The concept of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is that of an integrated global network that systematically acquires and disseminates data and data products in response to the information needs of government, industry, science and the public to address marine-related issues and problems in a timely fashion. The goals of GOOS are to improve (1) weather forecasts and climate predictions; (2) now-casting and forecasting for safe marine operations, the mitigation of natural hazards, and national security; and (3) detection and prediction of the effects of human activities and climate change on marine ecosystems and the living resources they support. The achievement of these goals will require the development of a comprehensive system of observations and analysis that not only builds on and supplements existing programs as appropriate, but also enables

• the shared use of infrastructure from measurement systems and platforms to communication networks and data management systems;
• problem-driven, rapid access to data from disparate sources; the incorporation of in situ and remote sensing, real-time data telemetry, data assimilation techniques, and modeling for more timely data analysis and synthesis;
• and a constructive and timely synergy between the detection of patterns of variability and hypothesis- driven research.

Malone, T.C., and M. Cole. 2000. Toward a global scale coastal ocean observing system. Oceanography 13(1):7–11, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2000.48.

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