Breakout Workshops
The IOCS-2025 Programme includes 9 breakout workshops for active discussion of specific topics of interest, that lead to consensus recommendations, as well as review and update of existing recommendations made on the topic. All recommendations from breakout sessions should be Specific; Measurable; Assigned to either the space agencies, the ocean colour scientific community, or the IOCCG Committee; Realistic/Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).
- Ocean Carbon from Space
- Priority list of marine biodiversity metrics to observe from space: synthesis and planning for next steps
- Challenges on Optical Remote Sensing for Marine Litter and Floating Matter
- Merged, long-term ocean-colour products for climate analyses
- Blueprint for large-scale, operational, Earth Observation-based systems for Harmful Algal Blooms monitoring
- Water Quality Demonstration
- Inland and coastal water remote sensing: current status and future directions in the correction of adjacency effects
- Ocean Colour Satellite Sensor Calibration
- SI-Traceable In-Situ Aquatic Radiometry
Breakout Session Chair Responsibilities
Chairs of Breakout Workshops will steer the discussion within the session around the key questions/scientific areas of focus. Chairs will work with a workshop rapporteur to ensure a workshop report is completed for their session, which captures the discussion, needs, and the consensus recommendations. The primary workshop chair will present, in 5 minutes, the main discussion points and recommendations emerging from their session during the meeting plenary on the day following the conclusion of their breakout workshop. The written report of the workshop is expected to be ready for sharing on the IOCS meeting website within one week of the conclusion of the IOCS meeting, and will be incorporated into the IOCS meeting report.
Call for Breakout Workshop Chairs
Applications are now open for chairs of the IOCS-2025 Breakout Workshops. The workshop should have active involvement from participants. Recommendations from the workshop should be directed to either the space agencies, the community, or the IOCCG Committee, and should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).
The IOCS-2025 Scientific Planning Committee has defined the topics below for the breakout workshops. Proposals for chair(s) should clearly outline the scientific questions aimed to be addressed within the workshop, and a basic plan for how the workshop will be structured to stimulate and facilitate attendee participation and discussion that can answer the scientific questions and lead to the consensus recommendations.
- Carbon and climate
Satellite ocean colour product requirements for climate studies, linking ocean colour data to IPCC activities and societal awareness/ Strategies to integrate ocean colour products into climate change models and policy discussions/ Development of community-driven, multi-mission datasets to monitor aquatic carbon over decades (long-term time series). - Water quality
Requirements and gaps in satellite products for water quality applications, including those addressable by geostationary satellites, hyperspectral sensors, Lidar/ Approaches for integrating products from multiple missions, and across existing and future missions to support water quality monitoring/ Products specifically designed to address regional and local water quality challenges and to meet the needs of diverse user communities. - Biodiversity
Defining decadal trends and long-term changes in marine biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics/ Definition and specification of biodiversity products that inform conservation and management/ Satellite data to understand relationships between biodiversity and ocean health. - Technical topics around validation and calibration
Call for Training Sessions
Space has been made available for training sessions and side meetings associated with IOCS-2025. All training sessions will be conducted on Friday, 5 December 2025. For side meetings, email raisha@ioccg.org.
Register your interest in conducting a training session by completing the application form below, by or before 1 April 2025.