INTRODUCTION TO FRONTIERS IN OCEAN OBSERVING
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS, WESTERN BOUNDARY CURRENTS, AND THE DEEP SEA
By Ellen S. Kappel
In this third and final “Frontiers in Ocean Observing” sup-
plement to Oceanography, peer-reviewed articles describe
data collection and analysis from the surface ocean to the
seafloor, spanning the globe from marine protected areas
to western boundary currents and the deep sea. They
describe a variety of technologies used to collect and ana-
lyze ocean observations, including emerging sonar technol-
ogy for high-resolution mapping and imaging of the sea-
floor, low-cost tools combined with artificial intelligence
to monitor blue carbon in Greenland’s deep sea, and the
integration of eDNA, acoustic, and trawl data to investi-
gate the diversity, abundance, biomass, and distribution of
micronekton in the Western Indian Ocean.
Other articles describe how autonomous vehicles such
as gliders now assist with management of marine pro-
tected areas, detection and protection of North Atlantic
right whales, forecasting of harmful algal blooms, inves-
tigation of marine heatwaves, and augmentation of the
network for ocean animal tracking. They also detail, for
example, how ocean scientists are obtaining long-term
data on western boundary currents to augment other more
traditional data collection methods with approaches that
include partnering with a merchant marine container ves-
sel to collect data on the Gulf Stream and a collaborative
project between researchers and industry that uses com-
mercial fishing gear to collect subsurface ocean data in
the East Australian Current. Another article considers how
the observations collected in western boundary currents, in
particular, the East Australian Current, impact ocean fore-
casts, a useful assessment for improving ocean observing
system design.
Similar to the first two ocean observing supplements
(see https://tos.org/ocean-observing), we invited potential
authors to submit letters of interest associated with topics
aligned with the priorities of the UN Decade of Ocean
Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). The
chosen topics for this supplement are described below.
MODEL-BASED DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF
OBSERVING NETWORKS
Here, the authors describe and apply model-based meth-
ods for methodically evaluating existing integrated ocean
observing systems and future extensions by exploring
process-focused array design, observation priorities, and
sampling strategies; complementarity versus redundancy
of multi-platform networks; and detectable changes in key
climate metrics.
THE USE OF AUTONOMOUS TOOLS FOR
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING
OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Authors addressing this topic demonstrate how sensors on
autonomous vehicles are filling critical gaps in ocean bio-
logical and spatial conservation knowledge that will help
tackle ecosystem-level challenges caused by global envi-
ronmental changes.
WESTERN BOUNDARY CURRENTS AND THEIR
IMPACTS ON SHELF SEAS
These articles showcase long-term, sustained observa-
tional efforts in western boundary current shelf sea regions
that highlight strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the sys-
tem, and/or provide examples of end-user and stakeholder
engagement.
TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS FOR AN
ACCESSIBLE DEEP OCEAN
This section provides recent examples of how the inter-
sections among cutting-edge sensors, including low-cost
technologies, data analytics, and robotics, are advanc-
ing deep-sea exploration and opening avenues for dis-
coveries and a deeper understanding of our planet’s
least-explored realms.
Many thanks to Ocean Networks Canada, the US
National
Oceanic
and
Atmospheric
Administration’s
Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program, and
the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean for
generously supporting publication of this supplement
to Oceanography. I would also like to thank all the supple-
ment’s guest editors for their valuable input and guidance
on articles submitted to their thematic areas.
AUTHOR
Ellen S. Kappel (ekappel@geo-prose.com), Oceanography Editor and
Geosciences Professional Services Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
ARTICLE DOI. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2025e120