About JCOMM
About JCOMM ...
Structure
Management Committee
The WMO/IOC Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) is an intergovernmental body of experts, which provides the international, intergovernmental coordination, regulation and management mechanism for an operational oceanographic and marine meteorological observing, data management and services system. Until the formation of JCOMM in 1999, the coordination of these activities was provided by two separate bodies: the WMO Commission for Marine Meteorology (CMM) and the Joint IOC/WMO Committee for the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS). JCOMM is the result of the recognition of the increasing demand for integrated marine meteorological and oceanographic data and services, and the efficiencies that may be achieved by combining the expertise and technological capabilities of the WMO and IOC systems.
JCOMM meets its mandate through:
Further development of the observing networks under the guidance of GOOS, GCOS, WWW and other operational programmes, and cooperation with these bodies in seeking commitments for all components of an operational programme in the global oceans.
Implementation of integrated end-to-end data management systems in collaboration with the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS), the Committee for International Data and Information Exchange (IODE), the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), and other appropriate data management bodies, to meet the real-time operational needs of the present operational systems and the global observing systems.
Delivery of products and services needed by international science and operational programmes, Members of WMO, and Member States of IOC. An important component of this will be the coordination of the safety-related marine meteorological and associated oceanographic services as an integral part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
Provision of Capacity Development through education, training, technology transfer and implementation support to Member States.
Establishment and enhancement of partnerships, liaison and collaboration with other global programs and international agencies both within and outside the UN system
JCOMM is a global organization with:
A current membership of approximately 250 experts in marine meteorology and oceanography, and almost all national delegations include approximately equal numbers of meteorologists and oceanographers providing support to the marine community.
A global network to provide maritime services including the provision of warnings and weather and sea bulletins according to a broadcast schedule, in conformity with procedures laid down under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) protocols within SOLAS.
6500 volunteer merchant vessels observing meteorology and surface oceanography.
120 volunteer vessels observing subsurface temperature and salinity.
1250 drifters observing meteorology and surface oceanography.
100s of moored ocean buoys for meteorology and ocean parameters.
10-20 volunteer merchant and research vessels making upper atmosphere vertical soundings.
Partnership with global programs such as Argo, a pilot program utilizing up to 3000 diving profilers to collect synoptic vertical profiles of upper ocean temperature and salinity.
400 tidal stations for sea level. Some are reporting in real time.
Arctic and Antarctic ice monitoring.
Collaborations with the satellite community, facilitating on-line acquisition and calibration/validation of altimeter/scatterometer/SAR data, as examples.
The capacity to provide end-to-end data management support, data acquisition guidance, data management, data exchange.
Information dissemination mechanisms, e.g. through JCOMMOPS and the JCOMM Products Bulletin.
20 - 30 lead nations in numerical modelling/data assimilation.
A strong commitment to embracing and supporting new technologies in all elements of JCOMM.
A major focus on Capacity Development and implementation assistance for services.
Program Areas
JCOMM is organized within three Programme Areas, each managed by a Coordinator and small Coordination Group - Observations, Data Management, and Services. Within each Programme Area, specific activities are undertaken by a number of Expert Teams, Task Teams and Panels. Overall guidance and oversight for the work of the Commission is provided by a Management Committee, chaired by the two co-presidents of JCOMM, and including the three Programme Area Coordinators, representatives of GOOS, GCOS and IODE, and a small number of other selected experts for representing the satellite, Capacity Development, and polar regions communities.