G7 Future of Seas and Ocean Initiative

G7 FSOI Resource Strategy Group meeting for global Biogeochemical Argo Array
2022-03-28 - 2022-03-29 | Online
The first meeting of the G7 FSOI Resource Strategy Group (RSG) for Biogeochemical Argo Array 2030 will take place online from 28 to 29 March 2022, bringing together representatives from the G7 member states (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA and the European Commission). Hosted by the European coordinator of the G7 FSOI Coordination Centre, the meeting serves to share information between the G7 members and the International Mission Team on implementation progress and funding commitments for the global BGC Argo Array. It will also review scientific, technical and logistical challenges and identify priorities for coordinated G7 investment or joint activities.
The G7 FSOI RSG works to support the development of a sustained Global Biogeochemical Argo Array by encouraging and facilitating G7 commitment for the implementation of the full-1000 float Array by 2030. This activity contributes to G7 FSOI Action Areas 1, 3, and 4.
For more information on the G7 FSOI Resource Strategy Group on BGC Argo, click here.

Engaging early career ocean professionals in the UN Ocean Decade
2022-01-19 12:00 - 13:30 UTC | Online
Online workshop to learn more about global ocean activities and involvement opportunities for Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPS) in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021 – 2030). This event is organised by the UK Government, IOC-UNESCO and the ECOP Programme.
For agenda and more information, click here.
Useful links

G7 FSOI and the Ocean Decade
UN Ocean Decade website

G7 Ocean Decade Navigation Plan Workshop
2021-12-09 | Online
The workshop will take place virtually, hosted by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to discuss:

possible cooperative structures for the G7 to use to implement the G7 Ocean Decade Navigation Plan and contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development,
best practice regarding international collaboration with a range of partners, and
how the G7 can identify priorities to translate to actionable initiatives.

The group will focus on three spotlight priorities: Global Ocean Indicator Framework, Digital Twin Oceans, and Net-Zero Oceanographic Capability.
Useful links:

G7 adopt UN Ocean Decade Navigation Plan
Communiqué from G7 Climate & Environment Ministerial May 2021
G7 FSOI support to developing a Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Ocean Capability (Resource Strategy Group)
G7FSOI support to GOOS on developing a Global Ocean Monitoring Indicators Framework for Assessments and Observing System Evaluation
G7 FSOI support to enabling Digital Twin Ocean Capability (Resource Strategy Group)

Joint meeting of IOCCP Scientific Steering Group & Surface Ocean CO2 Monitoring Network planning team
2021-11-25 | Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot Poland, Sopot, Poland
On 25 November, the Surface Ocean CO2 Monitoring Network planning team will hold a joint meeting with the International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP) scientific steering group. The meeting will discuss the way forward with establishing a strategy writing team and planning an international workshop to develop the strategy and an initial International Mission Team to take the work of developing the global network forward.
By invitation only.
Meeting hosts: IOCCP; Contact for G7 FSOI activity: Richard Sanders (EU ICOS-Ocean and IOCCP) and Maria Hood (EU G7 FSOI Coordination Centre)
This meeting will follow the 16th Session of the IOCCP Scientific Steering Group meeting & GOOS Biochemistry Panel which will take place from 22 to 24 November 2021.
Context and G7 FSOI support to IOCCP on surface ocean CO2 monitoring
The IOCCP, which acts as the GOOS Biogeochemistry Panel, is working to develop an internationally-agreed strategy for Surface Ocean CO2 Monitoring, a priority of the G7 FSOI. This IOCCP-led activity carried out with G7 FSOI support will work to catalyse and facilitate the development of global strategy for monitoring surface ocean CO2, which is needed to guide coordinated joint investment by governments to implement the global surface ocean CO2 monitoring network, building on existing observing programmes, data management structures and coordination bodies where possible.

Useful links:

G7 FSOI support to IOCCP project, which acts as GOOS Biochemistry Panel on developing a global ocean carbon monitoring strategy and network
News article: International scientists signal missing ocean data in global climate policy

G7 FSOI Working Group meeting
2021-06-29 - 2021-07-01 | Online
The G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative Working Group will meet virtually from the 29th June to the 1st July.
The Working Group is composed of the G7 FSOI national focal points, representatives of G7 ministries and funding agencies, and their scientific experts.
The Working Group will address:

Outcomes of the UK G7 Presidency – particularly the G7 Ocean Decade Navigation Plan and its relation to the G7 FSOI activities
Plans for joint G7 FSOI activities, agreement on priorities, and the formation of Task Teams to take these activities forward
Engagement with GOOS and the Group of Senior Officials on Global Research InfrastructureG7 Member updates and activities

Full details and documents for attendees here (Members only area).
Contact: Katy Hill and Maria Hood (G7 FSOI Coordination Centre)
Meeting hosts: UK Government through the Department for Environment (Defra).

G7 Summit
2021-06-11 - 2021-06-13 | Carbis Bay, Cornwall, UK
Hosted by the UK presidency, the G7 Summit will be held in Carbis Bay, Cornwall from 11 to 13 June 2021. The Summit will welcome leaders from the G7 countries and the European Commission, as well as invited leaders from Australia, India and South Korea. For more information, click here.

All-Atlantic 2021 Conference side event 'Towards an All-Atlantic Data Space for the Ocean'
2021-06-03 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online & Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Enhancing the use of standards, best practices, and partnerships for information and data sharing across the Atlantic

The EU Office of the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative will join the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance (AANChOR), AtlantECO, iAtlantic and the thematic cloud Innovation Action of H2020 Blue Cloud to host a side-event, Towards an All-Atlantic Data Space for the Ocean, at the All-Atlantic Research and Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean Conference, a Ministerial high-level stakeholders conference to be held from 3-4 June. The side event represents a first step in the scoping activity for G7 FSOI Action Area 3 to promote the improvement of global data sharing infrastructure to address the challenges of physical, chemical and biological data.
This side-event will provide information about European and international initiatives to harmonise and facilitate data sharing across the Atlantic Ocean, and provide demonstrations of available tools, training, and the latest open science ‘blue cloud’ technologies to make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. The event will also engage Atlantic partners in a dialogue to identify the technical needs and challenges of data sharing across the Atlantic ‘pole to pole’, and work to establish the necessary collaborations between nations and organisations required to jointly address regional and global ocean issues in the coming decade.
This side-event will provide an opportunity to begin broad consultations with the ocean data community to further refine the G7 FSOI Action Area 3 activities.
For more information and to register, click here.

1st Conference of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
2021-06-01 | Online
The G7 FSOI will work closely with relevant programmes of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) to co-evolve joint activities, targeting where G7 high-level support can add unique value (click here for more information).
A virtual opening on 1 June 2021 will mark the official start of the series of events that will make up the re-structured First International Ocean Decade Conference due to the cancellation of the in-person sessions as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference participants will include world leaders and other stakeholders from diverse stakeholder groups including science, industry, UN agencies, philanthropy, governments, NGOs, civil society and community leaders, media, and arts and humanities.
A series of “Ocean Decade Laboratories” will provide interactive sessions from mid-2021 until mid-2022 to catalyse partnerships and co-design Decade Actions. The seven participatory Laboratories will foster dialogue on overarching Ocean Decade themes: inclusivity, solutions-based ocean science, regional action, and resource mobilisation, among others.
Join a collective global movement to create the Ocean we Want! For more information, click here.

Climate and Environment G7 Ministers Meeting
2021-05-20 - 2021-05-21 | Online
The G7 Climate and Environment Track, jointly led by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, focuses on 6 policy priorities, including ocean action. Ministers will meet virtually on 20 and 21 May 2021. For more information, visit the official G7 UK website 2021.

Global Biogeochemical-Argo Workshop
2021-05-04 - 2021-06-01 | Online
On 4, 11, 18 and 25 May and June 1, a virtual workshop will be held building on the priorities of the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative to explore the applications of a global data-stream from the Biogeochemical-Argo array in fisheries, carbon budget verification, and environmental forecasting. The workshop is organised by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), and the State University of New Jersey (RUTGERS), with international coordination assistance from the G7 FSOI Coordination Centre, and with financial support from NASA, NOAA, and NSF.
The workshop is motivated by the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative for better ocean observations to ensure sustainable use by future generations. Recent funding by the US National Science Foundation of a $53 million project, Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Array (GO-BGC), to deploy 500 Biogeochemical-Argo profiling floats throughout the world ocean is an important step in this direction. Completion of the planned BGC-Argo system will require establishing collaborations with international partners, including those beyond the G7 nations. The workshop will celebrate these initial international commitments and discuss how to ensure that the combined investment meets the priorities of the G7 and international funders and stakeholders. The workshop will prioritise next steps with partners to ensure full implementation of the array and the international collaboration required to sustain the array into the future.
