During the first year of TRICUSO, the Surface Ocean CO2 Observing Network (SOCONET) experienced a significant acceleration towards the development of its international governance, coordination and communication capacity. This aligns with TRICUSO’s work package 6 objective to establish a governance structure for international surface pCO2 observations building on ICOS experiences that incorporates stabilising SOCAT.
Since SOCONET was approved as the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Emerging Network in mid 2024, the team at IO-PAN, led by Maciej Telszewski, has established SOCONET’s Steering Committee (SC), developed its Terms of Reference (ToR) which will guide the development of the network towards full maturity, nominated and approved two co-chairs and organised the first SOCONET SC meeting, which will take place in Bergen, 2026, on the heels of TRICUSO’s first Annual Meeting.
SOCONET’s web page will help SC members with outward communication, and the SOCONET’s Town Hall at the Ocean Sciences Meeting, in February 2026 in Glasgow, will be a forum for community feedback and to present progress on data, and short-term plans.
A formalised and coordinated SOCONET, integrated within relevant elements of IOC-UNESCO and WMO, will be the backbone of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) efforts to properly incorporate ocean sinks in global carbon assessments and stocktakes, as well as reporting on marine carbon dioxide removal interventions. Stay tuned for updates in the new year.
