Advancing “bio” sensor integration with Ocean Observing Systems to support ecosystem based approaches

The vision of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS) is to provide information and services to the nation for enhancing our understanding of the ecosystem and climate; sustaining living marine resources; improving public health and safety; reducing impacts of natural hazards and environmental changes; and expanding support for marine commerce and transportation. In the last decade U.S. IOOS has made considerable progress in advancing physical and chemical observing systems, but only modest progress integrating biological observations from disparate data providers, and there remain challenges to fully integrate biological observing systems into U.S. IOOS. Recent technological advances in miniature, low power “bio” sensor can record everything from plankton greater than 20 micrometer with electro-optical technology, to hydroacoustic sensors that can record meso-zooplankton and nekton from mobile autonomous platforms, to satellite linked recorders that can record the movement and behavior of the largest marine predators. This opens up remarkable opportunities for observing the biotic realm at critical spatio-temporal scales that are most relevant to organisms, which have been out of reach until present. “bio”sensor technology is mature and proven to be operational and biological monitoring should be an integrated component of observing systems. Optimally, it should be clearly defined and implemented in close association with physical oceanographers. The integration of biological observing into U.S IOOS will only strengthen the national observing capabilities to respond to the growing needs for ecosystem observation to support ecosystem-based approaches and sustain our living marine resources.