International Cooperation

The National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) of the Netherlands represents the Netherlands as official partner in a number of international organisations and cooperations:

  • IOC - IODE
    The International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was established in 1961 to enhance marine research, exploitation and development by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating Member States and by meeting the needs of users for data and information products. The IODE system forms a worldwide service oriented network consisting of DNAs (Designated National Agencies), NODCs (National Oceanographic Data Centres), RNODCs (Responsible National Oceanographic Data Centres) and WDCs (World Data Centres – Oceanography). During the past 40 years, IOC Member States have established over 60 oceanographic data centres in as many countries. This network has been able to collect, control the quality of, and archive millions of ocean observations, and makes these available to Member States.

  • ICES
    The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is contributing to coordination and promotion of marine research in the North Atlantic. This includes adjacent seas such as the Baltic Sea and North Sea. It acts as a meeting point for a community of more than 1600 marine scientists from 20 countries around the North Atlantic. Scientists working through ICES gather information about the marine ecosystem. As well as filling gaps in existing knowledge, this information is also developed into unbiased, non-political advice, which is then used by the 20 member countries. The National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) of the Netherlands is member of the Working Group on Data and Information Management (WGDIM). This was established to provide ICES with advice on all aspects of data management including technical, data policy, data strategy and user-oriented guidance. The group reports directly to the Consultative Committee, and consists of data managers and data users.

  • SCAR - Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management 
    The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) established JCADM in 1997 to manage Antarctic data. JCADM helps facilitate co-operation between scientists and nations with regard to scientific data. JCADM advises on the development of the Antarctic Data Directory System.

  • SeaDataNet network
    The SeaDataNet network operates and further developes a pan-European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management. It involves 49 partners of major oceanographic institutes of 35 participating countries, acting as National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODC), Satellite Data Centres (SDC), two expert modeling centres and three international bodies (IOC-IODE, ICES, and EU-JRC). The NODCs and SDCs are highly skilled and actively engaged in data management for several decades and have the basic capabilities and facilities for data quality control, perennial safeguarding, retrieval and dissemination to both intermediate users (value adding organisations) and end-users. SeaDataNet receives funding from the EU within the Research Infrastructure programme for a five year period (2006 – 2011). The National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) is the official representative of the Netherlands in SeaDataNet, while MARIS acts as technical coordinator. 

 Via Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) the NODC is involved in:

  • EuroGOOS
    EuroGOOS is the European association of national agencies for developing operational oceanographic systems and services in European seas, and for promoting European participation in the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). EuroGOOS was set up in 1994. At present it has 33 members from 17 countries in Europe, and associate membership from several key European multi-national bodies. EuroGOOS bases its plans on the premise that operational forecasting depends upon obtaining a scientifically planned stream of observational data in real time, or near real time, which are transmitted to modelling centres, assimilated into numerical models, and used to produce simulations and forecasts of the state of the ocean and coastal seas. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is an international programme preparing the permanent global framework of observations, modelling and analysis of ocean variables needed to support operational ocean services wherever they are undertaken around the world. Members of EuroGOOS co-operate to establish a concerted European approach to identifying European priorities for operational oceanography, promoting the development of the scientific, technology and computer systems for operational oceanography, and its implementation, assessing the economic and social benefits from operational oceanography. Moreover EuroGOOS aims at contributing to international planning and implementation of GOOS and promoting it at national, European and global level.

Via KNMI the NODC is involved in:

  • WMO
    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources. WMO has a membership of 188 Member States and Territories(since 24 January 2007). Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations in 1951 for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. As weather, climate and the water cycle know no national boundaries, international cooperation at a global scale is essential for the development of meteorology and operational hydrology as well as to reap the benefits from their application. WMO provides the framework for such international cooperation

Via TNO B&O the NODC is involved in:

  • EuroGeoSurveys
    EuroGeoSurveys is a not-for-profit association representing 33 European Geological Surveys. The statutory aims are to address the European issues, to promote contribution of geosciences to EU affairs, to assist EU to obtain technical advice and to provide a network between the geological surveys.

Via Dienst der Hydrografie the NODC is involved in:

  • IHO
    The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) was founded in 1921 as the International Hydrographic Bureau. There are currently 73 Member States. Its objectives are to bring about the coordination of the activities of national hydrographic offices, the greatest possible uniformity in nautical charts and documents, the adoption of reliable and efficient methods of carrying out and exploiting hydrographic surveys, and the development of the sciences in the field of hydrography and the techniques employed in descriptive oceanography.