The OCR-VC, in accordance with OCR-VC Terms of Reference, will support the implementation of the GEO Blue Planet Task and will develop an action plan for GEO Blue Planet Components delivered.
IOCCG/OCR-VC agencies are and will continue to make significant contributions to all Blue Planet components:
C1. Developing capacity and societal awareness
C2. Sustained ocean observations
C3. Data access and visualization
C4. Ocean forecasting
C5. Healthy ecosystems and food security
C6. Services for the coastal zone
C7. Ocean climate and carbon
C8. Integrated maritime services?
OCR-VC agencies are fully in support of the GEO Blue Planet Components, and the nature of the contributions vary according to the mission of each agency (e.g., research and development contributions from ESA and NASA; enabling applications and services from EUMETSAT and NOAA). OCR-VC members serve in active leadership roles for several of the above components (e.g., C4 & C6/NOAA and C7/JRC) as well as on the Blue Planet Steering Committee (CSIRO, JRC, NOAA).
CEOS members (CSIRO, NOAA et al.) played an active role in hosting, organizing and contributing to the 2nd?Blue Planet Symposium held in Cairns, Australia in May 2015, and are now working to organize the 3rd?Blue Planet Symposium to be held September 2016 in Monterey, California. NOAA/NESDIS and CSIRO have also partnered to Co-Host the GEO Blue Planet Secretariat, which will be located in College Park, Maryland USA and Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia. This can be considered as a significant contribution by CEOS agencies to the advancement of Blue Planet.