GOOS Essential Ocean Variables: the backbone of a sustained and evolving global ocean observing system

The need for ocean information has never been greater. From climate change to food security and extreme events, we need to understand the role of the ocean and better predict change and impact. This is only possible with the sustained collection of a key set of ocean observations. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) coordinates international efforts to collect these Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), which span physics, biogeochemistry, biology and ecosystem realms. Guided by three expert panels, these EOVs are used to define the needs and design of a sustained, fit for purpose global ocean observing system, aimed at maximizing investments in observing infrastructure. As the GOOS EOVs are increasingly used, it has become important to discuss and refine the understanding of this framework, to ensure that the right balance is struck between their essential nature and the need to expand to new domains and integrate with key global policies. In this paper we provide a description of the EOV framework, discuss some of the challenges in implementing it, and identify a set of recommendations for GOOS and the ocean observing community to take forward. These recommendations include increasing the transparency of the EOV adoption process, and the need to periodically assess the EOVs in consultation with observing communities and with the entities managing other global essential variable frameworks in cross cutting realms such as climate and biodiversity. This will contribute to building a useful and responsive global ocean observing system that delivers the observations required to meet societal needs.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Marine Science
Published
2026-02-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1737002
Primary Topic
Environmental Monitoring and Data Management
Type
article
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article

GOOS Essential Ocean Variables: the backbone of a sustained and evolving global ocean observing system

Anya M. Waite, Artur Palacz, Laura Stukonytė, S. SPEICH et al.
Frontiers in Marine Science
Environmental Monitoring and Data Management
article

GOOS Essential Ocean Variables: the backbone of a sustained and evolving global ocean observing system

Anya M. Waite, Artur Palacz, Laura Stukonytė, S. SPEICH, Samantha E. Simmons, Joanna Post, David M. Legler, Wei Yu, Lisandro Benedetti‐Cecchi, Kim Currie, Gabrielle Canonico, Karen Evans, Maciej Telszewski, Ana Lara-López, Belén Martín Míguez, Véronique Garçon, Bax Narissa, Maria Hood, Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Albert S. Fischer, Adrienne J. Sutton, Balakrishnan Nair Thayannur Mullachery, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Emma Heslop, Karina von Schuckmann, Toste Tanhua, Johannes Karstensen
article en

Abstract

The need for ocean information has never been greater. From climate change to food security and extreme events, we need to understand the role of the ocean and better predict change and impact. This is only possible with the sustained collection of a key set of ocean observations. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) coordinates international efforts to collect these Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), which span physics, biogeochemistry, biology and ecosystem realms. Guided by three expert panels, these EOVs are used to define the needs and design of a sustained, fit for purpose global ocean observing system, aimed at maximizing investments in observing infrastructure. As the GOOS EOVs are increasingly used, it has become important to discuss and refine the understanding of this framework, to ensure that the right balance is struck between their essential nature and the need to expand to new domains and integrate with key global policies. In this paper we provide a description of the EOV framework, discuss some of the challenges in implementing it, and identify a set of recommendations for GOOS and the ocean observing community to take forward. These recommendations include increasing the transparency of the EOV adoption process, and the need to periodically assess the EOVs in consultation with observing communities and with the entities managing other global essential variable frameworks in cross cutting realms such as climate and biodiversity. This will contribute to building a useful and responsive global ocean observing system that delivers the observations required to meet societal needs.

Frontiers in Marine ScienceVol. 13
University of Pisa (IT), Uppsala University (SE), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of Tasmania (AU), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (IN), World Meteorological Organization (CH), Institut de physique du globe de Paris (FR), Sun Yat-sen University (CN), University of South Florida (US), NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (US), Ocean Institute (US), Dunedin Public Hospital (NZ), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (US), École Normale Supérieure - PSL (FR), GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (DE), Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (FR), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (FR), Integrated Marine Observing System (AU), Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (FR), Centre for Marine Socioecology (AU), Mercator Ocean (France) (FR), Grønlands Naturinstitut (GL), Instytut Oceanologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk (PL), Institute of Oceanology (BG), College of Marin (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Environmental Monitoring and Data Management
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