She et al. 
Integrated Coastal and Biological Observing 
Frontiers In Marine Science | www.frontlersln.org 
4 
July 2019 | Volume 6 | Article 314 
Multiple Disciplinary Coordination and 
Integration 
Existing data currently supporting biodiversity assessments 
vary at a range of spatial and temporal scales, often severely 
limiting our capacity to understand the intensity, drivers 
and consequences of biodiversity change, and to assess the 
effectiveness of management measures. The availability of 
technology to enable more cost-effective collection of larger 
volumes of biological data is improving, such as Flowcam, but 
investment is needed to ensure that the most effective approaches 
are deployed widely and in a coordinated fashion. 
Ultimately a program is required which integrates observation 
on physical, biogeochemical and biological aspects of ocean 
ecosystems and which establishes standardized approaches so 
that data can be shared, synthesized, analyzed, and interpreted 
from a large scale, long term, whole-system perspective. This 
has been identified as a priority for biological observations 
and operational ecology by the European Marine Board 
(Benedetti-Cecchi et al., 2018) and EuroGOOS (She et al., 
2016). Ocean observation must be made across disciplines, 
as physical forces induce biological and chemical effects, 
which in turn mediate other (sometimes severe) biological 
changes, in some cases feeding back into physical changes. 
Comprehensive observing systems must be interoperable to 
enable studies across different science domains and observing 
regimes. A multidisciplinary approach where different science 
communities interact is necessary to provide a coherent, 
integrated view of the results. It is vital to bring together 
and connect the different marine and maritime stakeholders 
(from research to environmental monitoring and industry) 
collecting biological ocean observations to drive efficiency and 
cost-effectiveness. 
Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and 
Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) 
A key step in developing a balanced and integrated program is 
the agreement of key variables on which to focus coordinated 
observation programs to inform on the status and trends of 
marine biodiversity. Two complementary frameworks are of 
note: GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System) EOVs and GEO 
BON EBVs. However, the EOVs and EBVs are a priorities list 
only and additional biological variables should be considered 
as needed. Biological EOVs and some of the marine EBVs are 
not new, but build on a long history of biological observations 
in the ocean. Several of them have been measured for decades 
worldwide and the availability of historical records is a key 
strength of the EOVs/EBVs. 
There is still a clear challenge in reaching a threshold 
between overall scientific relevance, the needs for legislation 
without compromising the interoperability at global level, and 
the feasibility when defining the variables to be monitored. Thus, 
discussions and refinement of the two sets of essential variables 
are continuing and in 2016, the Marine Biodiversity Observation 
Network (MBON), the GOOS Biology and Ecosystems Panel, 
and the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) signed 
an agreement to work together to enhance existing biological 
observation scopes and capacities, to implement best practices 
and international standards, and to encourage open access and 
data sharing. MBON and the GOOS BioEco Panel have developed 
the implementation of biological EOVs and marine EBVs and 
increased the number of monitoring programs that include these 
variables (Miloslavich et al., 2018; Muller-Karger et al., 2018). 
Even though these variables are designed to be global, 
engaging regional systems such as the European Ocean 
Observation System (EOOS) will be key to ensuring 
progress and maturation. 
Sustainability and Fitness to the Purpose 
Biological ocean observation is very fragmented and, despite 
progress in storage and dissemination of digital information, 
there is still reluctance to share data within the scientific 
community and industry, and among national authorities. 
Programs tend to be driven by scientific interest or local needs. It 
is thus essential to establish appropriate mechanisms to overcome 
these barriers and improve data integration and networking. 
In order to capture adequately the effects of global change 
on biodiversity, long term observations in key areas are 
required (generally involving many nations distributed across 
continents with a sustained long-term commitment toward 
observations). Almost none of the global observation networks 
has sustained or secured funding for their activities (Borja et al., 
2016). For the system to be “fit for purpose” with maximum 
efficiency, observations must be harmonized using standard 
protocols, techniques and appropriate platforms contributing 
to a global observatory network. This ensures interoperability 
and comparability, which are important characteristics of any 
observing system. 
Similar to those at the global scale, regional observing 
networks must be sustainable and adjustable to evolving 
observing requirements. Sustained long time series are of 
paramount importance and new observing approaches are 
emerging as technology progresses, making it possible to 
measure new parameters and/or improve existing protocols. 
New emerging techniques are often refined within SCOR 
working groups with suggestions for standardize use 
(e.g., WG154 and 156). 
Most of the existing biological observing stations and 
platforms are operating at a local level (within a national sea area, 
or a given bay or stretch of coast within a national territory). 
These areas are characterized by high variability in terms of 
spatial and temporal resolution and are monitored often with 
infrequent and/or sporadic operations. Observation methods 
are usually specific to the needs for that specific area, either 
as variants of existing methods or completely new and locally 
developed. Local observing requirements may dictate specific 
approaches and techniques, ensuring a good “fit for purpose,” but 
conformity to agreed standards both in terms of the quality of the 
observations and the data must be in place to ensure scalability 
and comparability. 
The largest proportions of marine biological data available 
to scientists today are generated by short-term monitoring or 
research activities (such as the length of a Ph.D. program), which 
are organized regionally or locally. The lack of coordination