We announce that the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System was certified last month as the first regional partner to attain full membership of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). This certification is a hallmark of the quality of data provided by the IOOS, to the benefit of the public, the private sector and individuals.

It is also an indicator to the global community that IOOS regional partners providing data from the oceans, Great Lakes and coasts of North America have met rigorous criteria for system oversight, information security, public engagement and financial controls.

The IOOS includes federal and non-federal partners in an interagency investment by the US government of more than US$2 billion annually for the collection and provision of ocean data and for improved forecast capabilities. It comprises about 10,000 unique oceanographic data sets and some 4,000 services that provide data, metadata and refined data products to tens of millions of US users. For instance, IOOS data are used in search-and-rescue operations and to ensure safe operation of commercial vessels.

Certified IOOS data can be entered in the permanent US archive at the National Centers for Environmental Information and can be used internationally by the Global Telecommunication System for meteorological data.