WORKSHOP: ODYSSEA – Operating a Network of Integrated Observatory Systems in the Mediterranean Sea
ODYSSEA is a user-centred project aiming to make Mediterranean marine data easily accessible and operational to multiple end-users, by harmonizing existing Earth Observing systems; upgrading operational oceanographic capacities; supporting EU policy implementation; improving interoperability in monitoring; fostering blue growth jobs creation, and opening participation to non-EU member states. ODYSSEA is a system bridging the gap between operational oceanography capacities and the need for information on marine conditions from the community of end-users. ODYSSEA’s ambition is to develop an interoperable, fully-integrated and cost-effective multiplatform network of observing and forecasting systems across the Mediterranean basin. ODYSSEA will integrate information obtained from existing observation platforms and databases in the Mediterranean Sea, held by hundreds of institutions, towards a more systematic, unifying, cost-effective and user-driven system. While a key role of ODYSSEA is to manage primary measurements and data, many end-users, such as industry end-users and policy makers, are interested in higher-level, on-demand data and information products that are derived from measurements rather than the measurements themselves. Both primary data and on-demand derived data services will be made available and accessible through a single command and via a single public portal.