Glossary and Acronyms
Marine Meteorological and Oceanographic Services related glossary and acronyms are listed below. Other WMO-related acronyms can be found at UNTERM
Updated on 26 May 2025
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| AARI | Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute |
| AG-WWMIWS-SubC | Advisory Group on Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service Sub-Committee |
| AIS | Automatic Identification System |
| AOPC | Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate |
| AOR-E | Atlantic Ocean Region East |
| AOR-W | Atlantic Ocean Region West |
| Arctic Council | |
| Argo | Argo profiling float Pilot Project |
| ASCAT | Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit |
| ASPeCt | Antarctic Sea Ice Processes and Climate |
| ASSIST | Arctic Shipborne Sea Ice Standardization Tool |
| AVHRR | Advanced Very-High Resolution Radiometer |
| BGC | Biogeochemistry |
| BIM | Baltic Icebreaking Management |
| BIMCO | |
| BMKG | Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, Indonesia |
| BMT | British Maritime Technology |
| BSH | German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency |
| BSIS | Baltic Sea Ice Services |
| BUFR | Binary Universal form for the representation of meteorological data |
| CAP | Common Alerting Protocol |
| CCP | Climate Coordination Panel |
| CD | Capacity Development |
| CDP | Capacity Development Panel |
| CEOS | Committee on Earth Observation Satellites |
| Cg | Congress |
| CGMS | Coordination Group for meteorological Satellites |
| CIFDP | Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project |
| CIF-EWS | Coastal Inundation Forecasting Early Warning System |
| CIFI | Coastal Inundation Forecasting Initiative |
| CIS | Canadian Ice Service |
| CLIA | Cruise Lines International Association |
| CLiC | Climate and Cryosphere |
| CLIVAR | Climate and Ocean - Variability Predictability and Change |
| CMA-SAMOA | Environmental Control Panel-Meteorological and Oceanographic Support System of the Port Authority (Spanish) |
| CMCC | Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change |
| CMEMS | European Union Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service Programme |
| CMM | Commission for Marine Meteorology |
| COMSAR | Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue |
| COP | UN Climate Change Conference |
| COWCLiP | Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project |
| CREWS | Climate Risk & Early Warning Systems |
| CSB | Crowdsourced Bathymetry |
| CWAM | Coastal Wave Model |
| DBCP | Data Buoy Cooperation Panel |
| DESA | UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs |
| DHI | Danish Hydraulic Institute |
| DOALOS | Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea |
| DRR | Disaster Risk Reduction |
| DRWG | Document Review Working Group |
| DSC | Digital Selective Calling |
| DSS | Douglas Sea State |
| DWD | Deutscher Wetterdienst, Germany |
| EC | Executive Council |
| ECCC | Environment and Climate Change Canada |
| ECDIS | Electronic Chart Display and Information System |
| ECOSOC | Economic and Social Council |
| ECV | Essential Climate Variable |
| EGC | Enhanced Group Call |
| EIS | European Ice Services |
| ENC | Electronic Navigational Charts |
| EOS | Earth Observing System |
| EOV | Essential Ocean Variable |
| EPIRB | Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon |
| EPPR | Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response |
| ET | Expert Team |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| ET-AC | Expert Team on Audit and Certification/SC-IMT |
| ET-CCD | Expert Team on Competency and Capacity Development/SC-MMO |
| ET-CER | Expert Team on Coastal and Emergency Response/SC-MMO |
| ETDRR | Expert Team on Disaster Risk Reduction/former JCOMM |
| ET-IM | Expert Team on Information Management/SC-IMT |
| ETMEER | Expert Team on Marine Environmental Emergency Response/former JCOMM |
| ET-MOR | Expert Team on Met-Ocean Requirements/SC-MMO |
| ET-MS | Expert Team on Maritime Safety/SC-MMO |
| ET-MSS | Expert Team on Maritime Safety Services/former JCOMM |
| ETOOFS | Expert Team on Operational Ocean Forecasting Systems/GOOS |
| ETSI | Expert Team on Sea Ice/former JCOMM |
| ET-W2WPE | Expert Team on WIS2 WMO Programmes Engagement/SC-IMT |
| EUMETNET | Grouping of 31 European National Meteorological Services |
| EUMETSAT | European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites |
| EW4All | Early Warnings For All Initiative |
| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization |
| FFGS | Flash Flood Guidance Systems |
| filecloud | WMO collaboration platform, previously elioscloud |
| FINAC | Financial Advisory Committee |
| FMI | Finnish Meteorological Institute |
| FOC | Full Operational Capability |
| GAW | Global Atmosphere Watch |
| GBON | Global Basic Observing Network |
| GCOS | Global Climate Observing Systems |
| GCW-AG | Global Cryosphere Watch Advisory Group |
| GDAC | Global Data Assembly Centre of JCOMM |
| GDPFS | Global Data-processing and Forecasting System |
| GDSIDB | Global Digital Sea Ice Data Bank |
| GEBCO | The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans |
| GESAMP | Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection |
| GFCS | Global Framework for Climate Services |
| GIS | Geographic Information System |
| GISIS | Global Integrated Shipping Information System |
| GLOSS | Global Ocean Observing System/GOOS |
| GMAS | Global Multi-Hazard Alert System |
| GMDSS | Global Maritime Distress and Safety System |
| GML | Geography Markup Language |
| GOADE | The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment |
| GOOS | Global Ocean Observing System |
| GOS | Global Observing System |
| GO-SHIP | Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic INvestigations Program |
| GRUAN | GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network |
| GT | Gross Tonnage |
| GTS | Global Telecommunication System |
| GUAN | GCOS Upper-Air Network |
| GWAM | Global Wave Model |
| HCP | Hydrological Coordination Panel |
| HF NBDP | High-Frequency Narrow-Band Direct-Printing |
| HFR | High-Frequency Radar |
| HMEI | Hydro-Meteorological Equipment Industry |
| HO | Hydrographic Office |
| IACS | International Association of Classification Societies |
| IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency |
| IAIN | International Association of Institutes of Navigation |
| IALA | International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities |
| IAPH | International Association of Ports and Harbors |
| IASC | International Arctic Scientific Committee |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ICOADS | International Comprehensive Ocean?Atmosphere Data Set |
| ICS | International Chamber of Shipping |
| IFSMA | International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations |
| IHMA | International Harbour Masters Association |
| IHO | International Hydrographic Organization |
| IICWG | International Ice Charting Working Group |
| IIP | International Ice Patrol |
| IMAREST | Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology |
| IMCA | International Marine Contractors Association |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization |
| IMPA | International Maritime Pilots Association |
| IMSO | International Mobile Satellite Organization |
| IndOOS | Indian Ocean Observing System |
| INFCOM | Commission for Observation, Infrastructure and Information Systems |
| INMARSAT | |
| Intercargo | International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners |
| Interferry | a shipping association representing the ferry industry worldwide |
| International Enhanced Group Call service* | the coordinated broadcast and automatic reception of Maritime Safety Information and Search and Rescue related information via Enhanced Group Call, using the English language. |
| International NAVTEX service* | the coordinated broadcast and automatic reception on 518 kHz of maritime safety information by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy using the English language |
| International SafetyNET service | the coordinated broadcast and automatic reception of maritime safety information via the Inmarsat Enhanced Group Call(EGC) system, using the English language, in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended |
| IOC-UNESCO | Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO |
| IODE | International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange programme |
| IOGP | International Oil and Gas Producers |
| IOM | International Organization for Migration |
| IOR | Indian Ocean Region |
| IPCC | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |
| IPWG | Informal Prepatory Working Group |
| IPY | International Polar Year |
| Issuing Service | a National Meteorological Service which has accepted responsibility for ensuring that meteorological warnings and forecasts for shipping are disseminated through the Inmarsat SafetyNET service to the METAREA for which the Service has accepted responsibility under the broadcast requirements of the GMDSS |
| ITC | International Trade Centre |
| ITLOS | International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea |
| ITU | |
| IUMI | International Union of Marine Insurance |
| IWG-SODIS | Inter-sessional working group to propose a strategy on ocean data and information stewardship for the UN Ocean Decade |
| JCB | Joint WMO-IOC Collaborative Board |
| JCOMM | Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology |
| JET-EOSDE | Joint Expert Team on Earth Observing System Design and Evolution |
| KHOA | Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency |
| KMA | Korea Meteorological Administration |
| KPI | Kep Performance Indicators |
| KRISO | Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering |
| LDC | Least Developed Countries |
| LES | Inmarsat Land Earth Stations |
| LN | Light Nilas |
| LNG | Liquefied Natural Gas |
| LNG | Liquefied Natural Gas |
| LRIT | Long-range identification and tracking |
| MAR | Marine Services Division WMO |
| MARPOL | International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships |
| MASS | Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships |
| MCP | Maritime Connectivity Platform |
| MEER | Marine Environmental Emergency Response |
| MEPC | Marine Environment Protection Committee |
| MER | Marine Emergency Response |
| METAREA* | a geographical sea area* established for the purpose of coordinating the broadcast of marine meteorological information. (*which may include inland seas, lakes and waterways navigable by seagoing ships) |
| METAREA Coordinator* | the individual with the authority to coordinate marine meteorological information broadcasts by one or more National Meteorological and Hydrological Services acting as Preparation or Issuing Services within the METAREA. |
| MetOcean | Meteorology and (physical) Oceanography |
| MG | Management Group |
| MHEWS | Multi-Hazard Early Warning System |
| MMOP | WMO Marine Meteorology and Oceanography Programme |
| MMS | Marine Meteorological Services |
| MODIS | Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer |
| MS | Member States |
| MSC | Maritime Safety Committee/IMO |
| MSI | Maritime Safety Information |
| MSI service | the internationally and nationally co-ordinated network of broadcasts containing information which is necessary for safe navigation |
| MSIP | Maritime Safety Information Provider |
| MY | Multi-year ice |
| NAIS | North American Ice Service |
| NAVAREA* | a geographical sea area** established for the purpose of coordinating the broadcast of navigational warnings. The term NAVAREA followed by a roman numeral may be used to identify a particular sea area. The delimitation of such areas is not related to and should not prejudice the delimitation of any boundaries between States. |
| NAVAREA Coordinator* | the authority charged with operating and managing one or more NAVTEX stations broadcasting Maritime Safety Information as part of the International NAVTEX service. |
| NAVAREA warning | a navigational warning or in-force bulletin promulgated as part of a numbered series by a NAVAREA Coordinator |
| NAVDAT | a navigational warning or in-force bulletin promulgated as part of a numbered series by a NAVAREA coordinator. |
| NAVTEX* | NAVigational TEleX: the system for the broadcast and automatic reception of maritime safety information by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy |
| NAVTEX Coordinator* | the authority charged with operating and managing one or more NAVTEX stations broadcasting maritime safety information as part of the International NAVTEX service. |
| NAVTEX coverage area* | an area defined by an arc of a circle having a radius from the transmitter calculated according to the method and criteria given in resolution A.801(19), as amended. |
| NAVTEX service area | a unique and precisely defined sea area, wholly contained within the NAVTEX coverage area, for which maritime safety information is provided from a particular NAVTEX transmitter. It is normally defined by a line that takes full account of local propagation conditions and the character and volume of information and maritime traffic patterns in the region, as given in resolution A.801(19), as amended. |
| NBDP | HF Narrow-Band Direct Printing |
| NCSR | Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue |
| NI | The Nautical Institute |
| NL | Nilas |
| NMHS | National Meteorological and Hydrological Services |
| NMSFP | National Marine Services Focal Point |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/USA |
| O2R | Operation to Research |
| OBPS | Ocean Best Practices System |
| OceanOPS | The WMO-IOC Joint Centre for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology in situ Observations Programmes Support, formerly named JCOMMOPS |
| OCIMF | Oil Companies International Marine Forum |
| ODIS | Ocean Data and Information System |
| ODTP-SC | Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme Scientific Committee |
| OECD | Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development |
| OIH | Ocean Infohub |
| OLCI | Ocean and Land Colour Instrument |
| OLS | Operational Linescan System |
| OOPC | Ocean Observations Physics and Climate panel |
| OSCAR | Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review Tool |
| OP | Operating Plan |
| OPRC | International Convention on Oil Pollution, Preparedness, Response and Cooperation |
| OTGA | Ocean Teacher Global Academy |
| PAC | Policy Advisory Committee |
| PAME | Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group |
| PHORS | Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations |
| PIANC | the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure |
| PMO | Port Meteorological Officers |
| PoC | Point of Contact |
| POR | Pacific Ocean Region |
| PPE | Public-Private Engagement |
| PS | Product Specification |
| PSIDS | Pacific Small Island Developing States |
| PSU | Practical Salinity Units |
| PT | Project Team |
| QMS | Quality Management System |
| R&D | Research and Development |
| R2O | Research to Operation |
| RA | Regional Association |
| RB | Research Board |
| RCC | Rescue Coordination Centre |
| RMSS | Recognized Mobile Satellite Service |
| RRR | Rolling Review of Requirements |
| RSMC | Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre |
| RTTY | Radio Teletype |
| S-100 | IHO S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model |
| S2S | Sub-seasonal to Seasonal |
| S-411 | S-411 Ice Information |
| S-412 | S-412 weather Overlay |
| S-413 | S-413 Weather and Wave Conditions |
| S-414 | S-414 Weather and Wave Observations |
| S-41X | S-411, S-412, S-413, S-414 |
| S-57 | IHO data format used for ECDIS |
| SafetyNET* | International SafetyNET service means the coordinated broadcast and automatic reception of Maritime Safety Information via the Inmarsat Enhanced Group Call system, using the English language, in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended. |
| SafetyNET II | International SafetyNET II service means Inmarsat's enhancement to the SafetyNET service, providing coordinated broadcasting and automated reception of Maritime Safety Information on Inmarsat approved terminals including Inmarsat C, Mini C and Fleet Safety, via an interactive web-based interface, using the English language, in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended. |
| SAON | Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks |
| SAP | Scientific Advisory Panel |
| SAR | Search And Rescue |
| SAR | Synthetic Aperture Radar |
| SAR information | Distress alert relays and other urgent search and rescue information broadcast to ships |
| SARSAT | Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking |
| SART | Search And Rescue Transponder |
| SBSTA | Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice |
| SC | Standing Committee |
| SC-AGR | Standing Committee on Services for Agriculture |
| SCAR | Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research |
| SC-CLI | Standing Committee on Climate Services |
| SC-DRR | Standing Committee on Services for Disaster Risk Reduction and Public Services/SERCOM |
| SC-ESMP | Standing Committee on Data Processing for Applied Earth System Modelling and Prediction/INFCOM |
| SC-HYD | Standing Committee on Hydrological Services/SERCOM |
| SC-IMT | Standing Committee on Information Management and Technology/INFCOM |
| SC-MMO | Standing Committee on Marine Meteorological and Oceanographic Services/SERCOM |
| SC-ON | Standing Committee on Earth Observing Systems and Monitoring Networks/INFCOM |
| SDGs | Sustainable Development Goals |
| Sea Area A1* | an area within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one very high frequency (VHF) coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available, as may be defined by a Contracting Government. |
| Sea Area A2* | an area, excluding sea area A1, within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one medium frequency (MF) coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available, as may be defined by a Contracting Government. |
| Sea Area A3* | an area, excluding sea areas A1 and A2, within the coverage of a recognized mobile satellite service supported by the ship earth station carried on board, in which continuous alerting is available. |
| Sea Area A4* | Sea area A4 means an area outside of sea areas A1, A2 and A3. |
| SERCOM | Commission for Weather, Climate, Water and Related Environmental Services and Applications |
| SES | Ship Earth Station |
| SG | Study Group |
| SG-CRYO | Study Group on WMO Cryosphere Crosscutting Functions: Global Cryosphere Watch |
| SG-ENE | Study Group on Integrated Energy Services |
| SG-HEA | Study Group on Integrated Health Services |
| SG-OOIS | Study Group on Ocean Observations and Infrastructure Systems |
| SG-URB | Study Group on Integrated Urban Services |
| SIDS | Small Island Developing States |
| SLSTR | Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radioeter |
| SOFF | Systematic Observations Financing Facility |
| SOLAS | International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea |
| SOOP | Ship Of Opportunity Programme/GOOS |
| SOT | Ship Observation Team |
| SPC | the Pacific Community |
| SSMIS | Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder |
| STCW | International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers |
| STM | Sea Traffic Management |
| TC | Technical Commission |
| TCC | Technical Coordination Committee |
| TEU | Twenty-foot equivalent units |
| TOPC | Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate |
| ToR/TOR | Term of References |
| TOWS-WG | Working Group on Tsunamis and Other Hazards Related to Sea-Level Warning and Mitigation Systems |
| TPOS | Tropical Pacific Observing System |
| TT | Task Team |
| TT-CSF | Task Team on Climate Services and Fisheries |
| TWS | Tsunami Warning Service |
| UN Environment | UN Environment Programme |
| UNDRR | UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction |
| UNEP | UN Environment Programme |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| UNFCCC | UN Framework Convention on Climate Change |
| UNH | University of New Hamshere |
| UNOHRLLS | United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States |
| USCG | United States Coast Guard |
| USNIC | National Ice Center/USA |
| VDES | VHF Data Exchange System |
| VHF | Very high Frequency radio |
| VOS | Voluntary Observing Ship |
| VTS | vessel traffic service |
| WAM | Wave Action Model |
| WCRP | World Climate Research Programme |
| WEF | World Economic Forum |
| WFP | World Food Programme |
| WG | Working Group |
| WGNE | Working Group on Numerical Experimentation |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WIGOS | WMO Integrated Global Observing System |
| WIPPS | WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System |
| WIS | WMO Information System |
| WMO | World Meteorological Organization |
| WOC | World Ocean Council |
| WODP | World Ocean Database Programme |
| WSC | World Shipping Council |
| WW3 | WaveWatch 3 |
| WWMIWS | the IMO/WMO Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service |
| WWNWS | World-Wide Navigational Warning Service |
| WWNWS-SC | World-Wide Navigational Warning Service Sub Committee/IHO |
| WWRP | World Weather Research Programme |
| YOPP | Year of Polar Prediction |
* IMO definitions
**Which may include inland seas, lakes and waterways navigable by seagoing ships.