Marine Climate Data System (MCDS), Hamburg, Germany, 28 November to 2 December 2011
Following the recommendations from JCOMM-III (Marakech, Morocco, Nov. 2009), the 3rd Session of the JCOMM Expert Team on Marine Climatology (ETMC, Melbourne, Australia, February 2010), the 21st IOC Committee for IODE (Liege, March 2011), and the third International Workshop on the Use of Marine Climatological Data (MARCDAT-III, Frascati, Italy, May 2011), a workshop for a new Marine Climate Data System (MCDS) will be organized in Hamburg, Germany, from 28 November to 2 December 2011 at the kind invitation of the BSH.

The workshop will be to discuss the vision for a new MCDS in the next 10 years to better address the requirements of the GCOS and GFCS, and starting by (i) a modernized VOS delayed mode data-flow, (ii) the establishment of a network of mirrored WMO-IOC Climate Marine Meteorological and Oceanographic Data Centres (CMOCs) on the model of the trusted ICOADS, and (iii) the integration of the Responsible National Oceanographic Data Centre for Drifting Buoys and the Specialized Oceanographic Centre (SOC) for Drifting Buoys to avoid duplication. Details about issues to be discussed are also listed in the draft Terms of Reference of the JCOMM/ETMC Task Team on MCDS linked here.

HMEI has been invited to attend or to nominate someone to attend representing HMEI. Bruce Sumner is nominally on the team representing HMEI, but an expert or experts from the HMEI Members would be better to represent HMEI and input expertise. If you are interested in attending this meeting please contact Bruce Sumner at hmei@wmo.int ASAP.