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CONTENTSIGOS Strategic Implementation:Project and Partnership
CEOS Analysis Group Activity
CNES Activities in Relation with User Organizations
News from the Working Group on Information Systems and Services
The CEOS Information Locator System CILS
News from the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group---This page
Information on the Preparation of the 11th Plenary
News from the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group
Trevor Platt & Venetia Stuart Bedford Institute of Oceanography (Canada)
The International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG) held
its second committee meeting in Tokyo (Japan), 17-18 March, 1997, at the
NASDA Headquarters. It was attended by committee members as well as several
observers.
- Brief presentations were given on the status of ocean-colour missions
in various agencies, including ocean-colour sensors in orbit at the time
(MOS, OCTS and POLDER) as well as sensors scheduled for launch (SeaWiFS,
MERIS, MODIS, LCR, GLl, OCI and OCM). Considerable attention was devoted
to the subject of calibration and validation of ocean-colour sensors to
common standards, It was agreed that a universally-accepted protocol for
standard calibration procedures was desirable and that all agencies should
be encouraged to participate in annual multi-mission calibration experiments.
Furthermore, the group resolved to hold a specialized workshop scheduled
for 6-8 October, 1997 with the aim of reaching an agreement about a common
set of spectral channels to be included on all future ocean-colour sensors.
Brief reports were given on the European calibration/validation programmes (CoASTS, CEVEx, COLOURS, and COASTLOO) as well as NASA's SIM-BIOS (Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies) project. Information was also presented on recent and present activities of the CEOS working groups relevant to ocean-colour (ie. the Working Group on Information Systems and Services, WGISS, and the Working Group on Calibration and Validation, WGCV). This was followed by an informal presentation on results to date from the large-scale AMT (Atlantic Meridional Transect) Programme, the objectives of which are to collect optical and bio-optical data along a transect from Britain to the Falkland Islands for calibration and validation of remotely sensed data.
The terms of reference for the group were finalized at the meeting and can be viewed on the lOCCG homepage along with the complete minutes of the Tokyo meeting (http://me-www.jrc.it/lOCCG or http://www.lOCCG,org).
Upcoming Events
The IOCCG is co-sponsoring an Intensive Training Course on "Remote
Sensing of the Ocean : Applications for Ocean Colour, Temperature and Wind
Stress" to be held on 10-22 November, 1997, in Los Andes, Chile. For more
information on this course please consult the Training and International
Development section of the IOCCG homepage, In addition, the Third Committee
Meeting of the IOCCG will be held on 19-21 January, 1998, in Cape Town,
South Africa. Please contact the Chairman, Dr. Trevor Platt (tplatt@is.dal,ca)
or the Project Scientist, Dr. Venetia Stuart (vstuart@is.dal .ca) for details
of this meeting.
SCOR to administer the lOCCG
Since the initial establishment of the lOCCG in early 1996, the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (lOC) of UNESCO has provided administrative support
and financial management for the IOCCG. However, at the second Executive
Meeting of the IOCCG held in Tokyo on 19 March 1997, it was concluded that
the goals of the lOCCG could be more easily achieved by working under an
internationarl umbrella organization with somewhat more flexible operating
procedures. The Executive of the lOCCG recently approached the Officers
of SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research) in this regard and the
Executive Director (Elizabeth Gross) formally agreed to provide administrative
support to the organization. SCOR will thus be the official administrator
of the IOCCG, but the lOCCG will continue to maintain liaison with the
lOC on matters of common interest. The patron organizations of the IOCCG
would then be SCOR, the IOC and CEOS.
What is SCOR?
The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), established in
1957, is the leading non-governmental organization for the promotion and
coordination of international oceanographic activities. SCOR does not fund
research directly, but initiates the establishment of programs, providing
coordination and administrative support during the early stages. SCOR has
national committees in 39 countries and often works in association with
intergovernmental organizations such as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission (lOC) and the International Council for the Exploration of the
Sea (lCES), as well as non-governmental organizations such as the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Program (lGBP).
The activities of SCOR fall into two main categories: establishment
of small international working groups to address narrowly focused scientific
problems, or the formation of larger Scientific Steering Committees for
the planning and implementation of large-scale programs. At present there
are 17 active working groups, which accomplish their objectives in a relatively
short time frame (around 4 years) as well as two major SCOR-sponsored scientific
committees: the Scientific Steering Committee for the Joint Global Ocean
Flux Study (JGOFS) and the Scientific Steering Committee for Global Ocean
Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC). Both these programs have achieved wide international
recognition for their scientific excellence. The early affiliation of each
of these programs with SCOR ensured an efficient mechanism for international
coordination and cooperation.
In addition to the working groups and scientific committees, there
are also four "SCOR-Affiliated Programs". These programs are of a long-term
nature, and generally have their own funding and rely on SCOR for advice,
review, oversight or administration. The officers of SCOR have proposed
that the lOCCG become another "Affiliated Program" of SCOR providing the
means for a long-term association with SCOR. This decision is currently
being reviewed by the Executive Committee of the IOCCG.
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