EGU Session OS4.7

Ships-of-Opportunity: A valuable tool for sustained ocean observations 

Commercial ships have volunteered for many decades to enable the gathering of scientific data that complement the limited meteorological and oceanographic observational capacity of ocean field campaigns on-board scientific research vessels and at fixed-point observatories around the world. So called Ships-Of-Opportunity (SOOP), often trading along common routes, provide a cost-effective way to gather information about the surface ocean at a relatively high temporal frequency across large areas. With the long-term sustainability of ocean monitoring threatened, SOOPs are an important part of a future multi-platform observational network. We welcome contributions that present recent scientific developments with an SOOP observational basis, as well as technological and instrumental advancements that facilitate SOOP installations and improve the quality and relevance of the resulting observations.