MERCATOR OCEAN JOURNA: 
SEPTEMBER 2021 
6. THE IBI-MFC ROADMAP 
The IBI-MFC roadmap is aligned with Copernicus Marine 
Service scientific objectives, and along Copernicus 2, the 
following amelioration goals will be pursued: 
1. Increase products resolution. 
2. Upgrade models used in the NRT and MY production. 
3. Enhance Data Assimilation with better use of any new 
improved observational product available and special 
interest on DA benefits on shelf and coastal areas. 
‘4. Increase system interactions through model coupling 
‘interactions between ocean, waves, atmosphere, land 
mainly its hydrological part-, and biogeochemistry). 
5. Explore new products based on probabilistic 
approaches. By means of ensembles (applied both to 
models and DA schemes) to provide end users with 
product’s uncertainties. 
Furthermore, the IBI service evolution roadmap responds, 
as main driver, to meet identified end-users needs. Thus, 
some research and development actions, planned to evolve 
the post-2021 IBI service, will focus on: 
' Ensure service continuity and keep present NRT 
forecast up-to-date (mostly in daily basis with 
product availability before midday) bringing MY 
product updates closer to present time (a monthly 
update to be achieved by new “Interim” reanalysis 
streams). 
Enhance homogeneity in services and products. In 
particular, increase analogy between NRT and MY 
IBI products (i.e., using same grid to deliver same 
variables at same temporal frequency). 
3. Make IBI products more coastal-oriented. Many IBI-MFC 
end-users are coastal ones, very interested in on-shelf 
processes. Thus, the IBI-MFC put a good deal of effort 
into IBI products to get a better representation of ocean 
scales driving the coastal ocean (including mesoscale, 
sub-mesoscale features such as eddies and fronts 
and a more accurate reproduction of high frequency 
processes). Enhancement of the IBI model capacities 
on shelf and coastal environments will foster further 
IBI down-streaming by coastal stakeholders. 
2 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The authors acknowledge all experts who participated along Copernicus 1 Service as IBI-MFC team members, contributinc 
“Oo the production, delivery, evaluation, evolution and dissemination of our IBI products, including: E. Älvarez-Fanjul, 
A. Amo, M. Benkiran, P. Bowyer, S. Cailleau, A. Dalphinet, C. Fernandez, L. Garcia, J.M. Garcfa-Valdecasas, M. Ghantous. 
K. Guihou, I. Lopez, A. Pascual, P. Rey, R Renaud, A. Rodriguez and C. Toledano.