The ocean is key in the global C cycle, taking up ca. 25% of the CO2 we emit, slowing climate change and giving us more time to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The Ocean C Value Chain (VC) of observations, data QC & analysis delivers key information around this to decision makers such as the Conference of the Parties. The RIs play a pivotal role in the VC via their ability to operate at scale & pool resources to ensure common data standards and operational practices. The urgency of the climate crisis drives us to put this VC on a much more robust footing with the World Meteorological Organisation leading the planning of a Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W) covering all components of the Earth System. Unfortunately the VC currently delivers estimates of Ocean C uptake much larger than those from models, leading to a damaged ability to manage climate change. However further work suggests that observations at a much higher density in the Southern Ocean (SO) would substantially resolve this issue. Our ability to deliver these via ships is limited by the small number that enter the SO and we therefore need many more observations from research vessels, citizen science platforms, autonomous robotic floats & surface platforms. This step change requires substantial technological innovation and complex data synthesis. TRICUSO will address these needs by a) improving the sensing technologies on floats and small uncrewed surface vessels, b) supporting citizen science on yachts and potentially cruise and expedition vessels, c) integrating biological observations into the work flow, d) improving data flows to scientists, e) evaluating the density of observations needed & f) proposing fit for purpose governance structures that allow the RIs to operate within the G3W. These actions will enable us to have a much firmer grip of how and why Ocean Carbon uptake varies and thus a much firmer evidence base on which to make decisions around managing climate change impacts.

The core Argo system is based on an array of profiling floats which measure every 10 days temperature and salinity throughout the deep global oceans, down to 2000 meters, and deliver data both in real time for operational users and, after careful scientific quality control, for climate change research and monitoring. Argo data policy is fully open and guarantees a free access of the data to all interested users. A new phase of the Argo programme is now being implemented at international level. This new phase has two main objectives: 1/ sustain the existing global array and 2/ extend its capabilities to greater depths and to biogeochemistry. The present target is to maintain a network of at least 4000 floats, with ¼ carrying biogeochemical parameters and ¼ going to abyssal oceans. There is more than ever a pressing need to better observe the oceans. This is recognised at the highest political levels (G7, IPCC and its Special Report on the ocean and cryosphere). Developing Argo and its extensions is, in particular, one the top priorities of the G7 Future of Oceans. The overarching objective of Euro-Argo RISE (Euro-Argo Research Infrastructure Sustainability and Enhancement) is to enhance and extend the capabilities of the Argo network to provide essential ocean observations to answer new societal and scientific challenges. Euro-Argo RISE project is needed now to allow Europe to timely develop the European contribution to this new phase of Argo and engage with new teams. Euro-Argo RISE aims to secure and improve the current network as well as to set up and organise on the long term the new components of the network, extending Argo observations towards biogeochemistry, greater depth, partially ice-covered and shallower water regions within a long-term sustainability plan supported by Member States and funding agencies.

Earth and environmental sciences require a large panel and volume of data from satellite, in-situ observations, models, omics experiments... Earth system domains are interconnected and even if interfaces between domains appear of primary importance for several studies with large societal impacts, such as climate change, agriculture and food, human safety and health, the present digital architecture is based essentially on distributed and domain-dependent data repositories inducing real difficulties for integrated uses of all the environmental data. To go beyond this state-of-the-art, the overall objective of FAIR-EASE is to customize and operate distributed and integrated services for observation and modelling of the Earth system, environment and biodiversity by improving the TRL of their different components implemented in close cooperation with user-communities, the European Open Science Cloud and research infrastructures in their design and sustainable availability. The project will: (1) Improve a FAIR-EASE data discovery and data access service, relying on pre-operational existing services, in order to provide users with an easy and FAIR tool for discovery and access to environmental multidisciplinary and aggregated data-sets as managed and provided by a range of European data infrastructures; (2) Set up a FAIR-EASE Earth Analytical Lab, with EOSC connectivity supporting, through web-based interfaces, predefined processing tools and on-demand data visualization services for remote analysis and processing of heterogeneous data facilitating the cross-disciplinary collaboration, reducing the time to results and increasing productivity; and (3) Develop a number of multidisciplinary Use Cases (UCs) to contribute requirements for the FAIR-EASE system components and to validate and demonstrate the capabilities of the FAIR-EASE service for supporting open science.

The overarching objective of AtlantOS is to achieve a transition from a loosely-coordinated set of existing ocean observing activities to a sustainable, efficient, and fit-for-purpose Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (IAOOS), by defining requirements and systems design, improving the readiness of observing networks and data systems, and engaging stakeholders around the Atlantic; and leaving a legacy and strengthened contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). AtlantOS will fill existing in-situ observing system gaps and will ensure that data are readily accessible and useable. AtlantOS will demonstrate the utility of integrating in-situ and Earth observing satellite based observations towards informing a wide range of sectors using the Copernicus Marine Monitoring Services and the European Marine Observation and Data Network and connect them with similar activities around the Atlantic. AtlantOS will support activities to share, integrate and standardize in-situ observations, reduce the cost by network optimization and deployment of new technologies, and increase the competitiveness of European industries, and particularly of the small and medium enterprises of the marine sector. AtlantOS will promote innovation, documentation and exploitation of innovative observing systems. All AtlantOS work packages will strengthen the trans-Atlantic collaboration, through close interaction with partner institutions from Canada, United States, and the South Atlantic region. AtlantOS will develop a results-oriented dialogue with key stakeholders communities to enable a meaningful exchange between the products and services that IAOOS can deliver and the demands and needs of the stakeholder communities. Finally, AtlantOS will establish a structured dialogue with funding bodies, including the European Commission, USA, Canada and other countries to ensure sustainability and adequate growth of IAOOS.

DOORS will bring the four pillars of the SRIA into reality, turning the challenges into opportunities for a highly valued Black Sea. It will harmonise research and provide the infrastructure to better understand the Black Sea, particular ecosystem characteristics, develop the framework to support Blue Growth and early development of start-ups, and provide evidence to inform policy and behavioural change. To reach its ambitious objectives, the project team will work closely with stakeholders from the start to develop an open research system and establish a framework to support continuous stakeholder dialogue. DOORS will implement three Work Programmes: a System of Systems to harmonise approaches and provide an accessible data repository, a Blue Growth Accelerator to support enterprise, and Knowledge Transfer and Training to share best practice and build capacity. These will: • Engage stakeholders through communication, dissemination and training activities to raise awareness, build capacity and foster a stronger Black Sea identity • Harmonise data collation, analysis and access to optimise data use in decision and policy making • Strengthen the Black Sea scientific network through new collaborations, and bridge the gap between science and policy • Provide a range of products to support Black Sea innovation and enterprise DOORS will have long-lasting impact by giving stakeholders in the region the skillsets and understanding to: • Implement key policies and legislation • Improve environmental quality and reduce pollution risk • Design measures to mitigate pollution and remediate historically contaminated areas • Become resilient communities • Realise and sustainably develop potential economic growth for future well-being • Build capacity in existing industries, develop new start-ups and become actively involved in delivering Blue Growth • Create ocean informed citizens to better understand Black Sea’s potential