Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) – Steering Committee Meeting No 4

Snapshot of some of the active cameras during the IIOE-2 SC4 meeting

The Steering Committee of the IIOE-2 met virtually from the 12-15 of April 2021 organized by the IIOE-2 Joint Project Office (JPO) through hits respective nodes at the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and UNESCO IOC Perth Programme Office. The meeting was chaired by Marie-Alexandrine Sicre (SCOR) and by Satheesh Shenoi (INCOIS), co-chairs of the Steering Committee of the IIOE-2 with Vladimir Ryabinin (IOC). Marie-Alexandrine (France) succeeded former co-chair Peter Burkill (UK) who stepped down in October 2020. The meeting was attended by more than 70participants representing more than 45 organisations from 14 countries.

A full agenda and links to background documents including the presentations can be found at: https://iioe-2.incois.gov.in/IIOE-2/SC4_agenda.jsp

Reports on national activities were delivered by chairs or representatives of IIOE-2 National Committees. Subsequent progress reports of WG 1 (Science and Research), WG2 (Data and Information Management) and WG3 (Operational Coordination) highlighted important achievements made on publications, data and information management as well as communication.

Vladimir Ryabinin then provided an update on the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable development and feedbacks on IIOE-2 endorsement request.

During Day 2 and 3 of the meeting, progress reports of the science themes were delivered by the chairs. This was followed by presentations from invited projects, the Early Career Scientists Network, and results of GEOTRACES in the Indian Ocean.

An open Science Symposium was held on Day 4, with six long (15 minute) talks and seven flash (5 minute) talks on a diversity of topics including features of the Southern Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean fisheries and variability, biological oceanography in upwelling regions, ocean circulation, climate change and extreme events in the Indian Ocean, among others.

IIOE-2 co-chairs Marie Alexandrine Sicre (SCOR), Satheesh Shenoi (INCOIS), Vladimir Ryabinin (SCOR) with members of the IIOE-2 Secretariat, Nick D’Adamo (UNESCO IOC Perth Programme Office) and Satya Prakash (INCOS), and Korean representative Dong-Jin Kang (KIOST).