After a 3-year endeavor, the Tropical Atlantic Observing System (TAOS) Review Report is now published online.

The report discusses an evaluation of the scientific progress since the last review (in 2006) and recommends actions to build towards a user-focused, truly interdisciplinary, and responsive international sustained Tropical Atlantic ocean observing and forecasting system - one that delivers the essential information needed for human wellbeing and safety, sustainable development, and the blue economy in a changing world.

TAOS is one mechanism to follow up on the recommendations of the OceanObs’19 conference. It supports the Atlantic Basin implementation of GOOS, and it contributes to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). TAOS is strategically situated in the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance initiated through the Galway and the Belém and the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Working Group statements.

The TAOS review was conducted by a Review Committee composed of members of the tropical Atlantic observing community and representatives from GOOS/GCOS, with oversight by the CLIVAR ARP, several of whose members also served in the committee. Bill Johns (U. Miami) and Sabrina Speich (LMD/ENS, ARP and GOOS/GCOS member) served as co-chairs of the review committee.

The structure of the report is organized with an executive summary that introduces the main societal drivers and provides a summary of the recommendations and where in the report these are more thoroughly discussed. The core text of the report then proceeds in the following order: (1) a concise review of TAOS societal, scientific and operational drivers; (2) a summary of the current TAOS observing network; (3) recommendations on the evolution of the TAOS; (4) information on the actual TAOS data flow and products and recommendations for their evolution; and (5) recommendations on the future governance of the TAOS. More detailed information on the scientific and operational drivers are provided in the Appendices as well as a rationalization of all observing requirements in terms of Essential Ocean and Climate Variables.

For more information on the TAOS Review, please visit: https://www.clivar.org/tropical-atlantic-observing-system-review.