She et al. 
Operational Oceanography and Earth System Science 
Frontiers In Earth Science | www.frontlersln.org 
5 
February 2020 | Volume 8 | Article 7 
TABLE 1 | Continued 
Acronym 
Explanation 
Comment 
References 
IOWDB 
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research 
Warnemünde Database 
Oceanographic Database research with 
Interactive Navigation (Odin 2) 
https://odln2.lo-warnemuende.de/ 
IOWMETA 
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research 
Warnemünde Data Portal 
Marine observational data from the German 
monitoring program 
http://lowmeta.lo-warnemuende.de 
IPCC 
Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change 
Performed assessment reports of past and 
future changes In 1990, 1995, 2001,2008, and 
2013 
http://www.lpcc.ch 
MARNET 
Marine environmental monitoring network 
Monitoring of the marine environment 
https://www.bsh.de/EN/DATA/ 
Marlne_envlronment_monltorlng_network/ 
marlne_envlronment_monltorlng_network_node. 
html 
SHARK 
Swedish Ocean Archive 
Marine observational data from the Swedish 
monitoring program 
http://sharkweb.smhl.se 
SMHI 
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological 
Institute 
Swedish center for weather forecasts and 
climate scenarios 
http://www.smhl.se 
ROOS 
Regional Ocean Observing System 
Coordinated operational oceanography 
research and services In 
http://eurogoos.eu/reglonal-operatlonal- 
oceanographlc-systems/ 
UERRA 
Uncertainties In Ensembles of Regional 
Reanalyses 
Atmospheric reanalysls data used inter alia as 
atmospheric forcing for ocean models 
http://www.uerra.eu/ 
WCRP 
World Climate Research Program 
Analysis and prediction of Earth system change 
https://www.wcrp-cllmate.org/ 
WMO 
World Meteorological Organization 
Intergovernmental organization with a 
membership of 191 Member States and 
Territories 
https://www.wmo.int/ 
surface temperature, salinity, DO and fluorescence etc. in 1- 
7 day sampling interval), moorings (hourly sampling of met- 
ocean variables, T/S, currents, turbidity, DO and chlorophyll 
fluorescence) and shallow water Argo profilers (T/S, DO and 
chlorophyll fluorescence in 1-7 day sampling interval). Low 
frequency (mostly monthly or less frequent) observations are 
made by research vessels. Most of the operational observations 
cover the coastal water, only a few moorings, Argo profiler 
and ship stations cover the open Baltic Sea. In recent years, 
the shallow water Argo profiler has been demonstrated as 
an efficient tool for monitoring hydrographic conditions in 
operational mode (Haavisto et al., 2018). There is also a potential 
to derive the currents from the shallow water Argo profilers 
(Roiha et al., 2018). 
A recent survey on the observational infrastructure to BOOS 
members showed that the member institutes (not including 
Russian) own or have access to 211 tide gauges, 7 shallow 
water Argo floats, 29 buoys, 22 Research Vessels (R/Vs), 6 
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs, e.g., gliders), 22 Acoustic 
Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), 25 other fixed stations and 
23 FerryBoxes. Not all of them are used for operational observing. 
Most of the R/Vs are used for research and/or regular basin wide 
environmental monitoring, coordinated by HELCOM. 
Data Management 
BOOS partners share their observations through a ftp-network. 
This forms a basis for Baltic Sea in-situ Thematic Assembling 
Center (BAL INS-TAC) in CMEMS and EMODnet (European 
Marine Observation Data Network) Physics, which provide open 
and free operational data access to users. 
Major Challenges 
The final goal for Baltic Sea observing is to build up a 
sustainable, integrated, and cost-effective observing system, 
which can fit for multi-purpose for operational, climate, 
commercial, and ecological applications. BOOS observing will 
be an important subsystem. Major gaps in the existing BOOS 
observational network for operational oceanography are lack of 
current measurements and profile observations (especially for 
biogeochemical variables) in the open Baltic Sea (She, 2018b; 
Le Traon et al., 2019). Key questions have to be answered: how 
observations from other sectors can be used to fill the gaps; 
if new observations are needed, which sampling schemes and 
technologies should be applied and how to be combined to 
generate a cost-effective gap-filling solution. 
Operational Modeling—Current Status and 
Major Challenges 
The operational modeling activities in the Baltic Sea is 
coordinated by BOOS Modeling Program (BMP) and 
CMEMS BAL MFC (Baltic Sea Monitoring and Forecasting 
Center), including joint research on operational model system 
development, data assimilation, model calibration and validation 
(cal/val), multi-model ensemble forecast, products generation, 
and services. 
Model Development 
Operational modeling has a long history in the Baltic Sea. The 
ocean wave forecast model (WAM) was developed in Europe 
in the 1980s (WAMDI, 1988). Operational wave forecasts were 
implemented in the late 1990s in Denmark and Finland (She and