also noted
that the eastem Mediterranean Sea had higher temperatures than climatology (~2
ce higher).
An improved monitoring system capable of detecting physical, chemical and biological parameters could allow an effective management of the marine environment, assess in real time the status of it, provide the necessary data for its forecast.
The lesson leamed from the first experience of an operational observing system
in the Mediterranean is of paramount importance for the future implementation of
the future data collecting activities:
• due to the relatively high costs it is necessary to maintain a consortium of institutions belonging to different countries,
• the institutions must be coordinated by a pane1, in the same manner as the global vas XBT community is coordinated by the Ship of Opportunity Programme Implementation Pane1 (SOaPIP),
• it is critical to ensure that the data collected gets to the users in a timely fashion,
• as a consequence, an efficient flow of data and information must be ensured,
• the dissemination of data in a timely way limits the time available for quality
control, which cannot be completely automated. MFS-vas has realised a 3step control, the first being on board by a 'customised' software, the second in
the Near-Real-Time data center, the third before the assimilation into forecast
model,
• still supplementary end-to-end information management system must be established in order to include the wide public among the 'privileged' users.
It must be underlined that the success of MFS-vas is due to the fact that the
observational network is maintained by the research community, which defined the
important signals to observe and the spatial and temporal resolution needed. This
led to the final conclusion ofthis paper: the Marine Information System is an valuable tool for oceanographic studies and decision making processes, however, any
decision must be based on a deep scientific knowledge ofthe marine environment.