The Integrated Framework for Sustained Ocean Observations Task Team (IFSOO-TT) Meeting for the next 10 years was held in Los Angeles CA, USA on May 17-19, 2010. Prof. SUN Song from IOCAS attended the meeting, in representation of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO).

Participants of the meeting had an in-depth discussion about the global ocean observing framework plan for the next 10 years. Because the coastal area is more important to mankind and observation in this region is more complex and difficult, ocean observation will focus on the coastal area in the next 10 years. Future ocean observations, particularly in the development of chemical and biological sensors as well as three-dimensional measurement will face major challenges. The content of the observation will mainly include physical oceanography, biogeochemistry and marine biology.

The OceanObs’09 Conference held in Italy brought more than 600 scientists from 36 nations, which celebrated a decade of progress in building a sustained ocean observing system and made a major contribution to chart the way forward for the coming decade. After the meeting, the conference sponsor and UNESCO established a “Task Team on an Integrated Framework for Sustained Ocean Observations". The Task Team will provide recommendations on the organizational structure as well as the spatial distribution of the proposed Framework by October 2010. The Framework is intended to integrate existing efforts with new observations, bridging satellites and in-situ observations, physics, bio-geochemistry and biological observations.