Mediterranean ocean Forecasting System: Toward Environmental Predictions-MFSTEP Executive Summary

Objectives: The Project aims at the further development of an operational forecasting system for the Mediterranean Sea based upon three main components: a) a Real Time-RT Observing system; b) a numerical forecasting system at the basin scale and for the sub-regional/shelf areas; c) the forecast products dissemination/exploitation system. The Observing system component consists of: • a SOOP-VOS system with RT data dissemination and test of new sensors that collect multidisciplinary data; • a moored buoy network (M3A) designed to serve the RT validation of the basin scale models and the calibration of the ecosystem models; • a satellite RT data analysis system using several satellites for sea surface elevation, sea surface temperature and sea surface winds; • a high space-time resolution network of autonomous subsurface profiling floats (Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography-ARGO); • a basin scale glider autonomous vehicle experiment; The sampling strategy is continuously assessed by the Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) activities and a RT data management and delayed mode archiving system has been organized