MERCATOR OCEAN JOURNA: 
SEPTEMBER 2021 
3. POST 2021 PROSPECTS 
The main driver for the improvement of the In Situ TAC is to 
serve the overall need to understand and predict the ocean 
state and variability in relation to climate, ocean health, real 
:ime response and provision of products at the right time 
and the right place. While the understanding of the open 
ocean varlability has Improved significantly in recent years, 
there is an increased focus on understanding the variability 
and the underlying processes in coastal and polar seas. A 
different approach is necessary due to the high complexity 
and varlability in small scales in coastal zones. 
For this new challenge, multi-platform in situ observations 
can significantly contribute to Copernicus Marine Service 
in the next phase. Indeed, today, a wide range of observation 
capabilities is available and different methodologies need 
to be integrated into the In Situ TAC products and datasets. 
There is also a need to develop fit for purpose In Situ 
products to improve systematic model validation in polar 
and coastal areas and to enhance data assimilation 
capabilities. The goal being the improvement of forecasting 
skills of numerical models. 
Furthermore, the uptake of Copernicus Marine Service 
oroducts by operational users has to be improved and 
there is a general need to enhance products visibility. Mair 
priorities for the upcoming years lay on: 
sustainability of existing in situ production with 
extension in time and space in partnership with 
European actors (EuroG0O0OS and ROO0Ses, EDO0S) and 
Internationnal ones (GO0OS/0CG and I0C) to: 
- Intensify the integration of recently developed 
and upcoming ocean observing capabilities, 
enhance activities focussing on coastal and 
polar regions, 
„develop, improve and integrate automatic 
methodologies to reduce operating costs and to 
gain increased knowledge, 
support the generation of a REP product of 
coastal sea level data from tide gauges, in 
coordination with the EuroGOOS Tide Gauge 
Task Team and GLOSS initiatives, 
cooperation with main other data Integrators in Europe 
(such as SeaDataNet and EMODnet) to jointly enhance 
in situ service for end users, improve quality contro 
procedures and develop metrics for the uncertainty 
information, 
support to user uptake through efficient contribution 
:o CMEMS training and outreach activities, 
- enhanced integration of biogeochemical data to widen 
the view toward ocean health, to assist validation 
activities and to help boosting BGC modelling and 
assimilation capabilities