International Indian Ocean Expedition. In addi- 

 tion, the working groups have engaged in a variety 

 of activities directed toward specific scientific 

 problems. 



At its meeting in October 1967 the IOC moved 

 to engage in operational activities and estabUshed 

 die IGOSS (Integrated Global Ocean Station 

 System) Working Committee, and a number of 

 associated panels and working groups. The first 

 meeting of the IGOSS Working Committee was 

 held in April 1968; the Committee prepared a 

 number of findings.' The purpose of IGOSS is to 

 provide more extensive and timely information on, 

 and prediction of, the state of the oceans; it is 

 intended to be a global oceanic system, consisting 

 of national facilities and services to be provided 

 largely by the participating countries. The Com- 

 mittee recommended that IGOSS be planned and 

 operated in close coordination with the World 

 Weather Program. 



Tentative plans call for the IGOSS to include 

 the following components: 



—An observational network comprising all types of 

 ocean data stations and observational techniques: 



automatic telemetering buoys 



coastal stations and research vessels 



fixed ocean stations and mobile ships 



fixed off-shore platforms 



observational satellites 



other new means that may be developed. 



—A communication service for data transmission. 



—Centers for collection, processing, retrieval, and 

 dissemination of data. 



The Working Committee adopted guidelines for 

 the plan and implementation program of IGOSS. 

 The implementation of IGOSS is plarmed in two 

 phases: 



—A program using existing technology to be 

 developed for consideration and approval by the 

 appropriate IOC and WMO bodies in 1969-to be 

 correlated with World Weather Program imple- 

 mentation plan. 



UNESCO, IOC, Recommendations of the First 

 Meeting of the IOC Working Committee for an Integrated 

 Global Ocean Station System (IGOSS)-UNESCO, Paris, 

 April 2-5, 1968 (Annex II). 



-A program using advanced technology, to be 

 developed for consideration and approval at the 

 IOC and WMO Congress meetings in 1971. 



Various working groups and panels of experts 

 have been estabUshed to examine specific aspects 

 of this program: Requirements, Telecommunica- 

 tions, Data Exchange, and Legal Aspects. 



II. WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZA- 

 TION 



To facilitate international cooperation in 

 meteorology and organize the necessary mecha- 

 nisms for exchange of weather data, the Interna- 

 tional Meteorological Organization was established 

 in 1873 by the directors of national weather 

 services. This was replaced in 1951 by the World 

 Meteorological Organization, a specialized agency 

 of the UN, which now has 130 member nations. 



The WMO is organized in several commissions, 

 including the Commission on Synoptic Meteor- 

 ology and the Commission on Maritime Meteor- 

 ology. The WMO has set the standards followed in 

 all international meteorological data collection and 

 transmission. Generally, the WMO has estabUshed 

 the practices and procedures for weather reporting 

 at sea, and the provision of meteorological service 

 for shipping. Of special interest is the program for 

 the coUection of meteorological data by merchant 

 ships at sea, which has evolved into its present 

 form over about a 50-year period. All aspects of 

 this program are coordinated and organized by the 

 WMO:^ 



—Standards have been estabUshed for instrument 

 calibration. Instruments are usuaUy furnished by 

 national weather services, and the WMO pubUshes 

 a worldwide Ust of instrument repair facilities. 



—Coastal radio stations are designated throughout 

 the world for the reception of weather reports 

 from ships at sea. 



—WMO has estabUshed standard transmission pro- 

 cedures. 



The cost of transmission to the United States is 

 repaid to the ship; and transmission from coastal 

 station to the National Meteorological Center is 



''WMO PubUcation 9. T.P. 4-Vol. D. WMO, Geneva. 



11-59 



