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The observation networks integrated into the OHIS candidate RI

The RI aims to bring together various existing observation services around the scientific challenges related to the offshore ocean:

  • Observation services certified as National Observation System (SNO, for 'Service National d'observation') by a specialised commission coordinated by CNRS-INSU

 

    • SNO-SSS (Sea Surface Salinity) plays a critical scientific role in the study of global ocean circulation, the analysis of ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the detailed understanding of climate processes. For more than 50 years, this service has systematically collected surface salinity data globally, primarily using thermosalinographs (TSG) installed on opportunistic ships, covering areas such as the Pacific, North Atlantic, and Southern Ocean. The SNO-SSS contributes more than 50% of the global salinity measurements acquired by TSG, also coordinating the TSG measurements of the French Oceanographic Fleet and managing the international GOSUD network.

 

    • SNO-COOL (CO₂ Océanique Observations sur le Long Terme - Long-Term Oceanic CO₂ Observations) brings together five long-term observation series of oceanic CO₂ in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Indian/Southern Ocean. It ensures the consistency and valorization of marine carbon data, in close collaboration with ICOS, OHIS, and BGC-Argo modelling, and supports a dynamic national community around the CO₂/pH Expertise Centre (CES). SNO-COOL provides essential physical and biogeochemical EOVs and ECVs that are critical for the calibration and validation of other types of sensors. The data support the production of key indicators based on multidisciplinary observations.

 

    •  SNO-MEMO (Marine Mammals Exploring the Ocean Environment) uses instrumented elephant seals and other seals to observe the Southern Ocean down to depths of 1000 to 1500 meters, particularly in areas inaccessible by conventional methods. Since 2004, this network has been providing a unique and continuous time series of physico-biogeochemical data from deep waters between the sub-Antarctic zone and the Antarctic continent. These data enable the investigation of interdisciplinary scientific questions, such as the seasonal to interannual variability of primary production in relation to physical conditions (temperature, salinity, oxygen) and the warming of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. This SNO is strongly supported by CNES, IPEV, and CNRS.

 

    •  SNO PIRATA: The PIRATA observation system (Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic) is a network of ocean-atmosphere moorings initiated in 1997, dedicated to monitoring and studying ocean-atmosphere interactions in the tropical Atlantic and their role in regional climate variability, from intraseasonal to decadal timescales. The network is jointly maintained by institutions from France, Brazil, and the United States, committed through a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure its long-term operation. France, through SNO ('National Observation Service') PIRATA, is responsible for maintaining six ocean-atmosphere moorings (using ATLAS and T-FLEX systems) in the eastern tropical Atlantic, two of which are equipped with CO₂ sensors, as well as three current meter moorings (ADCP) positioned at 23°W-0°N, 10°W-0°N, and 0°E-0°N. This requires annual oceanographic campaigns during which a wide range of measurements are conducted (e.g., hydrology, current profiling, acoustics, sampling for biogeochemical and other parameters). The campaigns also support operations for other observing systems and observatories (e.g., Argo, DBCP), with which PIRATA closely collaborates. This SNO is primarily supported by IRD and Météo-France, with contributions from the French Oceanographic Fleet (FOF), CNRS/INSU, and Ifremer. It also forms a key component of various EU programmes (PREFACE, AtlantOS, TriATLAS, EuroSea).

 

 

  • A GO-SHIP Endorsed Campaign
    • The OVIDE (Observatoire de la Variabilité Interannuelle à Décennale en Atlantique Nord) program is dedicated to documenting and understanding the origin of water mass and circulation variability in the North Atlantic in the context of climate change. This is achieved through a hydrographic section between Greenland and Portugal, carried out biennially since 2002 and endorsed by the international GO-SHIP program. OVIDE is a Franco-Spanish observation system, enabling alternating coordination of cruises and fostering integrated multidisciplinary collaboration between physical oceanography and biogeochemistry. In France, OVIDE has been supported since its inception by the LEFE program, the French Oceanographic Fleet (FOF), Ifremer, and the University of Western Brittany (UBO).