Proposal for a joint workshop between the Southern Ocean Observing System and the Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Executive Committee requests that the Scientific Committee consider a proposal to hold a joint two-day workshop between representatives of SOOS and SC-CAMLR to consider mechanisms for communication, collaboration and co-operation between SOOS and SC-CAMLR.  SOOS was established in 2011 and has been communicating with the Scientific Committee since that time (see this year’s report in SC-CAMLR-XXXVI/BG/14).  Last year, SOOS was recognised by the Scientific Committee as having an important role in a number of areas of its work, including ecosystem monitoring and observation (SC-CAMLR-XXXV, paragraph 3.24; SC-CAMLR-XXXV-Annex 6, paragraphs 2.83, 2.84 and 2.94), spatial management of impacts on the Antarctic ecosystem (SC-CAMLR-XXXV, paragraph 5.7), climate change (SC-CAMLR-XXXV, paragraphs 8.3-8.4, 8.23-8.24) and data management (SC-CAMLR-XXXV, paragraph 14.4).  The report from SOOS this year (BG/14) indicates many activities of interest to SC-CAMLR, particularly the regional and capability working groups and the development of three tools that facilitate collaborations and data discovery. Given the many useful interactions that could be of benefit to both SC-CAMLR and SOOS, the Executive Committee of SOOS wishes to establish a dialogue with SC-CAMLR on how these interactions could be most easily achieved.  The proposed workshop aims to identify relevant mechanisms for achieving this.