Leveraging suitable activities, such as the proposed COVERAGE initiative, there will be coordinated development, compilation and distribution of ocean variables and facilitated access to collocated, synergistic datasets with fit-for-purpose latency, quality, coverage and information content. The four ocean VCs (in coordination with Blue Planet Steering Committee) will support the sustainment, continuation, and harmonization of (essential) physical, biological and biogeochemical ocean variables.
The CEOS Ocean Variables Enabling Research and Applications for GEO (COVERAGE) initiative was approved at SIT-32 (April 2017) for a 3-year pilot project. COVERAGE is a collaborative effort within CEOS with the 4 Ocean Virtual Constellations (SST, Ocean Color, Ocean Vector Winds, Ocean Surface Topography) and GEO projects (MBON, Blue Planet) to enable more widespread use of ocean satellite data in support of applications. COVERAGE aims to assemble and present satellite and in situ ocean data in a compelling web-based format to demonstrate the value added of multivariate ocean data integration is support of science, applications, and public engagement.