The Mediterranean observation systems: MonGOOS analysis of present capabilities, weaknesses and perspectives
- 1Instituto Español de Oceanografía (Madrid, Spain)
- 2Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (Paris, France)
Abstract
Ocean monitoring is a crucial component of Earth's observation systems. These systems have evolved to achieve a global scope and an exceptionally high level of complexity, encompassing not only observation programs but also data centres for collection and storage, as well as computational facilities where predictions and re-analyses of oceanic conditions are generated using coupled ocean-atmosphere circulation models. The products generated by the different components of the oceanic observation systems are of paramount importance for the knowledge of the environmental state of the oceans, their variability ranges, the impact of natural and anthropogenic stressors (such as climate change) and, in summary, the appropriate governance of the sea and the sustainable use of its resources. Given the diverse nature of the data (collected through a wide range of technologies, instruments, and institutions across multiple countries), it can be challenging to maintain a comprehensive overview of existing observation programs and datasets. MonGOOS (Mediterranean Oceanographic Network for the Global Ocean Observing System) serves as a GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System) Regional Alliance (GRA). Through its Observations Working Group (OBSWG), MonGOOS has conducted an extensive consultation among Mediterranean institutions to compile information on ongoing observation programs and the institutions operating within this basin. The results of this consultation, obtained through the collaboration of a very large number of scientists and technicians from a wide range of institutions, are reflected in this community report. The objectives of this communication are: i. To update our knowledge of existing observation capabilities in the Mediterranean Sea.ii. To identify contact persons for strengthening the current MonGOOS network in order to keep this information up to date in the future.iii. To describe the present strengths and weaknesses of the Mediterranean Sea's observation system.iv. To support European ocean observation programs such as the Copernicus Marine Service and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The consultation phase began in July 2023 and continued until December 2025. It included a survey addressed to 90 researchers from 59 institutions across 18 countries as well as contacts with several EuroGOOS task teams, IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) sea level monitoring, as well as OceanOPS, for the compilation of metadata. During this consultation phase, the list of researchers addressed increased to 128. Finally, metadata from observation activities were obtained from 74 institutions belonging to 16 countries, 4 companies and the European Joint Research Centre (JRC). The description of all the observation capabilities in the Mediterranean Sea is not closed and should be considered as an ongoing effort to be reviewed periodically and more systematically in the future. However, we believe that this objective has been accomplished to a high degree of detail and inclusivity. The present compilation includes most of the currently active and operational observing systems, including 80 Argo floats and 16 surface drifters, 58 high-frequency radars (HFR), 220 tide gauges and 88 tsunami alerting devices, 9 periodic or sustained glider lines, 5 FerryBox lines, 11 wave buoys, 36 subsurface or deep moorings, 46 meteorological and oceanographic surface buoys, 5 seabed platforms or cabled observatories, 13 periodic transects or repeated cruises, and 17 oceanographic stations visited on a regular basis (time-series stations). The present survey revealed a strong asymmetry in the distribution of these platforms, reflecting a clear discrepancy in the capabilities of different Mediterranean countries. It also shows the difficulty for maintaining long-term observations, the fragility of some of these programs, and the need for national programs with structural and sustainable funds that are not only subject to competitive financial support.
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BibTeX
@article{vargasyanez2026mediterranean,
title = {{The Mediterranean observation systems: MonGOOS analysis of present capabilities, weaknesses and perspectives}},
author = {Manuel Vargas-Yáñez and Orens Pasqueron de Fommervault and Emanuela Clementi and Christian Ferrarin and Svitlana Liubartseva and Diego Álvarez-Berastegui and Baptiste Mourre and Matjaz Licer and George Alexandrakis and Salvatore Aronica and Rosa Balbín and Joaquín Ballabrera-Poy and Sana Ben Ismail and Nathaniel Bensoussan and Ismail Bessa and Alicia Blanco and Anthony Bosse and Evi Bourma and François Bourrin and Carlo Brandini and Fulvio Capodici and Clara Casals-Baixas and Branko Cermelj and Giuseppe Ciraolo and Pascal Conan and Laurent Coppola and Lorenzo Corgnati and Joaquín del Río and Emilie Diamond Riquier and Lara Díaz-Barroso and Bartolomeo Doronzo and Xavier Durrieu de Madron and Milad Fakhri and Constantin Frangoulis and Claudia Fratianni and Emilio García-Ladona and Jesús García-Lafuente and M. Carmen García-Martínez and Joaquín Garrabou and Josep Gasol and Adam Gauci and Frédéric Gazeau and Gerald Gregori and Abed El Rahman Hassoun and Jordi Isern-Fontanet and Dominique Lefevre and Nadia Lo Bue and Guiomar López and Pablo Lorente and Deny Malengros and Ramon Massana and Sinan Mavruk and Stefano Miserocchi and Behzad Mostajir and Laure Mousseau and Francina Moya and Antonio Novellino and Arianna Orasi and Emanuele Organelli and Vincent Ouisse},
journal = {Ocean Science},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.5194/os-22-3619-2026},
url = {https://os.copernicus.org/articles/22/3619/2026/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Mediterranean observation systems: MonGOOS analysis of present capabilities, weaknesses and perspectives
AU - Manuel Vargas-Yáñez
AU - Orens Pasqueron de Fommervault
AU - Emanuela Clementi
AU - Christian Ferrarin
AU - Svitlana Liubartseva
AU - Diego Álvarez-Berastegui
AU - Baptiste Mourre
AU - Matjaz Licer
AU - George Alexandrakis
AU - Salvatore Aronica
AU - Rosa Balbín
AU - Joaquín Ballabrera-Poy
AU - Sana Ben Ismail
AU - Nathaniel Bensoussan
AU - Ismail Bessa
AU - Alicia Blanco
AU - Anthony Bosse
AU - Evi Bourma
AU - François Bourrin
AU - Carlo Brandini
AU - Fulvio Capodici
AU - Clara Casals-Baixas
AU - Branko Cermelj
AU - Giuseppe Ciraolo
AU - Pascal Conan
AU - Laurent Coppola
AU - Lorenzo Corgnati
AU - Joaquín del Río
AU - Emilie Diamond Riquier
AU - Lara Díaz-Barroso
AU - Bartolomeo Doronzo
AU - Xavier Durrieu de Madron
AU - Milad Fakhri
AU - Constantin Frangoulis
AU - Claudia Fratianni
AU - Emilio García-Ladona
AU - Jesús García-Lafuente
AU - M. Carmen García-Martínez
AU - Joaquín Garrabou
AU - Josep Gasol
AU - Adam Gauci
AU - Frédéric Gazeau
AU - Gerald Gregori
AU - Abed El Rahman Hassoun
AU - Jordi Isern-Fontanet
AU - Dominique Lefevre
AU - Nadia Lo Bue
AU - Guiomar López
AU - Pablo Lorente
AU - Deny Malengros
AU - Ramon Massana
AU - Sinan Mavruk
AU - Stefano Miserocchi
AU - Behzad Mostajir
AU - Laure Mousseau
AU - Francina Moya
AU - Antonio Novellino
AU - Arianna Orasi
AU - Emanuele Organelli
AU - Vincent Ouisse
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Ocean Science
DO - 10.5194/os-22-3619-2026
UR - https://os.copernicus.org/articles/22/3619/2026/
AB - Ocean monitoring is a crucial component of Earth's observation systems. These systems have evolved to achieve a global scope and an exceptionally high level of complexity, encompassing not only observation programs but also data centres for collection and storage, as well as computational facilities where predictions and re-analyses of oceanic conditions are generated using coupled ocean-atmosphere circulation models. The products generated by the different components of the oceanic observation systems are of paramount importance for the knowledge of the environmental state of the oceans, their variability ranges, the impact of natural and anthropogenic stressors (such as climate change) and, in summary, the appropriate governance of the sea and the sustainable use of its resources. Given the diverse nature of the data (collected through a wide range of technologies, instruments, and institutions across multiple countries), it can be challenging to maintain a comprehensive overview of existing observation programs and datasets. MonGOOS (Mediterranean Oceanographic Network for the Global Ocean Observing System) serves as a GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System) Regional Alliance (GRA). Through its Observations Working Group (OBSWG), MonGOOS has conducted an extensive consultation among Mediterranean institutions to compile information on ongoing observation programs and the institutions operating within this basin. The results of this consultation, obtained through the collaboration of a very large number of scientists and technicians from a wide range of institutions, are reflected in this community report. The objectives of this communication are: i. To update our knowledge of existing observation capabilities in the Mediterranean Sea.ii. To identify contact persons for strengthening the current MonGOOS network in order to keep this information up to date in the future.iii. To describe the present strengths and weaknesses of the Mediterranean Sea's observation system.iv. To support European ocean observation programs such as the Copernicus Marine Service and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The consultation phase began in July 2023 and continued until December 2025. It included a survey addressed to 90 researchers from 59 institutions across 18 countries as well as contacts with several EuroGOOS task teams, IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) sea level monitoring, as well as OceanOPS, for the compilation of metadata. During this consultation phase, the list of researchers addressed increased to 128. Finally, metadata from observation activities were obtained from 74 institutions belonging to 16 countries, 4 companies and the European Joint Research Centre (JRC). The description of all the observation capabilities in the Mediterranean Sea is not closed and should be considered as an ongoing effort to be reviewed periodically and more systematically in the future. However, we believe that this objective has been accomplished to a high degree of detail and inclusivity. The present compilation includes most of the currently active and operational observing systems, including 80 Argo floats and 16 surface drifters, 58 high-frequency radars (HFR), 220 tide gauges and 88 tsunami alerting devices, 9 periodic or sustained glider lines, 5 FerryBox lines, 11 wave buoys, 36 subsurface or deep moorings, 46 meteorological and oceanographic surface buoys, 5 seabed platforms or cabled observatories, 13 periodic transects or repeated cruises, and 17 oceanographic stations visited on a regular basis (time-series stations). The present survey revealed a strong asymmetry in the distribution of these platforms, reflecting a clear discrepancy in the capabilities of different Mediterranean countries. It also shows the difficulty for maintaining long-term observations, the fragility of some of these programs, and the need for national programs with structural and sustainable funds that are not only subject to competitive financial support.
SN - 1812-0792
SN - 1812-0784
ER -