MAMA Assessment on Operational Oceanography

in the Mediterranean

Aldo Drago Aldo Drago MedGOOS Executive SecretaryMedGOOS Executive SecretaryIOI – Malta Operational CentreIOI – Malta Operational Centre

University of MaltaUniversity of Malta aldo.drago@um.edu.mtaldo.drago@um.edu.mt

Tel/Fax : +356 – 21440972Tel/Fax : +356 – 21440972

Targets of the Assessment

- Stocktaking of activities & identification Stocktaking of activities & identification of the current capabilities in operational of the current capabilities in operational oceanography on a country by country oceanography on a country by country basisbasis

- Availability of infrastructures for ocean Availability of infrastructures for ocean monitoring and forecasting; human monitoring and forecasting; human resources and fundingresources and funding

MAMA WP1

WHY?

- Identify gaps and capacity building needs- Identify gaps and capacity building needs

- identify existing infrastructure/expertise/activities/capacities that can - identify existing infrastructure/expertise/activities/capacities that can provide building blocks to the initial observing systemprovide building blocks to the initial observing system

- design the ocean monitoring and forecasting system that addresses - design the ocean monitoring and forecasting system that addresses the needs of the regionthe needs of the region

- target the niche for operational oceanography- target the niche for operational oceanography

Method of Assessment

- Country profiles on the Country profiles on the current capabilities in pre-current capabilities in pre-operational ocean forecastingoperational ocean forecasting

- Inventory on marine Inventory on marine monitoring activitiesmonitoring activities

Country Profiles (1)

Section A – Profile of relevant institutionsSection A – Profile of relevant institutions- Institute Name- Institute Address and Contacts- Type of Institution- Mission- Type of Activities- Main Sectors/Fields of Activity- Staff- Ongoing Programmes- Numerical Modelling and Forecasting- Support services required from operational oceanography

Section B – Profile on the National Organisational Section B – Profile on the National Organisational Structure in Marine Affairs and ResearchStructure in Marine Affairs and Research

Describes the national organisational and institutional arrangements for the conduction of marine affairs and research in each country with an emphasis on the activities relevant to ocean monitoring and forecasting

- List of Ministries/Environmental Authorities/Agencies & key entities with marine related responsabilities

- List of Marine research organisations- List of co-ordinating bodies- Research and Monitoring Programmes

Country Profiles (2)

Section C – Relevance of Marine Sector to the EconomySection C – Relevance of Marine Sector to the Economy

- General description of the marine economic activities of each country

- Identification of the relevance of the sea as an economic resource

- Ranking key classes of marine-related activities and identifying the associated trends

Country Profiles (3)

MAMA WP1Inventory on marine

monitoring activities in the MediterraneanStructureStructure

Part 1: Part 1: National requirements for the monitoring of the marine environmentNational requirements for the monitoring of the marine environment

- main recipients - main recipients - key requested deliverables - key requested deliverables - details on products and services provided- details on products and services provided- type of monitoring activities required to support the service- type of monitoring activities required to support the service- main parameters measured- main parameters measured- type of analysis and assessments made to adapt measurements to user needs- type of analysis and assessments made to adapt measurements to user needs- how deliver the service - how deliver the service - extended potential benefits?- extended potential benefits?

MAMA WP1Inventory on marine

monitoring activities in the Mediterranean

StructureStructure

  

Part 2: Part 2: Description and practices of the marine monitoring activitiesDescription and practices of the marine monitoring activities

  

- technical details - technical details

- current practices - current practices

-details on platforms, instrumentation, sensors, telecom systems, data -details on platforms, instrumentation, sensors, telecom systems, data storage and exchange codes and formats, maintenance, etc. storage and exchange codes and formats, maintenance, etc.

Processing of Processing of metadatametadata

Processing of Processing of metadatametadata

Updating entries Updating entries

Cross-checking between questionnaire Cross-checking between questionnaire entries and country profile infoentries and country profile info

Classification into summary tablesClassification into summary tables

Importing into MeDir-OP interface and Importing into MeDir-OP interface and databasedatabase

Considerable effort….

Results and analysis only as good as the quality of input data

Initiative has established a general methodology for assessing the current state of operational oceanography in the region….

…. In future we can only be better!

Our community is basically of scientific expertise ….

….some may lack experience on management practices and marine affairs in their country

Internet Internet ConnectivityConnectivity

Internet Internet ConnectivityConnectivity

RECIPIENTSRECIPIENTS

7 countries still rely on dial-up connections7 countries still rely on dial-up connections……inadequate for uninterrupted data flowinadequate for uninterrupted data flow

Standard PCs with MS Windows most Standard PCs with MS Windows most commoncommon

Common data exchange protocols are based Common data exchange protocols are based on HTTP/FTPon HTTP/FTP

MS Internet Explorer most commonly used MS Internet Explorer most commonly used

Estimated product volume

18%

46%36%

100-200 MB

15-30 MB

<1.5MB

Update frequency of products : Daily basis (6), Seasonal / yearly basis (4) , Non-periodic basis (2)

Estimated product volume: Depends on the type of data/information and the relevant format used for their dissemination: 100-200 MB (4), 15-30 MB (2), 1,5 MB or less (5)

Update frequency

33%

17%

50%

Daily Seasonal /yearly Non-periodic

Product providersProduct providers

Product providersProduct providers

Access to the products

42%

58%

Free

Restricted

Location of server and protocol used: Local (10), Remote (2) - HTTP (7), FTP(1), Both (4)

Access to the products : Free (7), Restricted (5)

Operating system used for product provision : UNIX/Linux (8), MSWindows (6), Both (2)

Product providersProduct providers

Product providersProduct providers

Number of simultaneous users: Up to 50 (8), Up to 100 (1), Up to 500 (1), Over 500 (1)

Line capacity : 64-128Kbps(2), ISDN-ADSL (3), 2Mbps(3), 10Mbps (3)

Line capacity

27,3%

27,3%

27,3%54,5%

18,2%

64-128 Kbps

ISDN-ADSL

2Mbps

10Mbps

Product providersProduct providers

Product providersProduct providers

Human resources: Main pointsHuman resources: Main points Human resources: Main pointsHuman resources: Main points

7111 in general marine research centres 7111 in general marine research centres (35% female; 4.5% managerial)(35% female; 4.5% managerial)

(from 19 countries 7 EU; 12 non-EU [7SE] )(from 19 countries 7 EU; 12 non-EU [7SE] )

45% in non-EU countries45% in non-EU countries34% in SE Med. Countries34% in SE Med. Countries

26% RTD related to operational oceanography + 26% RTD related to operational oceanography + monitoring + forecasting (monitoring + forecasting (excluding Franceexcluding France))

5% modelling and forecasting (5% modelling and forecasting (excluding Franceexcluding France))

Staff (General)Staff (General) Staff (General)Staff (General)

Total Staff (Male vs Female)Total Staff (Male vs Female) Total Staff (Male vs Female)Total Staff (Male vs Female)

Staff: (Operational Oceanography)Staff: (Operational Oceanography) Staff: (Operational Oceanography)Staff: (Operational Oceanography)

Human resources: Main pointsHuman resources: Main points Human resources: Main pointsHuman resources: Main points

49% between France, Spain, Italy and Greece49% between France, Spain, Italy and Greece

19% for Egypt alone19% for Egypt alone

Less than 60 (Malta, Palestine, Albania, Lebanon, Less than 60 (Malta, Palestine, Albania, Lebanon, Libya)Libya)

PhD (26%); non-PhD (24%); Technical (24%)PhD (26%); non-PhD (24%); Technical (24%)Support staff (26%) Support staff (26%)

MAP 1MAP 1 Country ProfilesCountry Profiles

MAP 2MAP 2 Marine institutes targeting ocean Marine institutes targeting ocean

observations/forecastingobservations/forecasting

MAP3MAP3 Research activities underpinning/related to Research activities underpinning/related to

operational oceanography and Routine Monitoring operational oceanography and Routine Monitoring and Observation Programmesand Observation Programmes

NOT ONLY on research NOT ONLY on research capabilities and monitoring capabilities and monitoring

platforms….platforms….

BUT ALSO on institutional BUT ALSO on institutional setups in marine affairs and on setups in marine affairs and on

economic aspectseconomic aspects

Content of MeDir-OP

MAP 1MAP 1 Country ProfilesCountry Profiles

→ → Lists institute/entity names in each country with Lists institute/entity names in each country with marine-related activitiesmarine-related activities

→ → Lists research programmes/projects Lists research programmes/projects

→ → Lists ocean modelling activitiesLists ocean modelling activities

→ → Marine AffairsMarine Affairs

→ → Marine Sector economyMarine Sector economy

MAP 2MAP 2 Marine institutes targeting ocean Marine institutes targeting ocean

observations/forecastingobservations/forecasting

Set of 5 sub-mapsSet of 5 sub-mapsOne for each entity categoryOne for each entity category

→ → Information on each entityInformation on each entity- Contacts- Mission

- Institute Type- Activity Type

- Sectors/Field of Activity-Human resources

-- Research and monitoring programmes

MAP 3MAP 3 Set of sub-mapsSet of sub-maps

One for each category of programmeOne for each category of programme

- - Trend monitoringTrend monitoring- - Ships of OpportunityShips of Opportunity- - Sea level observationsSea level observations

- Marine Buoys, - Marine Buoys, Wave Wave observations and Mooringsobservations and Moorings- Hydrographic surveys and o- Hydrographic surveys and other programmesther programmes

WHAT ACHIEVEMENTS?- A- A snapshot of the extent and intensity of effort in the routine snapshot of the extent and intensity of effort in the routine

observation of the Mediterranean observation of the Mediterranean SeaSea

- Regional report on the p- Regional report on the prioritisation of the capacity building actions rioritisation of the capacity building actions according to technical gaps and users' needsaccording to technical gaps and users' needs

- Baseline info for the WP2- Baseline info for the WP2

- Medir-OP web-based directory/database- Medir-OP web-based directory/database

- Served as a framework for preparing NAW Meetings- Served as a framework for preparing NAW Meetings

- S- Survey results most useful as a planning tool and management tool urvey results most useful as a planning tool and management tool forfor the Mediterranean marine communitythe Mediterranean marine community

- Pointers on how individual countries are/can benefit from - Pointers on how individual countries are/can benefit from operational oceanography operational oceanography

MedGOOS Secretariat targets to continue updating the MedGOOS Secretariat targets to continue updating the informationinformation

Continue to maintain MeDir-OPContinue to maintain MeDir-OP

Put more emphasis and develop further the socio-Put more emphasis and develop further the socio-economic content economic content

for the scientific part of the directory seek partnerships for the scientific part of the directory seek partnerships with EDIOS and SEASEARCH for a common and dedicated with EDIOS and SEASEARCH for a common and dedicated

Mediterranean databaseMediterranean database

For the future….

BIGBIGTHANK YOU FOR YOUR WORKTHANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK

Meet you next ProjectMeet you next Project

For the future….