PURPOSE

To develop a regional commitment and strategy to establish an Ocean Observing and Forecasting System for  the IOCARIBE and Tropical Americas and Caribbean (TAC) region - ahead of the 17th Session of IOCARIBE, considering the 2030 GOOS Strategy, and recently endorsed Decade Actions in the (TAC) Region.

SESSION OBJECTIVES

• Provide an opportunity for IOCARIBE Member States to express their interest in contributing to a sustained ocean observing and forecasting system for the TAC/IOCARIBE region.
• Identify ways to share, maintain and promote ocean observing best practices in the TAC.
• Determine a path forward while aligning with the GOOS 2030 Strategy, the GOOS Steering Committee, and the work done in other GOOS Regional Alliances (GRAs).
• Discuss the co-design and operation of a sustained integrated ocean observation and forecasting system for the Caribbean region as proposed in the UN Decade - endorsed action,  ‘An Observing and Forecasting System for the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region’
• Establish an IOCARIBE-GOOS governance and management structure in the TAC.
• Understand requirements of global Ocean Decade Programs as they relate to ocean observing in the TAC.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND BENEFITS OF REINVIGORATING IOCARIBE GOOS

• A predicted ocean whereby society has the capacity to understand current and future ocean conditions, and the ability to forecast their change and impact on human wellbeing and livelihoods.
• Sustained long-term high-quality observations of marine and coastal environments, including human interactions, creation and operation of models based on stakeholder needs, and delivery of forecast and decision-support tools that help fulfill the multiple sustainable development goals of the Decade.
• Observations, forecasts and products that address essential ocean variables as determined by regional needs, including biological and ecological variables useful for ecosystem management and the generation of ocean health indicators,
• Widely available ocean and marine products that contribute to TAC ocean health, safety of life and property, and stakeholder needs.
• A system that delivers measurable benefits to the region’s social, environmental, and economic welfare. 
• A system that delivers observations, data, forecasts, and products targeted to support other Tropical Americas and Caribbean Outcomes and Actions
• Open access to data, information, and technologies. 
• Standardization and best practices for coordinated data collection, management, and use.
• Multidisciplinary partnerships to integrate earth system/social sciences, and cross-sectoral participation to mobilize constituencies for national policy and community decision-making processes. 
• A system with project components to be co-designed, but including at least components focused on regional ocean observations; modeling, forecasts, and products; data management; and capacity building.