The OceanTeacher Aademy prospectus provides detailed information on all courses that are scheduled in 2010 at the IOC Project Office for IODE in Oostende, Belgium.

The objective of the OceanTeacher Academy (OTA) is to offer a teaching programme of courses related to oceanographic data and information management and the development of related products and services.
The OceanTeacher Training Academy underpins all Ocean Data and Information Networks supported by IOC/IODE.

The prospectus can be downloaded from the OceanTeacher Academy website through THIS LINK

The report of the OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System) Strategy and Work plan Meeting is now available.

The meeting was held at the IOC Project Office for IODE in Oostende, Belgium between 18-20 November 2009. The meeting was organized back-to-back with the 8th Session of the OBIS managers committee. 

The Strategy Meeting had the following outcome: (i) preparation of detailed work plan and timetable for 2010-2011; (ii) drafting of "concept papers" that could later be further developed into full project proposals. The approach take was to identify strategic applications which would demonstrate the societal benefits of the OBIS database and related products and services. Six concept papers were prepared.

Find more info on the Workshop HERE or download the report HERE.

The first recommended standard was published today as "Recommendation to Adopt ISO 3166-1 and 3166-3 Country Codes as the Standard for Identifying Countries in Oceanographic Data Exchange" in the new IOC Manuals and Guides No. 54 series "Ocean Data Standards".

[more from the Ocean Data Standards web site ]

On 14 December 2009 the Second IODE Scientific Seminar was held at the IOC Project Office for IODE. This series of seminars allows Scientists from Flanders (the region that hosts the IOC Project Office) to participate in some of the IODE training courses held in Oostende. The Second Seminar was held within the framework of the "EUMETSAT/NOAA/IODE Training Course on the Use of Satellite Wind & Wave Products for Marine Forecasting" (Oostende, 14-18 December 2009). Three eminent experts provided a presentation: Dr Barbara Ryan (Director, WMO Space Programme, Genewa, Switzerland), Dr Mikael Rattenborg (Director of Operations, EUMETSAT, Darmstadt, Germany) and Dr Stanley Wilson, Senior Scientist, NOAA, USA.

Barbara Ryan, WMO	Mikhael Rattenborg, EUMETSAT	Stan Wilson, NOAA

Full information on the Course is available HERE

The IOC Project Office for IODE will be closed between Thursday 24 December 2009 and Monday 4 January 2010.

We want to wish all IODE national coordinators and friends of IODE restful and joyful holidays and we look forward to working with you in 2010.

The Project Office Team.