Proceedings of the African Summer School on the Application of Ocean Data and Modelling Products ,University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. 9-13 June 2014 Institute for Meteorological Training and Research, Nairobi, Kenya 18-22 August 2014

Abstract

The rapid development of operational oceanography in recent years has led to improved access to real-time data and products generated from in-situ and satellite observations as well as ocean modelling. Examples of such observations in the African oceans and coasts include the Argo programme, which collects temperature and salinity data from more than 3,500 buoys deployed in many parts of the world oceans, and the network of sea level stations established by IOC and other organizations under the framework of the Joint IOC-WMO Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) and the IOC-led Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). A number of large open data sets and metadata from observations (in situ and remote sensing) and from model outputs exist which have application to a number of challenges and problems in coastal environments. The International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme has assisted several institutions in Africa to access these data sets through the Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAFRICA). However these resources have not been utilised optimally in Africa due to limited capacities, and lack of information on their availability and applicability. The goal of the African Summer School on Application of Ocean and Coastal Data and Modelling Products was to build African capacity to access and utilize ocean and coastal data (and relevant meteorological data) from in situ and satellite observations, as well as those generated from ocean models to produce useful services for local use, for a wide variety of human and economic benefit purposes. On the basis of case studies, the participants learnt how to optimise the use of widely available data and analysis tools.