Country: Belgium

Short name: UNESCO

Contact name: Peter Pissierssens

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Brief Description of Organisation:

The “International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange” (IODE) of the “Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission” (IOC) of UNESCO was established in 1961. The main objectives of the IODE Programme are (revision IODE-XXII, March 2013): (i) To facilitate and promote the discovery, exchange of, and access to, marine data and information including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real time and delayed mode, through the use of international standards, and in compliance with the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy for the ocean research and observation community and other stakeholders; (ii) To encourage the long term archival, preservation, documentation, management and services of all marine data, data products, and information; (iii) To develop or use existing best practices for the discovery, management, exchange of, and access to marine data and information, including international standards, quality control and appropriate information technology; (iv) To assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine research and observation data and information and become partners in the IODE network; (v) To support international scientific and operational marine programmes, including the Framework for Ocean Observing for the benefit of a wide range of users.

IODE has been involved in the AtlantOS and ODIP Projects and was a main contributor to an international team (the Ocean Best Practice Working Group) for best practices and application development. IODE hosts the Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) and repository which will now become a formal IOC Project implemented jointly IODE and GOOS.

In addition, IODE’s OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) with its Regional Training Centres offers the infrastructure for training and capacity building to ocean-related organizations and projects.

JERICO-S3: Main Tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Best Practices under WP 5, 6, 7, Virtual Access under WP 7 & 8

Short name: RBINS

JERICO-S3 contact name: Michael Fettweis

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JERICO-DS contact name: Sebastien Legrand

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Brief Description of Organisation:

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) is a Belgian Federal State Institution governed by the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo) which is devoted to nature, its long history and its sustainable management. Besides being well known for significant multidisciplinary research activities, it hosts the Museum of Natural Sciences and collections of specimens and it provides public services in terms of advice, expertise and studies. Its mission is, amongst other, to support the management of the marine environment, particularly for Belgian waters, by scientific activities including mathematical modelling, in situ measurements, satellite image analysis (ocean color images in turbid waters) and management advice to policy-makers. For instance, OD Nature monitoring the impact of human activities on marine ecosystem and is responsible for the implementation of the MSFD environmental monitoring program and for the assessment of the MSFD GES. It also operates the RV-Belgica, 4 coastal benthic landers, an accredited Marine Chemistry laboratory, the Belgian Marine Forecasting Centre or the Belgian Marine Data Centre (NODC). In the framework of JERICO-S3, OD-Nature will bring its fundamental and applied expertise in cohesive and non-cohesive suspended particulate matter measurements (in-situ and satellite) and modelling.

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

• WP4: Partner in the PSS English Channel
• WP7: Test of measurement devices for SPM concentration
• WP8: TNA
• WP11: VA
• WP9: Partner facilitating Belgian users engagement and Belgian support for a transition towards an ESFRI or an ERIC

JERICO-DS: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

WP3: co-leader of the design of the JERICO e-infrastructure. Collaboration in WP1, WP2, WP4, WP5, WP6, WP7 as nation representative.

Relevant Projects- previous and existing:

• RV Belgica
• 4 coastal landers (measuring a broad range of near-bed marine processes, including SPM, currents, turbulence, sound, etc.)// – Marine Chemistry Lab
• Belgian Marine Data Centre (NODC) and its databases
• COHERENS Modelling infrastructure and its numerous application (a.o. Belgian Marine Forecasting Centre)
• Satellite images processing and analysis infrastructure (mainly specialised in ocean colour images in very turbid coastal areas)

Short name: VLIZ

Contact name:  Simon Claus

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The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) acts as the coordination and information platform for marine and coastal related scientific research in Flanders and serves as an international contact point. The VLIZ is a government-funded but autonomous institute with the legal status of a non-profit organization and employs 65 FTE’s. VLIZ set up a strong collaborative network through 21 cooperation agreements with Flemish research groups and administrations and integrates its activities in 7 national and 25 international networks. VLIZ provides assistance, technologies and tools to scientists and policymakers to support marine data management. Within international networks, VLIZ participates in the development of marine data infrastructures. VLIZ data centre is heavily involved in the development and management of international e-infrastructures and services: the central portal and the biology portal for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), LifeWatch Taxonomic Backbone and data systems, World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), Ocean Biogeographic Information System (EurOBIS), Marine Data Archive, Integrated Marine Information System, Marine Regions. VLIZ chairs the EMBRC Working group on E-infrastructure is a member of the RDA Group of European Data Experts and is involved in the InfraEOSC projects for the life sciences and the environmental cluster, ENVRI FAIR and EOSC Life. VLIZ is a National Oceanographic Data Centre in the network of the IODE programme of IOC-UNESCO and a regular member of the ICSU World Data System. VLIZ maintains a marine observatory that collects long-term data series of phyto- and zooplankton, marine mammals, abiotic and biotic parameters, and is involved in the LIFEWATCH ERIC, EMBRC and ICOS. VLIZ runs a growing research unit that performs data and infrastructure-related research activities.

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

VLIZ will participate in WP2 on interfacing with other marine research infrastructures, is involved in WP4 as part of the channel-PSS, WP5 on harmonisation, WP6 on data management for marine biological data and WP8 on realizing transnational and virtual access in WP11.

JERICO-NEXT: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

WP5: Data management, leading WP5.7: Integration of biological data

WP3:Technology and methodology developments Task 3.2

Relevant Projects- previous and existing

European Marine Observation and Data Network (Role: Coordinator Biology lot; Developer Central lot)

Flanders regional contribution to EMBRC ESFRI 4

Flanders regional contribution to Lifewatch ESFRI

ENVRI Fair – ENVironmental Research Infrastructures building Fair services Accessible for society, Innovation and Research

EOSC LIFE – Providing an open collaborative space for digital biology in Europe

Short name: EuroGOOS

JERICO-S3 contact name: Inga Lips

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JERICO-DS contact name: Glen Nolan

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Brief Description of Organisation:

EuroGOOS identifies priorities, enhances cooperation and promotes the benefits of operational oceanography to ensure sustained observations are made in Europe’s seas underpinning a suite of fit-for-purpose products and services for marine and maritime end-users. EuroGOOS is the European component of the Global Ocean Observing System of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC GOOS). EuroGOOS Secretariat is in Brussels, serving 42 members and supporting five regional systems (ROOS) in Europe. The EuroGOOS ROOS coordinate and support development and joint oceanographic service production in European maritime regions. The ROOS, the EuroGOOS working groups, and networks of observing platforms (task teams) provide fora for cooperation, unlock quality marine data and deliver common strategies, priorities and standards towards the European leadership in oceanography. The EuroGOOS members and the many networks work towards integrated, sustained and fit-for-purpose European ocean observing, underpinning the EOOS framework.

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

This participant is co-leading WP9 and is involved in sub-tasks in WP 2.

JERICO-DS: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Contribution to WP1 and WP5. Co-Lead of the WP4: Sustainability

Relevant Projects- previous and existing

“EuroGOOS coordinates five European regional systems, the EuroGOOS Regional Operational Oceanographic Systems (ROOS), four working groups, spanning pan-European data management, technology development and coastal oceanography, and seven infrastructure networks, EuroGOOS Task Teams, dedicated to European ocean technologies. EuroGOOS also chairs the EOOS steering group. In addition to this, EuroGOOS is involved in several European Commission projects supporting and developing the pan-European oceanographic research, innovation and services, among others:

1. AtlantOS (2015-2019) international trans-Atlantic consortium aiming to optimize and enhance the integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System.

2. INTAROS (2016-2021) aiming to help build an efficient integrated Arctic Observation System by extending, improving and unifying existing systems in the different regions of the Arctic, contributing to the implementation of the EU Arctic Strategy.

3. JERICO-NEXT (2015-2019) contributes to the implementation of the coastal part of the European Ocean Observing System, cooperating with other European initiatives such as ESFRI (EURO-ARGO, EMSO, EMBRC), Ocean of Tomorrow sensor innovation projects and emerging European networks.

4. EMODnet-Physics (2017-2019) contributing to the EMODnet portal with layers of physical data and their metadata available for open use.

5. SeaDataCloud (2016-2020) works to advance SeaDataNet services and increase their usage adopting cloud and high-performance computing technology. SeaDataNet is driving several EMODnet portals and complementing the Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring Service, CMEMS.

6. ENVRIplus (2015-2019) provides a strategic forum for European environmental research infrastructures, towards a more coherent, interdisciplinary and interoperable cluster across Europe