SCOR works with a variety of non-governmental and intergovernmental partner organizations. Partnerships are mostly on an informal basis, when scientific interests intersect and SCOR can reach mutually beneficial objectives working together with other organizations and when SCOR can leverage its limited resources to achieve SCOR’s vision. Strategic partnerships are especially important for organizations like SCOR that maintain a small staff.
International Science Council (ISC)–SCOR is an Interdisciplinary Body of ISC and represents ISC to provide ocean science input to UN bodies. SCOR has worked closely with ISC unions and other Interdisciplinary Bodies over the past 60 years. For example, the International Association for Biological Oceanography (IABO), the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO), and the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS) appoint ex-officio members to the SCOR Executive Committee. IAPSO has co-sponsored many SCOR working groups. SCOR works with other ISC unions when there are common interests, including through co-sponsoring working groups, providing funding for developing country scientists to attend their conferences, and publishing in their newsletters.
In terms of ISC Interdisciplinary Bodies and Global Change organizations, SCOR worked extensively with the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and currently co-sponsors two international research projects with the Future Earth initiative: the Surface Ocean – Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) and the Integrated Marie Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project, . The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is a co-sponsor of SOLAS and has co-sponsored SCOR working groups. SCOR and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) co-sponsor the Southern Ocean Observing System.
Other Nongovernmental Organizations–SCOR works with the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) on capacity building for ocean science, as well as co-sponsoring the International Quiet Ocean Experiment (IQOE).
Intergovernmental Organizations–SCOR’s most significant intergovernmental partner has been the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, since IOC’s inception in 1960. SCOR and IOC have worked closely on many activities, including co-sponsoring international research projects, working groups, and other activities, and cooperating in capacity building. The results of many early SCOR working groups were published in IOC report series. Currently, SCOR and IOC co-sponsor the following activities: second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2), the Global Harmful Algal Bloom (GlobalHAB) project and the International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP)
SCOR also partners with the North Pacific Marine Sciences Organization (PICES). PICES has developed regional components of several SCOR-sponsored projects and has contributed to many SCOR capacity building activities. SCOR has consistently provided support for developing country scientists and students to attend PICES-sponsored meetings.
Institutions that Host Offices for SCOR-Sponsored Projects–SCOR benefits significantly from national institutions that host international project offices (IPOs) for SCOR-sponsored projects. These institutions may provide a variety of support, including significant investments in staff support and provision of office space and other institutional support. Currently, the following institutions host IPOs: East China Normal University (China), Laboratoire d’Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (France), British Oceanographic Data Centre, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Galway (Ireland), University of Tasmania (Australia), Xiamen University (China).