The ocean covers 76% of the planet. It’s a resource, supporting food and supply chains, energy, jobs, and more. It’s an engine driving the weather, from rainstorms in the heartland to hurricanes on the coasts. It’s economically significant, culturally significant, and socially significant. Whoever you are, wherever you are, the ocean touches your life every day.

Ocean data is essential data. The more we know about what’s going on in the ocean, the better equipped we are to face the world, every day. It builds weather forecasts, supports maritime commerce, supplies food and energy sources, and provides jobs and recreation — all dependent on ocean data to thrive. The more data we have, the bigger the picture we can build. IOOS was created to harness the power of all of that data for the benefit of society, supporting long-term observing in our coastal zones and integrating diverse data streams. We are a force multiplier, providing standards to ensure ocean data are discoverable and usable, and turning that data into actionable information via publicly accessible models and products that help government agencies, industries, scientists, educators, NGOs, and the public prepare for changing conditions, hazards, and other events – thereby ensuring public safety and keeping our coasts economically and environmentally resilient.

Learn more about IOOS data and exploration tools on our website!

Explore our data, and exciting visualization tools, on ioos.us!

Interested in region-specific data and tools? Visit the IOOS Regional Associations!