MERSEA
453
4.
Conclusions
Several initiatives, such as the Group on Earth Observations and its
System of Systems concept, and the GMES, provide a strong impetus towards
the establishment of operational oceanography services in Europe. MERSEA
intends to play a major role towards that end. There is certainly a strong
public and political demand and interest in monitoring and understanding
our global environment. There is perhaps also a somewhat utopian view in
some quarters that everything can be observed and forecast, for the benefit
of economic growth, sustainable development, public safety, and risk
prevention. The recent devastating Indian Ocean tsunami must humble us:
the terrible toll is due not only to the rare physical event and the difficulty to
predict it; it is compounded by socio-economic factors (e.g. patterns of land
use, settlement, and population growth), inadequate public education on the
phenomenon, and improper communications for warnings.
Our models are imperfect, but significant progress is being made, and
their realism and forecasting skill are constantly improving. These
improvements result from advances in ocean modelling and assimilation,
and from the availability of global data sets from satellites and in situ
observing systems. One of the challenges is to sustain them in the long term
and to transition them from research projects to operational systems.
MERSEA intends not only to develop the backbone of a future European
ocean monitoring and forecasting system, but also to demonstrate its value
for practical applications of interest to society.
The MERSEA Integrated Project involves many participants who share the
credit and responsibility of its success. Special thanks go to the members of
the Executive Committee, who are particularly active in steering the project
and managing its work packages: P. Bahurel, M. Bell, E. Buch, J.
Johannessen, P.-Y. Le Traon, G. Manzella, N. Pinardi, S. Pouliquen, R.
Rayner; H. Roquet, U. Send, and J. Verron. The project is partially funded
by the EU under FP6, MERSEA contract SIP3 – CT- 2003- 502885.
Acknowledgements
453
4.
Conclusions
Several initiatives, such as the Group on Earth Observations and its
System of Systems concept, and the GMES, provide a strong impetus towards
the establishment of operational oceanography services in Europe. MERSEA
intends to play a major role towards that end. There is certainly a strong
public and political demand and interest in monitoring and understanding
our global environment. There is perhaps also a somewhat utopian view in
some quarters that everything can be observed and forecast, for the benefit
of economic growth, sustainable development, public safety, and risk
prevention. The recent devastating Indian Ocean tsunami must humble us:
the terrible toll is due not only to the rare physical event and the difficulty to
predict it; it is compounded by socio-economic factors (e.g. patterns of land
use, settlement, and population growth), inadequate public education on the
phenomenon, and improper communications for warnings.
Our models are imperfect, but significant progress is being made, and
their realism and forecasting skill are constantly improving. These
improvements result from advances in ocean modelling and assimilation,
and from the availability of global data sets from satellites and in situ
observing systems. One of the challenges is to sustain them in the long term
and to transition them from research projects to operational systems.
MERSEA intends not only to develop the backbone of a future European
ocean monitoring and forecasting system, but also to demonstrate its value
for practical applications of interest to society.
The MERSEA Integrated Project involves many participants who share the
credit and responsibility of its success. Special thanks go to the members of
the Executive Committee, who are particularly active in steering the project
and managing its work packages: P. Bahurel, M. Bell, E. Buch, J.
Johannessen, P.-Y. Le Traon, G. Manzella, N. Pinardi, S. Pouliquen, R.
Rayner; H. Roquet, U. Send, and J. Verron. The project is partially funded
by the EU under FP6, MERSEA contract SIP3 – CT- 2003- 502885.
Acknowledgements