Costs and benefits of multidisciplinary fixed-point ocean observations

Sustained ocean observations are crucial to understand both natural processes occurring in the ocean and human influence on the marine ecosystems. The information they provide increases our understanding and is therefore beneficial to the society as a whole because it contributes to a more efficient use and protection of the marine environment, upon which human livelihood depends. In addition the oceans, which occupy 73% of the planet surface and host 93% of the biosphere, play a massive role in controlling the climate.

Eulerian or fixed-point observatories are an essential component of the global ocean observing system as they provide several unique features that cannot be found in other systems and are therefore complementary to them. In addition they provide a unique opportunity for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work, combining physical, chemical and biological observations on several time scales. As the benefits of sustained ocean observations are often unclear because they seem not to produce products of direct relevance to society, the analysis of the benefits deriving from ocean observatories products is useful to clarify the value of these data and services.

Recognizing that a full estimate of the cost incurred for operating a fixed-point ocean observatory is difficult, as is an assessment of the economic benefits deriving from Eulerian observations, in this paper we want to:

1. Emphasise the rationale behind Eulerian time series monitoring essential ocean variables (EOVs).
2. Provide an estimate of the costs for a typical fixed-point observatory
3. Examine the value of services and products derived from Eulerian ocean observations