JERICO-RI: The integrated coastal component of the European Ocean Observing System

JERICO, the European research infrastructure of coastal observatories (JERICORI) is an ocean observing system of systems, designed to provide high-quality data that are supporting knowledge development on the complex and often coupled physical, chemical and biological processes characterizing the coastal waters of Europe. JERICO-RI integrates several observing platform types i.e. fixed buoys, piles, moorings, drifters, Ferrybox, gliders, HF radars, coastal cable observatories and the associated technologies dedicated to the observation and monitoring of the European coastal seas. The RI is to serve both the implementation of European marine policies and the elucidation of contemporary and future key scientific questions. It therefore includes observations of the physical, chemical and biological compartments and aims at a better integration of marine biology with physical and chemical oceanology. The first phase of the implementation of the JERICO-RI encompassed setting up, integrating and harmonization of existing coastal observing systems around Europe into a system of systems, covering all European coastal waters from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, It was performed between 2011 and 2015 in the framework of JERICOFP7, a 4-year long infrastructure project co-funded by the European Commission, with 27 partners from 17 European countries under the coordination of IFREMER. The second 4-year phase is presently in progress through the H2020 JERICO-NEXT project, which started in 2015 and involves 34 scientific and industrial partners. The main objective of the JERICO-RI consortium is to establish a common strategy towards a sustainable coastal observing system of systems for Europe supporting with data and knowledge innovation and blue growth in Europe. This paper briefly summarizes the work carried out since 2011 and the present drivers of the JERICO-RI science strategy. It also drafts the strategical elements of the JERICO-RI sustainability.