Operational oceanography for the North West European Shelf seas: NOOS 2002–2006

Arising from the EuroGOOS North-West Shelf task team, the North-West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System NOOS was established in September 2002, with national agencies signing a memorandum of understanding. Membership of NOOS has now grown to 14 agencies, with responsibilities ranging from monitoring to forecast modelling, and there are four associate research institutes. Members of NOOS routinely provide a range of services to their national governments, and some are also demonstrating this through participation in GMES service element projects funded by the European Space Agency. NOOS works through networking to establish collaborative, incremental developments to the day-to-day business of the member agencies. Thus NOOS activities are truly sustainable. Where available, individual member agencies gain project funding from national or European Commission Framework Program research projects. NOOS activities include data exchange for sea level observations and storm surge forecasts, cooperation on development of 3D forecast modelling, contribution to the ICES-EuroGOOS North Sea pilot project for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, exchange of calculated model transports, and bi-lateral developments to provide robust and resilient backup for storm surge forecast modelling. Data exchange within NOOS is being actively developed and this will contribute to the SEPRISE project demonstration during 2006.