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An ocean of knowledge, a shared mission

Together, CIOOS and its partners are making knowledge about the oceans more accessible to everyone.

Established in 2019, CIOOS facilitates access to ocean data in collaboration with Canada’s ocean observing community.

The Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS) is Canada’s national hub for ocean data, turning fragmented information into standardized and accessible knowledge. We give researchers, policymakers, and industry a trusted foundation of interoperable data that strengthens collaboration, supports innovation, and enables responsible ocean stewardship.

Discover our tools
Our mission

To foster partnerships and grow a powerful online platform that generates information, knowledge, and place-based solutions to advance our understanding of the ocean.

Our vision

As Canada’s nucleus for ocean observing, CIOOS makes connections for a sustainable ocean future.

Working together, we are shaping the future of ocean data in Canada

Meet our team
Our history

Since its inception, CIOOS has embodied the collective desire to better observe and understand Canada’s oceans.

A collaboration between institutional, governmental, and non-governmental partners, CIOOS was designed as a concrete response to the need to centralise, share and make accessible Canada’s ocean data. CIOOS works to integrate fragmented and isolated ocean data by creating an open-access national platform that facilitates data discovery for end-users.

2014

MEOPAR sponsors a workshop to develop best practices and a shared vision for an integrated national ocean observation system in Canada. A Community of Practice on Ocean Data Management (COP-ODM) is established, comprising representatives from academia, NGOs and government.

2015

A forum on ocean data management is organised, bringing together more than 50 participants from government, academia and industry to share their perspectives and best practices. A report is drafted setting out the vision for Canada’s future integrated ocean observation system.

2017

The CP-GDO is drafting three studies on cyberinfrastructure, observation and data, and finally on data visualisation, as part of an option to implement the SIOOC. These reports make recommendations to help this observation system move from theory to practice.

2018

Three regional associations for the Pacific, St. Lawrence and Atlantic regions are established and funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and MEOPAR.

2019

DFO and MEOPAR announced the first cycle of funding of the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System to pilot the program.

2020

CIOOS website launched with two national data discovery tools.

DFO, MEOPAR, and the Tula Foundation announced Cycle 2 funding, an extended pilot phase of CIOOS, for an additional two years.

2021

DFO and MEOPAR announced the inception of Phase 1.0 of the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System.

2022

An Implementation Plan was produced to complement the Strategic Plan and coordinate work plans across CIOOS.

Funding was renewed for an additional cycle, until March 2024.

2023

An Advisory Committee for CIOOS was established to help provide new opportunities and strategic direction.

CIOOS is recognized as a regional alliance of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

2025

DFO and MEOPAR co-fund the CIOOS Coordination Office, hosted at MEOPAR. The team starts its national activities in the Spring of 2025.

Funding was renewed for a 4th Cycle, until March 2027.

Strategic plan
2021-2026

Plotting the course

CIOOS Strategic Plan 2021-2026 unifies the path forward for each Regional Association.

It serves as a roadmap detailing core values, areas of societal impact, and a vision for ocean observation in Canada. Four main themes are presented in the document:

Partnerships

Strengthen partnerships for improved ocean observations and service delivery.

Goal 1.1. Regional Partnerships: Strengthen engagement with new and existing regional partners to increase and diversify data holdings, promote usability and provide products and services.
Goal 1.2. National Partnerships: Promote the work of CIOOS’ community of partners at the national level to increase collaboration within CIOOS and across Canadian initiatives.
Goal 1.3. International Partnerships: Represent Canadian ocean observing on a world stage through increasing visibility and expanding international. collaborations and partnerships
Goal 1.4. Indigenous Partnerships: Continue ongoing engagement and dialogue with Indigenous governments, organizations and communities to explore best practices for sharing and preserving Indigenous ocean knowledge and data in ways that support Indigenous data sovereignty.

Data

Improve the discoverability, accessibility and interoperability of Canadian oceanographic data.

Goal 2.1. Expand data sets available to increase discoverability and accessibility.
Goal 2.2. Increase real and near real time data sharing to improve forcasting capabilities.
Goal 2.3. Develop standardized, reliable methodology for ocean data in Canada which is categorized and developed to improve interoperability.
Goal 2.4. Leverage Regional Associations as national data assembly centres to capitalize on regional expertise

Tools

Convert ocean data into information and knowledge through the development and use of tools, products and applications.

Goal 3.1. Create, adapt and catalogue tools that enable efficient ingestion and processing of ocean data.
Goal 3.2. Develop tools to increase the usability and accessibility of the CIOOS user interface.
Goal 3.3. Develop tools, products and applications that are purpose-made for specific end-user groups.
Goal 3.4. Showcase and share tools, products and applications developed by end-users to create a valuable knowledge base within CIOOS that builds on itself.

Modelling

Increase the ability to understand current states and predict future states of Canada’s ocean spaces by supporting modelling efforts and sharing ocean model results.

Goal 4.1. Catalogue models and model standards available regionally and nationally to increase overall use of model data and support reusability
Goal 4.2. Develop CIOOS model metadata standards in order to more efficiently ingest model output data
Goal 4.3. Connect modellers with ocean observational data to enable the development, assimilation and validation of models
Goal 4.4. Enable CIOOS partners to develop data products and applications to address model user requirements.

View the Strategic Plan

Annual Reports