Odyssey Project: Contributing Actively to the Implementation of the Global Ocean Observing System

Abstract The Odyssey Project coordinated by OceanOPS, joint center of the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, will support and involve civil society, including citizens, sailors, businesses, etc., in observing the ocean and the atmosphere above it to contribute to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) implementation.As the global population is set to reach more than 9 billion people by 2050, impacts on the ocean associated with human activities will escalate. Understanding the variability and trends of the ocean and the related impacts on our society, through sustained oceanographic and marine meteorological observations and ocean science, is essential to predict the consequences of change, guide mitigation, and design adaptation for the benefit of the nature and humankind.The Odyssey project embodies the level of response we need to face climate issues and will help strengthen collaborations within and outside the global ocean observing community. These collaborations, based on the met-ocean observations' collection, data sharing and analyses, scientific and technological developments, will be essential to develop such a project.