Oceanography | Vol. 38, No. 3
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MEETING REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Increasingly complex and severe impacts of global change require
collaboratively developed tools that simultaneously address
multiple applications/uses. It is critical to come together as a
research community to co-develop ocean biogeochemical observ-
ing networks and models that support research and monitor-
ing, decision-making, operational forecasting, and other stake-
holder applications. Despite serving as two major research tools
in ocean science, ocean observing and modeling tend to act as dis-
tinct scientific communities composed of researchers with differ-
ent skill sets, training, preferred methodologies, and vocabularies.
This division often results in missed opportunities for synthesis,
challenges in data integration, and inefficient use of resources.
Bridging these divides is essential for addressing urgent challenges
in ocean sciences.
To reduce communication barriers and facilitate discussion on
scientific questions of mutual interest, NOAA’s Ocean Acidification
Program and Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program,
NASA’s Ocean Biology & Biogeochemistry Program, and the US
Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Project Office co-convened a
workshop—Biogeochemical Observing and Modeling Workshop:
Connecting Observations to Models—during the February 2024
Ocean Sciences Meeting (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA). This
workshop provided a space for scientists trained in different dis-
ciplines of ocean modeling and observing to make connections,
assess observing and modeling needs and capabilities within
focused areas of interest, and identify synergies and collaborative
opportunities. Here, we share high-level recommendations and
opportunities for enhanced collaboration that emerged from the
workshop to inform and activate the broader oceanographic com-
munity. A more detailed synthesis of the workshop discussions is
available in the full workshop report (Ombres et al., 2024).
WORKSHOP DYNAMICS:
FOSTERING A DIALOG
To ensure focused and purposeful interactions, workshop organiz-
ers polled prospective participants prior to the workshop across
their respective ocean biogeochemical (BGC) networks on poten-
tial topics of interest. One hundred twenty-four (124) responses
representing a range of career stages, expertise, and professional
roles were collected (Figure 1). Workshop organizers used these
responses to identify topical discussion areas and design a com-
mon set of guiding questions to frame small group discussions.
Common interests included (Figure 2):
• Ensuring adequate observational coverage for the questions and
scales of interest
• Addressing data management challenges
• Collecting chemical and biological measurements simultaneously
• Addressing contrasting resolutions in datasets
• Deploying autonomous observing technology to fill spatial and
temporal gaps
• Evaluating marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) methods
• Investing in long-term research efforts
• Supporting development of data products
• Ensuring community engagement and inclusivity
• Increasing opportunities for integration of observations and
models
Over 100 people participated in the workshop, which was
designed to provide an interactive space for ocean scientists to
communicate with each other and with funding agencies about
challenges and opportunities in this field. To kick off the work-
shop, participants voted on the topics they were most interested in
discussing. The selected topics included: ocean carbon budget, epi-
sodic and extreme events (EEEs), machine learning (ML), biolog-
ical carbon pump (BCP), ocean acidification, trophic interactions,
polar systems, and mCDR.
TOOLS IN HARMONY
INTEGRATING OBSERVATIONS AND MODELS FOR
IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF A CHANGING OCEAN
By Erica H. Ombres, Heather Benway, Kelsey Bisson, Alyse A. Larkin, Elizabeth A. Perotti,
Elizabeth Wright-Fairbanks, Joey Crosswell, Sandupal Dutta, Cynthia Garcia, Anand Gnanadesikan, Kalina Grabb,
Amanda Fay, Rui Jin, Kyla Kelly, Hayley Kwasniewski, Alexa K. Labossiere, Jonathan Lauderdale, Jenna Lee, Yajuan Lin,
Jacqueline S. Long, Anna Rufas, Cristina Schultz, Nicholas D. Ward, and Yifan Zhu