The EU and Canada have launched a new international alliance for ocean monitoring after securing almost €220 million in pledges from partner countries.
The OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System was announced at a high-level pledging event in New York during the 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Week, the European Commission announced on Wednesday.
It said 31 members have joined so far — the EU plus 30 countries — including the UK.
The Commission pointed out that the EU has provided €92 million in additional “seed funding” for ocean observation activities, while Canada has pledged C$82 million over five years to expand its ability to observe the ocean.
The Commission added that the total pledges so far come in a mix of financial contributions, in-kind support and assets such as research vessels, sensors, drones and data-processing facilities.
The funding and support will be used to maintain existing observation platforms, close “critical data gaps”, strengthen the Global Ocean Observing System secretariat and coordination hubs, and reinforce the OceanOPS data-reporting centre.
What the Global Ocean Observing System does
The Global Ocean Observing System is an international programme co-sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization, which collects ocean measurements used for services such as weather forecasts and maritime safety, according to the Commission.
It delivers around 120,000 observations per day from 8,000 platforms operated by 64 countries across 17 global observation networks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ocean observation gives “eyes and ears beneath the waves” as “the underwater world rapidly changes”, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the ocean “cannot be understood, or protected, by any nation alone.”
The event was organised in partnership with IOC-UNESCO and the WMO, and a next event is planned at COP31.
