The State of the Global Ocean Observing System 2026 report warned of continued geographical and funding gaps in ocean and sea observing networks, despite progress in expanding international cooperation and developing monitoring tools, noting that the sustainability of these networks faces challenges related to securing long-term funding, imbalanced state contributions, and lack of coverage in polar, deep ocean and coastal areas.
And the report, issued on November 6, 2026 by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), stated that 67 countries have contributed to the collection of marine physical and biogeochemical data through 17 international monitoring networks, followed by the OceanOPS system, as part of efforts to build an integrated global ocean observation system and provide continuous data on changes in the marine environment.
And the ocean is a key element in the safety, well-being and livelihoods of communities, as changes in climate, weather, food security and the marine economy affect. Therefore, understanding these shifts depends on the continuation of observations and measurements, from the bottom of the oceans to the atmosphere, using specialized stations, devices and platforms, along with the scientific and technical cadres that operate and analyze their data.
The report comes at a time when accurate marine information is increasingly needed, not only for scientific research purposes, but also to improve weather forecasting, climate monitoring, coastal and marine risk management, protect biodiversity, and support the sustainable use of marine resources.
67 States and 17 ocean observing networks
And the report pointed out that 67 countries are currently participating in physical and biogeochemical observations of the oceans through 17 networks of the Global Ocean Observing System, while satellites supplement these measurements by providing data from space, in addition to scientific initiatives and specialized institutions that collect information on marine organisms and ecosystems.
Together, the system provides a broad database used in multiple areas, most notably weather forecasting, climate change monitoring, risk assessment for navigation and coastal areas, biodiversity monitoring, as well as supporting sustainable marine economies.
The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is managed under the leadership of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in cooperation with States, institutions, researchers and marine science specialists.
Its Ocean Ops operational center is jointly supported by the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and supports the implementation of the monitoring system and the monitoring of the performance and operational status of global networks.
Gaps in polar regions and deep oceans
Despite the progress recorded, the report noted that monitoring capacities remain unevenly distributed among regions of the world, and that a number of networks face difficulties in securing the sustained funding needed to sustain their operations and expand their coverage.
And the long-term implementation of monitoring programs still relies heavily on a relatively limited number of major contributors, particularly the G7 and Australia, raising questions about the system’s ability to ensure balanced and sustainable global coverage.
In particular, there is a need to improve observations in the Southern Ocean and polar regions, maritime boundary systems, marginal seas and deep oceans, as well as in many coastal areas, especially in developing States and small island developing States.
And these gaps are gaining additional importance due to the sensitivity of the polar regions and deep oceans to climate and environmental changes, as well as the difficulty of access and high operating costs of monitoring stations. Lack of data in coastal areas may also limit countries’ ability to assess risks to communities, facilities and infrastructure near beaches.
And in this context, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Celeste Saulo, said that the absence of ocean monitoring data makes the world unable to form a clear picture of what is happening in the marine environment, noting that these data represent the basis for weather forecasting and understanding the climate system, and helped predict the developments of the exceptional El Niño phenomenon and its strength during the current year.
São Paulo emphasized that ocean data represents a global public good, calling for investment priorities to reflect this shared value that transcends the borders of countries and regions.
Finance and governance: the biggest challenge to sustainable monitoring
The challenges identified in the report do not relate solely to technical and scientific aspects, but extend to the nature of international governance, mechanisms for allocating responsibilities and ensuring continued funding.
The Executive Secretary of IOC, Vidar Helgesen, said that strengthening the Global Ocean Observing System was not only a scientific challenge, but also a governance challenge, explaining that what was needed was to build a more efficient system that States could maintain and fund over the long term.
He stressed the importance of increasing investments and strengthening cooperation with governments, ensuring that monitoring is not limited to limited initiatives or temporary contributions, but is turned into a sustainable institutional commitment.
This trend suggests that the future of monitoring networks is linked to the ability of states to coordinate their marine and environmental policies, provide the necessary financial and technical resources, and allocate roles in a way that ensures continuous data collection, updating, and sharing.
Poor coordination leads to duplication of efforts and loss of data
Joanna Post, director of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), said poor coordination among national, regional and international levels is leading to a loss of some of the value that the observing system can provide.
And she explained that the absence of effective harmonization may lead to the repetition of efforts in some areas, and the continuation of gaps in other areas, as well as the lack of access to data to those who need it, stressing that strengthening coordination is the necessary first step, and that those responsible for it need political support to enable them to perform their role.
These observations highlight a problem that goes beyond data collection, as the value of monitoring is not only achieved by the operation of devices and platforms, but also depends on the ability to standardize, share information and make it available to researchers, governments and the operational entities that use it in planning and decision-making.
Coastal climate and resilience and coral reef protection
The 2026 report reviews a range of developments and initiatives that illustrate the practical impact of ocean observing networks, including efforts to close gaps in climate monitoring of the polar oceans, and to provide practical tools to enhance the resilience of Pacific communities to rising sea levels.
It also addresses the role of coral reef and algal monitoring in supporting global efforts to monitor and restore coral reefs, as well as the launch of a new international alliance to support and enhance the capabilities of the Global Ocean Observing System, led by the European Union and Canada.
The report also includes a model of international cooperation in recovering a marine slider lost during observations, highlighting the importance of cooperation between scientific teams, operators and international organizations in maintaining monitoring equipment and the continuity of its work.
Through an interactive platform, the report provides access to the latest data and indicators related to the 17 monitoring networks, including a map of platforms and reference monitoring stations published by countries, as well as presenting stories that illustrate the impact of marine data in dealing with climate and environmental challenges.
Ocean monitoring essential for climate and economic security
And the report’s findings reveal that expanding ocean observing networks is no longer a matter of advancing scientific research alone, but has become part of the requirements for climate and economic security and risk management, in light of the direct impact of the oceans on weather patterns, temperatures, sea levels and ecosystems.
Persistent geographical and funding gaps may limit countries’ ability to prepare for maritime and climate disasters, affect the accuracy of weather and climate forecasts, and weaken efforts to protect coastlines and marine resources.
And while the participation of 67 countries across 17 networks is a step towards building a broader global system, the report finds that the key challenge is to turn this progress into a sustainable and balanced system, not dependent on a limited number of countries, and ensuring that data reaches different regions and beneficiaries.
In doing so, the report places funding, coordination and international governance at the center of the future of ocean observation, as elements that are no less important than the technologies and devices used in data collection, especially since understanding changes in the seas and oceans is a prerequisite for protecting coastal communities and enhancing resilience to climate shifts.
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