The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP), was established in 1985 as a joint WMO/IOC initiative (see ToR). It was originally concerned only with drifting ocean data buoys, but in 1993 expanded its activities to also encompass moored data buoys on the open ocean. It addresses the requirements and needs for real-time or archival data from buoys, both drifting and moored, coordinates buoy deployments worldwide, and provides a forum for the exchange of technical and related information on buoy technology, communications systems and the applications of buoy data, to both operations and research.