WIGOS/JCOMM Training Workshop on Marine Instrumentation for the Regional Association IV This meeting was organized to prove concept of WMO-IOC Regional Marine Instrument Centres (RMICs) following recommendations from the JCOMM Pilot Project for WIGOS and adoption by JCOMM-III of Recommendation 1 defining the RMIC Terms of Reference and including capabilities and corresponding functions, and a mechanism for formal WMO and UNESCO/IOC designation of an RMIC. The aim is to facilitate adherence of observational data, metadata, and processed observational products to higher level standards for instruments and methods of observation, by providing: (1) facilities for the calibration and maintenance of marine instruments and the monitoring of instrument performance; and (2) assistance for instrument inter-comparisons, as well as appropriate training facilities. Three countries have offered to host RMIC facilities at this point: (i) the USA for the Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) at the USA National Data Buoy Centre (NDBC) of NOAA in Mississippi, (ii) Morocco for the Regional Association I (Africa) at the National Meteorological Service in Casablanca, and (iii) China for the Regional Association II (Asia) at the National Center of Ocean Standards and Metrology (NCOSM) of SOA in Tianjin. The feedback received from the participants at the training workshop has been excellent, demonstrating the demand that existed in developing countries for more training on instrument practices and standards, quality assurance, marine observing programme management and operational aspects, and data exchange. The workshop permitted to initiate new collaborations in the view to improve availability of ocean observations from the Regional Association, as well as the quality and traceability to standards of the corresponding data. It is planned to regularly organize training events at existing and candidate RMICs regionally. Discussions have been initiated to organize such workshops in China and Morocco before JCOMM-IV.

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