NAUTILOS will fill in existing marine observation and modelling gaps through the development of a new generation of cost-effective sensors and samplers for physical (salinity, temperature), chemical (inorganic carbon, nutrients, oxygen), and biological (phytoplankton, zooplankton, marine mammals) essential ocean variables, in addition to micro-/nano-plastics, to improve our understanding of environmental change and anthropogenic impacts related to aquaculture, fisheries, and marine litter. Newly developed marine technologies will be integrated with different observing platforms and deployed through the use of novel approaches in a broad range of key environmental settings (e.g. from shore to deep-sea deployments) and EU policy-relevant applications: - Fisheries & Aquaculture Observing Systems, - Platforms of Opportunity demonstrations, - Augmented Observing Systems demonstration, - Demonstrations on ARGO Platform, - Animal-borne Instruments. The fundamental aim of the project will be to complement and expand current European observation tools and services, to obtain a collection of data at a much higher spatial resolution and temporal regularity and length than currently available at the European scale, and to further enable and democratise the monitoring of the marine environment to both traditional and non-traditional data users. The principles that underlie the NAUTILOS project will be those of the development, integration, validation and demonstration of new cutting-edge technologies with regards to sensors, interoperability and embedding skills. The development will always be guided by the objectives of scalability, modularity, cost-effectiveness and open-source availability of software and data products produced. NAUTILOS will also provide full and open data feed towards well-established portals and data integrators (EMODnet, CMEMS, JERICO).

OCEANSensor draws together European companies and research organisations developing, marketing and deploying marine biogeochemical sensors. OCEANSensor aims to improve and utilise the latest sensor, platform and communication technologies for marine biogeochemical observations. The project will refine existing sensor technologies, develop new applications, and demonstrate complete technology solutions for new, in situ marine sensors and observation systems for biogeochemical parameters in coastal and oceanic waters. The outcome of OCEANSensor will be a suite of marine in situ sensors for pH, pCO2 and O2 (fluorescent optodes), nitrate (UV hyperspectral), phosphate and silicate (electrochemical), and phosphate and ammonium (lab-on-chip technology) with upgraded Technology Readiness Levels and featuring enhanced metrological performance. The project will combine the new sensor technologies with those commercially available, and develop novel observatory packages for novel remote applications in marine systems. We will develop and demonstrate a novel benthic flux quantification system to be deployed for example for carbon capture and storage CO2 leakage monitoring. In addition, we will demonstrate the sensors for water quality and biogeochemical observations on platforms including moorings, ARGO floats, surface roaming vehicles and an easily accessible cabled observatory. The project will contribute to the successful implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and United Nation´s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. A key goal is to open up new application fields of the technologies, and cover a larger community of end-users. OCEANSensor will strengthen the position of European industry and research organisations working with biogeochemical sensors.

The overarching objective of AtlantOS is to achieve a transition from a loosely-coordinated set of existing ocean observing activities to a sustainable, efficient, and fit-for-purpose Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (IAOOS), by defining requirements and systems design, improving the readiness of observing networks and data systems, and engaging stakeholders around the Atlantic; and leaving a legacy and strengthened contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). AtlantOS will fill existing in-situ observing system gaps and will ensure that data are readily accessible and useable. AtlantOS will demonstrate the utility of integrating in-situ and Earth observing satellite based observations towards informing a wide range of sectors using the Copernicus Marine Monitoring Services and the European Marine Observation and Data Network and connect them with similar activities around the Atlantic. AtlantOS will support activities to share, integrate and standardize in-situ observations, reduce the cost by network optimization and deployment of new technologies, and increase the competitiveness of European industries, and particularly of the small and medium enterprises of the marine sector. AtlantOS will promote innovation, documentation and exploitation of innovative observing systems. All AtlantOS work packages will strengthen the trans-Atlantic collaboration, through close interaction with partner institutions from Canada, United States, and the South Atlantic region. AtlantOS will develop a results-oriented dialogue with key stakeholders communities to enable a meaningful exchange between the products and services that IAOOS can deliver and the demands and needs of the stakeholder communities. Finally, AtlantOS will establish a structured dialogue with funding bodies, including the European Commission, USA, Canada and other countries to ensure sustainability and adequate growth of IAOOS.

The ocean is a major component of the global carbon cycle absorbing about a quarter of anthropogenic CO2 emissions every year, modulating the rate of accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere and hence global warming. Increased levels of CO2 in the ocean cause a decline in seawater pH, also known as ocean acidification, with now well-known potential ecological consequences. Sustained, long-term in situ observations are, therefore, crucial to better understand and predict the impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems, increase resilience and develop sound mitigation and adaptation strategies. Furthermore, long-term sustained in situ ocean observations are required to support environmental and climate policies, such as the European Green Deal, and related policies aiming to reach net zero carbon and achieve a sustainable blue economy. To meet this challenge, GEORGE will advance the global technological competitiveness of European ocean observing research infrastructures (EMSO, ICOS, Euro-Argo) through the development and demonstration of a state-of-the-art biogeochemical, multi-platform observing system for characterisation of the ocean carbon system. GEORGE will advance the technology readiness level of novel sensors enabling for the first time systematic autonomous, in situ seawater CO2 system characterisation, and CO2 fluxes on moving and fixed platforms. These sensors will be integrated on state-of-the-art platforms augmented with the latest in autonomous technology enabling new observing capability. Technologies, methods and SOPs for carbon observing will be harmonised across a framework for multi-platform, cross-ERIC ocean observing, from sensor to data repositories. GEORGE will build capacity in ERICs through the provision of training in the use of new technologies and SOPs on data handling and reporting to staff and member organisations. Technology will be co-developed between industry and ERICs ensuring direct route to market and potential for scalability.