Mr. Director, Honorable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates,

I thank you on behalf of the Global Ocean Observing System for the opportunity to address the Ministers about our program.

GOOS has been mentioned as the ocean component of GEOSS. We welcome this role and cooperation with GEOSS.

While serving the needs of our UN sponsors, IOC, WMO, ICSU and UNEP, GOOS seeks to forge alliances between the global community of ocean research and nascent observing programs.

The strength and success of GOOS are based firmly on our United Nations assemblies of delegates. The intergovernmental forums allow GOOS to respond to international needs and embrace the needs of developing nations while helping to implement and target resources of our wealthier supporters. Our thirteen GOOS Regional Associations help us target local needs, identify coastal uses and implement capacity building priorities.

Now, after 15 years of observing system work, GOOS may boast of our share of a number of accomplishments, including an operational tsunami warning system, sustained moored buoy systems and the recent deployment of the 3000^th active Argo profiler.

GOOS is an operational system, and stands anxiously ready to participate in the broader goals of GEOSS. Interoperability and information sharing across science, management and national domains will allow us to meet all our priority societal goals.

The next few years will be an exciting time for all operational environmental observing systems, as we begin to reap the harvest of our efforts.

I thank you all for your attention.