Brief Description of Organisation:

The "International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange" (IODE) of the "Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission" (IOC) of UNESCO was established in 1961. The main objectives of the IODE Programme are (revision IODE-XXII, March 2013): (i) To facilitate and promote the discovery, exchange of, and access to, marine data and information including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real time and delayed mode, through the use of international standards, and in compliance with the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy for the ocean research and observation community and other stakeholders; (ii) To encourage the long term archival, preservation, documentation, management and services of all marine data, data products, and information; (iii) To develop or use existing best practices for the discovery, management, exchange of, and access to marine data and information, including international standards, quality control and appropriate information technology; (iv) To assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine research and observation data and information and become partners in the IODE network; (v) To support international scientific and operational marine programmes, including the Framework for Ocean Observing for the benefit of a wide range of users.

IODE has been involved in the AtlantOS and ODIP Projects and was a main contributor to an international team (the Ocean Best Practice Working Group) for best practices and application development. IODE hosts the Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) and repository which will now become a formal IOC Project implemented jointly IODE and GOOS.

In addition, IODE’s OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) with its Regional Training Centres offers the infrastructure for training and capacity building to ocean-related organizations and projects.

JERICO-S3: Main Tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Best Practices under WP 5, 6, 7, Virtual Access under WP 7 & 8