Monitoring the Oceans and Climate Change with Argo. MOCCA Project 5

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© Hanna Leniec-Koper & Piotr Kuklinski MOCCA PROJECT in brief WHAT IS ARGO? WHAT IS MOCCA? 150 Argo floats measuring Argo is the first global real-time network for observing temperature and salinity In 2015, the Executive Agency for Small and the ocean interior in history. deployed in 3 years Medium‑sized Enterprises (EASME) co-funded the • Argo represents a fleet of about 4000 autonomous floats, deployed all Monitoring the Oceans and Climate Change with Argo over the world ocean. 5M€ co-funded by (MOCCA) project for 5 years. With 5 M€, this project • They carry sensors to report profiles of ocean properties (temperature, the European Maritime allowed Euro‑Argo to procure and deploy 150 new and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) salinity and possibly up to 6 biogeochemical parameters). floats measuring temperature and salinity. MOCCA • Argo floats perform measurements while actively going up and down co-funded by Euro-Argo made available more than 20 000 quality-controlled the water column. 20% members data to the oceanographic and scientific communities. © Michael Marchais • They provide an unprecedent free and open quality-controlled dataset to a wide range of users.

TEN DAYS CYCLE OF AN ARGO FLOAT MOCCA MANAGED 150 FLOATS, FROM PROCUREMENT TO SCIENCE READY DATA

11 Float procurement «At-sea» monitoring Float deployment 6 Data transmission Argo to satellites data

m 7 5 Starting Ascent: next 4 YEARS measuring temperature cycle Argo float life and salinity 2 expectancy Descent to drifting depth 3 © Olivier Dugornay/Ifremer © Euro-Argo ERIC Drifting 10 DAYS 9 days Temperature Driing depth (in °C) Coordination for a full cycle m Salinity (in psu) 1 2 3 4 5 1-12 HOURS to share data 4 Descent to profiling depth (2000 – 6000m)

Proling depth Depth (in m) m Float deployment Focus on data quality © Thomas Haessig WHAT IS EURO-ARGO? OBJECTIVES FROM 2014 - 2018 Euro-Argo sustains, develops and optimises the European contribution to the international Argo programme, providing, deploying and operating nearly © Tarron Lamont & Gavin Tutt © Glenn Carstens/Unsplash 25% of the float network. To maintain 25% of the global array • Established in 2014, the Euro-Argo European Research Infrastructure 1 Consortium (ERIC) has matured to the stage that it is now able to initiate Number of Euro-Argo floats MOCCA project network upgrades in response to specific European research interests, yearly deployments especially towards high latitudes, biogeochemistry (BGC) measurements To provide additional coverage MOCCA PROJECT: A CRUCIAL SUPPORT 300 to study ecosystem parameters and down to deeper abyssal depths. 2 in the European regional seas FOR EURO-ARGO ERIC DEVELOPMENT • The Euro-Argo ERIC is composed of 12 countries, and is coordinated by 250 the Euro-Argo ERIC Office, hosted by Ifremer (France). MOCCA project enabled Euro-Argo to: To develop further the • Improve the coverage of available ocean observations in key regions • Argo’s success is mainly due to the high degree of international cooperation infrastructure: enhnacing 200 with enhancement in European Seas. and European partners have played a crucial role in developing the Argo float technology and adding network since its inception in 1998. • Further develop the Euro-Argo ERIC infrastructure, to reach 25% of the new sensors, improving 150 3 the data processing and global network target. distribution system • Demonstrate its operational capabilities and build value-added services for its members. 100

To provide quality-controlled data and 50 products to the researchers in climate The European contribution to Argo, and oceanography fields, and to the based on national funds only, would not 0 operational communities - e.g. Copernicus 30 have reached its target without MOCCA 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 150 100 12 4 Marine Environment Monitoring Service Institutes Scientists Ships Countries European countries MOCCA (CMEMS) EU without MOCCA Euro-Argo target from strategy 1 2 COORDINATION FLOAT PROCUREMENT

The ERIC Office coordinated deployment planning Thanks to MOCCA project, the Euro-Argo Office with Euro-Argo partners and the international elaborated the technical specifications and the community, in line with the Argo array design for necessary documents required for the call for tender. ocean coverage. It also offered technical training and Acceptance tests were performed on procured floats provided best practices deployment procedures to to maximise their effective operation. This was done ship crews. It organized the monitoring of the floats by the Euro-Argo Office technical team using Ifremer © Lee Warrior/Pixabay and supported the processing of the data, federated © Olivier Dugornay/Ifremer (host of the Euro-Argo ERIC Office) facilities. user communities and promoted the project.

A STRONG COORDINATION FOR FLOAT DEPLOYMENTS FROM DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS TO SHIPMENTS 110 Research cruises Cable ship from institutes The Euro-Argo ERIC strengthens collaboration between countries 10 MOCCA made a major step in the development of Euro-Argo ERIC © Olivier Dugornay/Ifremer and with international and national programmes for the sharing of companies by setting up a reliable and reusable baseline for Euro-Argo float ship-time to deploy and recover floats. operations such as technical specifications and acceptance tests procedures. MOCCA floats deployment © Noé Poffa/Ifremer 6 22 Sailing community Passenger ship companies 34 INSTITUTES 21 COUNTRIES

12 MEMBERS COUNTRIES Number of floats deployed + 9 OTHERS COUNTRIES 6 from each kind of ship

A DISTRIBUTED RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE MOCCA STRENGTHENED USER COMMUNITY

MOCCA demonstrated that Europe can significantlycontribute in a MOCCA project activities widely communicated to the Argo coordinated way to the international Argo programme. community through different channels.

BEFORE SHIPPING FLOATS NETHERLANDS UNITED 1/ Technical specifications KINGDOM POLAND 2/ Call for tender GERMANY 3/ Contract with manufacturer EURO ARGO ERIC 4/ Floats ordered BREST, FRANCE The 7th Users Meeting, Athens, October 2019. © Euro-Argo ERIC 5/ Reception and acceptance tests 6/ Logistics and shipping floats FRANCE USERS MEETINGS ITALY 2 © Olivier Dugornay/Ifremer

Linking with EURO-ARGO ERIC 1 SCIENTIFIC WORKSHOP ADMT BENEFITS FROM MOCCA PROJECT Argo Data Management Team Joint IOC-UNESCO/ WMO Centre for WORKSHOP TO SHARE EXPERIENCES • The MOCCA project demonstrated the operational capabilities of • Acceptance tests helped to identify technical problems before Oceanography and ON DATA QUALITY CONTROL the ERIC to manage a large fleet and that centralizing procurement deployment, these important tests contributed to reducing early AST Marine Meteorology 1 of this large fleet is beneficial for decreasing the overall costs. at-sea failures and maximizing the return on investment. Argo Steering Team 3 FLOAT DEPLOYMENT: MOCCA IMPACT AND BENEFITS

Between 2016 and 2018, the MOCCA project supported the deployment of 150 Argo floats in key regions described in the Euro-Argo strategy for INCREASED COVERAGE OF OBSERVATIONS FOR SCIENCE evolution of Argo in Europe. These deployments complemented the Euro-Argo contribution to the This map shows all Argo CTD profiles collected in 2019. The Argo profiles collected thanks to MOCCA vs. all are represented with the %. Argo network, focusing in filling identified gaps in E.g. 30% of the observations in 2019 in the Black Sea were collected from MOCCA floats. © Tarron Lamont & Gavin Tutt the Atlantic Ocean, from North to South, and in the Southern Ocean.

150 DEPLOYMENTS RELYING ON A STRONG EUROPEAN COLLABORATION 5% North Atlantic Ocean

15% South Atlantic Ocean

Source: Coriolis GDAC & AIC © Joaquín Ignacio Salvador/ICM-CSIC © Mocanu Matei

From Research Vessels With the assistance of passenger ships 60% Baltic Sea 17% ACHIEVEMENTS Nordic Data collected from: Seas MOCCA 150 MOCCA floats deployed by trained teams and engagement EURO-ARGO 30% Black Sea with a wide community ARGO INTERNATIONAL % MOCCA floats

Involving the sailing community Partnership with cable-laying ships 7% Mediterranean Sea

5 TARGET DEPLOYMENT AREAS Global ocean: “What kind of new information can be derived from the deployment of MOCCA floats toward high latitudes (Nordic IN SUPPORT OF SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS Seas) and Marginal Seas (Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas)?”

Nordic Seas: “What are the key regions for the water mass transformation in the Nordic Seas? What are the key North Atlantic: “How are changes in the subpolar gyre connected processes? What variability is observed? What is the impact of to decadal variability in the subtropical gyre?” climate change on these processes?”

Mediterranean Sea: “How can MOCCA floats improve the Off South Africa: “What are the mechanisms among Agulhas data consistency in the whole Mediterranean Sea? What are rings? What are the processes of eddy transport or exchanges of © Romain Cancouët & Jérôme Molle © Orange Marine the long-term changes in the mean intermediate circulation heat and salt with other ocean basins? What are their role in the related to climate change in this key region?” meridional overturning circulation (MOC) global circulation cell?” 4 AT-SEA MONITORING: MOCCA IMPACT AND BENEFITS

Developed under the MOCCA project, the “at- sea monitoring” system allows visualization of key technical information of the floats along their AN UPDATED DEDICATED MONITORING TOOL trajectories. Several alerts and warnings regarding these parameters have been implemented and rapidly A new version of a dedicated monitoring tool (Argo dashboard) has It allows visualization of float metadata, ocean measurements, been released in the framework of the MOCCA project: trajectories and technical parameters with specific alerts for the allow near real time problem detection, for a better advanced users. assessment of the network’s health. This valued https://fleetmonitoring.euro-argo.eu This website provides a lot of services to the community of Argo data service is now available for the whole Argo community. © Euro-Argo ERIC users in a highly responsive and friendly webpage.

A BETTER ASSESSMENT OF THE NETWORK

Feedback on anomalies or suggestions of improvements Float procurement Improve acceptance tests procedures and acceptance tests

Stop deployment of the next float if needed

Float deployments

GDAC Global Data «At-sea» Assembly Centres © Euro-Argo ERIC monitoring Examine a float Locate a float National Experts • Data analysis Select a float for In-depth Analysis • Detect failures

Focus on data At-sea quality control & calibration quality THEMATIC STUDIES LAUNCHED THANKS TO MOCCA

In addition, the MOCCA project allowed thematic studies on specific technical or scientific topics:

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS GENERAL MOCCA STATISTICS IN JANUARY 2020:

140 operational floats 114 cycles per float (average number) Study of impact of waves Study on float behavior in Analyses of floats that on GPS/Iridium float shallow waters, such as in went under ice, checking 1330 days lifetime ~3.6 years 95% of the fleet performances. Baltic Sea. technical data and for the oldest platform achieved 50 cycles improving ice-sensing algorithms in certain ~2.7 years 991 days lifetime 89% of the fleet © Thomas Soltwedel/AWI regions. median age of the fleet achieved 100 cycles 4 MOCCA floats recovered © Sorin Balan/GeoEcoMar 5 FOCUS ON DATA QUALITY: MOCCA IMPACT AND BENEFITS

MOCCA float data are delivered to the Global Data Assembly Centre (GDAC) for the science community and to the Global Telecommunications System IMPROVEMENT OF DATA SERVICES EFFICIENCY (GTS) used by Meteo Offices, in standardized data • The MOCCA project enabled the improvement of real-time • MOCCA partners updated reference datasets for the data quality formats. Thanks to MOCCA project and partners, data processing, including a new spike test and updating a list of controlled activity in Mediterranean, Black and Nordic Seas. data was quality controlled to the best standards and malfunctioning sensors, known as the “grey list”. • Conversion of data software modules to open source language. many improvements of the real-time and delayed- mode procedures were carried out, resulting in an © Glenn Carstens/Unsplash enhancement of the global Argo data management. MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS Meeting on data at ADMT, 2019

INTEGRATION IN CURRENT ARGO DATA MANAGEMENT FLOW STATUS OF MOCCA FLOAT There are two data processing modes: Euro-Argo MOCCA partners delayed-mode operators (BODC, DATA IN JANUARY 2020: • The Real-Time (RT) data processing is applied according to the Argo Ifremer, OGS, BSH). It is based on statistical methods and comparison to a high-quality reference database of CTD profiles standard procedures at European Data Assembly Centers (BODC, 20 000 temperature and Ifremer). Initial automated QC tests are implemented to deliver data thanks to the scientific expertise from principal investigators salinity profiles ready for operational users. (PIs). Malfunctioning sensors are identified and flagged and, if (+500 each month) • The Delayed-Mode Quality Control (DMQC), applied by possible, issues are addressed in accordance with Argo guidelines. specialists, makes the data research-ready. It is performed by For instance, data could be calibrated for offset or drift. 75% of MOCCA observations © Estérine Evrard/Euro-Argo ERIC have been quality controlled Euro-Argo data European and National contributions to an international network, providing accurate and high-quality data on the state 86% of the MOCCA data of the global ocean (real-time data and delayed-mode data) is science ready (good data) Good data Suspicious data Bad data

Delayed-Mode Real-Time data Quality Control data (RT) (DMQC)

TRAINING FOR DATA QUALITY CONTROL OFFERED TO EUROPEAN PARTNERS

Operational Oceanography Scientific Research MOCCA partners, at the first European Argo DMQC workshop, As Euro-Argo extends to new countries, Members have identified at Ifremer campus, Brest, 2018. European Operational centres a need to build capacity for Argo data quality control, in particular for the DMQC of temperature and salinity. MOCCA partners organised the 1st European Argo DMQC workshop in April 2018, Research Institutes as part of the MOCCA project. This DMQC workshop allowed partners to: ~75 % of the data is coming from Argo

National Operational centres, Hydrographic Offices Ocean knowledge: Bring all Euro-Argo Member countries Data products (global and regional), Ocean State understanding and monitoring of physical and towards the same level of knowledge; Reports, Ocean Monitoring Indexes, Weather, biogeochemical processes and budgets, air-sea interactions, Ocean & Climate forecasts, hindcasts, nowcasts. ocean model and satellites calibration & validation.

Make sure everybody has a common Non-profit organisations, Business, Public Services & other Research Institutes understanding of the Argo data system;

Society Contribution to 2 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals Start sharing DMQC procedures/tools/ methods within EU. (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 © Francine Loubrieu/Euro-Argo ERIC MOCCA SUCCESS STORIES AND TESTIMONIALS

Giulio NOTARSTEFANO Romain CANCOUËT OGS – Italy Euro-Argo Office Operational Engineer

“One of the most substantial contributions “MOCCA project also allowed the development © Tarron Lamont & Gavin Tutt © Sabrina Speich/ENS of the MOCCA project to the Argo activity in of the Euro-Argo Office and of sustained the Mediterranean and Black Seas is related services that were initiated within this project. to the fleet monitoring tool designed by the MOCCA project included a very strong capacity Euro-Argo ERIC Office. Indeed, the new tool building component: thanks to MOCCA, developed and provided in the framework of Bulgaria and Portugal deployed floats in 2016, and became Euro-Argo Member in 2018 and Tamaryn MORRIS the project adds new features that significantly Marine Coordinator at South African improved the monitoring of the fleet in difficult candidate Member in 2019 respectively. In Weather Service areas like these two Marginal Seas. Thus, it addition, MOCCA project worked with some allows the operator to quickly act and modify countries that are not Euro-Argo Members to Yves DEGRÉS the float mission configuration when needed.” deploy floats, such as Romania and Turkey in “Six MOCCA Argo floats were deployed in the 2016, Croatia in 2017 and South Africa in 2017.” nke instrumentation Managing Director Agulhas Current and were very successful in providing additional insight in to the dynamics of this fast-flowing Western Boundary Current. “Orders related to the MOCCA project were The floats captured inshore and offshore very significant for nke in 2016. The proper dynamics, as well as the stable fast-flowing functioning of the floats (observed through core of the current, demonstrating its stability at-sea monitoring) has had a positive impact along the east coast of South Africa during this on the international image of nke. Thus for experiment. We look forward to continued Birgit KLEIN Susan WIJFFELS 2 years, nke became the manufacturer n°1 in Euro-Argo Management Board Chair Senior Scientist, AST co-chair, Physical terms of number of float deployments.” collaborations with the MOCCA program on Oceanography Department WHOI – US this and future endeavors.” BSH – Germany

“The participation in the MOCCA project “MOCCA has greatly strengthened Europes’ has contributed strongly to the sustainability contribution to global Argo - by helping of the German Argo program. Particularly improve and sustain coverage in the Atlantic the establishment of an ‘in situ-monitoring’ Ocean, through vital enhancements in Argo system has been a great achievement and had data management and quality control and Julie ZARADE big impacts in our national programme. through improving float reliability. Many of Orange Marine, Quality, Safety, The easy access to technical data transmitted these developments have had very positive Environment Coordinator Pierre-Yves LE TRAON by the floats and the warning system has flow-on effects to the global array.” Special Advisor to the Euro-Argo Council facilitated a much more efficient management French representative “Thanks to MOCCA project, Orange Marine of Argo Germany. Additionally, we have signed a partnership with Euro-Argo, making benefited from the shared expertise in the technical resources available to help deploy ERIC office and among members to advance “From the very start of Euro-Argo, it was Euro-Argo floats, on transit routes of its cable the deployment of floats in the Arctic and the recognized that, given the global and ships. Since 2017, Orange Marine’s ships development of an Ice-Sensing-algorithm for international scope of Argo, European have deployed about ten floats near Azores, the high northern latitudes.” contributions to Argo should be shared in the Atlantic, in the South Pacific and even between member states and the EU. Following around the so-called “screaming fifties”! Matt DONNELLY numerous discussions between DG MARE, DG This partnership is a great opportunity for NERC-BODC – UK GROW and Euro-Argo ERIC, DG MARE took Orange Marine to take an active part in the the lead in 2015 to contract the Euro-Argo ERIC international research on Climate Change.” so that the EU directly contributes to the core “MOCCA has enabled us to train a larger Argo array. This was the birth of the MOCCA team of DMQC operators ensuring long-term project. The project has been highly successful sustainability of the team. This has involved and demonstrated that the procurement, Waldemar WALCZOWSKI the internal training of staff, training and deployment and processing of Argo floats can be IOPAN – Poland knowledge sharing with European partners, very efficiently organized at European level. All a review of our internal procedures and tools, MOCCA floats have been used and assimilated Andreas STERL and liaising as an Argo Data Assembly Centre in real time in the Copernicus Marine Service KNMI – Netherlands “Poland deploys Argo floats in the Arctic, and with DMQC operators external to BODC (CMEMS) monitoring and forecasting centers. since 2016 also in the Baltic Sea. The specific for the first time. The MOCCA project has Data have also been integrated in the European conditions of the Baltic Sea, especially the very supported us to contribute to the development Marine Observation and Data Network “The availability of MOCCA floats made it strong pycnocline, made it difficult for ARGO of a new DMQC cookbook, undertake the (EMODNET). Euro-Argo ERIC teams and Euro- possible to send some of them on short notice profilers to reach the bottom. Cooperation with DMQC of the MOCCA fleet and support the Argo partners must be proud and congratulated with a Dutch research cruise into the Caribbean the MOCCA program, use of ARVOR floats DMQC floats in national programmes.” for all these achievements. The challenge for Sea, where they now form the majority of and Euro-Argo technical support, allowed to the coming years will be to build on MOCCA to active floats. Furthermore, we could increase overcome this difficulty. The DMQC of our develop a sustained direct EU contribution to our deployments in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic floats and DMQC training is also very Argo and its deep ocean and biogeochemistry Southern Ocean.” valuable to us.” extensions.” © Thierry Meler/Unsplash THE MOCCA PROJECT’S 5-YEAR ACHIEVEMENTS

• Demonstration that Europe can significantly contribute 6 Partners in a coordinated way to the international Argo programme. • Central procurement service through which Members can purchase floats for their national programmes.

• Implementation of the Euro-Argo strategy with complementary EU funded float deployments. 2 Fundings Co-funded by • Better monitoring activities and maximization of Argo the EMFF programme float life expectancy. of the European Union

Co-funded by • Strengthening European Argo data efforts. Euro-Argo Members

EURO-ARGO FUTURE SCIENTIFIC FOCUS

165 standard Argo floats/year Better estimate the costs to society: As contribution to the global array T/S changes in Oceans dynamics that 60 floats/year Monitoring Marginal are not observed or well understood Seas and extending can result in significant societal to shallower waters impacts.

Explore the deep Ocean: half of EURO-ARGO the ocean’s volume has yet to be Abyss 2030 TARGET observed by Argo. to contribute to the “global, full-depth and 50 DEEP floats/year Understand the ocean ecosystems: To understand deep ocean multidisciplinary we are at a time where there is circulation Argo mission” only rudimentary understanding of the ocean biological system. chl a 0 Quantify the oceanic CO2 sink: the North Atlantic is believed to pH represent the largest ocean sink 25 floats/year for atmospheric carbon dioxide 50 BIOGEOCHEMICAL floats/year Extending to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, yet To study ocean health, air/sea fluxes of CO2, primary production and acidification little is known about the temporal variability of this parameter.

Climate Global sea Ocean health, air/ Climate

Change level rise sea fluxes of CO2 and and ocean

THE CHALLENGES FOR THE COMING YEARS MOCCA float deployed during the sailing expedition of Oyster 72 Katharsis II. The crew got Guinness record for sailing around Antarctica below 62°S. It was a unique opportunity for Build on MOCCA success to develop Euro-Argo sustainability through both scientists to generate new knowledge of the Austral Ocean’s matchless environment. national partners contribution and direct European Union funding for Argo and its deep ocean and biogeochemistry extensions.

Tel.: +33 (0)2 98 22 44 83 | www.euro-argo.eu | [email protected] | @EuroArgoERIC

This project has received financial support of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) under grant agreement N° EASME/EMFF/2015/1.2.1.1/SI2.709624 Monitoring the Oceans