Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service evolution: New and Innovative Ocean Data Assimilation Techniques

Scope

• The areas of R&I to address the expected outcomes include:
  • Coupled data assimilation (e.g. between ocean and biogeochemistry, ocean and sea-ice, ocean and waves and atmosphere) to control in a more consistent way the ocean state variables across ocean components or forcings and to get more benefits from observations;
  • Development of multi-scale methods capable of assimilating high-resolution and high-frequency observations as well as of constraining larger scales;
  • Development of methods to produce reliable estimation of analysis and forecast uncertainties;
  • Use of Artificial Intelligence techniques in data assimilation schemes (e.g. use of emulators for ensemble generation, model error estimation, bias correction, separation of scale and model parameter estimation);
  • Use of new types of observations (e.g. new Sentinel Expansion and Next Generation missions, new in-situ observations) or higher-resolution of existing data streams;
  • Development of methods and tools to systematically assess the observing system impact in data assimilation systems (e.g. analysis and forecast sensitivity to observation);
  • The development of software infrastructure that can accommodate different assimilation methods (including artificial intelligence techniques), and facilitate the sharing of algorithms and optimization of computer codes (assimilation schemes) on high-performance computers;
  • The development of validation and intercomparison protocols to estimate and quantify the benefits of improved assimilation methods and integration of new observations (e.g. data challenges, use of OSSEs).

Funding Information

• Budget (EUR) – Year 2025: 5 000 000
• Contributions: around 5000000

Expected Outcomes

• Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
  • To improve ocean monitoring and predictions, and to remain at the forefront at the international level;
  • To ensure CMEMS users take full advantage from advances in observations, reanalysis, analysis and forecasting systems;
  • To strengthen data assimilation development exchanges between operational centres and to facilitate scientific community contributions.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities eligible to participate:
  • Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from nonassociated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
  • A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    • Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  • countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    • Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

For more information, visit EC.