The cross-cutting role of Ocean Decade Challenge 7 in achieving a sustainable and resilient global ocean observing system

Known observational needs can be addressed immediately by upgrading and expanding ocean observing capacity in under-observed areas such as polar regions, island nations and territories, coastal areas of developing countries, rapidly changing coastal systems, and the deep ocean.

Enhancing existing and developing new cost-effective technologies for a range of user needs to maximize the reach of essential observations, supported by standardization and best practices for interoperability. Improved spatial and temporal coverage is urgently needed but also needs to be co-designed and fit-for-purpose. Democratizing access to ocean data and integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into data pipelines can help unlock existing observational datasets into societally relevant, user-ready information.