The Best Practices behind the implementation of the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System: from governance to multidisciplinary open data access to meet user needs

To efficiently meet the needs of the ocean science community, it is essential that all sectors coordinate their data collection efforts to avoid duplication or loss of opportunity. Globally findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data facilitates an enhanced understanding of the world's oceans and helps society to address increasing pressures due to a changing climate.

Nationally, the amount of information and data generated by Canada’s existing ocean observing assets distributed across the country (provincial and federal ministries, research organizations, universities, Indigenous Nations, NGOs, etc.), is already considerable and provides a solid foundation for the establishment of regional associations within an overarching Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS) able to address Canada’s national priorities.

Such a system will require engaging in pan-Canadian efforts to achieve shared standards and best practices among the existing organizations. Regionally distributed data management is necessary to develop a deep understanding of the basin-scale needs of the scientific community. Because regional knowledge is needed to provide the best services/practices, CIOOS will be based on three regionally focused associations: Pacific, Atlantic and St. Lawrence. For example, the St. Lawrence Global Observatory, established in 2005 and serving as the St. Lawrence regional association for CIOOS, integrates multi-disciplinary and multi-partner data, while also increasing capacity by providing data management training and support.

As such, the establishment of a CIOOS must build on existing national and regional strengths, as well as the integration of innovative technologies and national/ international best practices. National initiatives like CIOOS provide an avenue for connecting basin-scale efforts to the global ocean data community and the participation in the creation of a global ocean data economy.