In news
Recently, Union Minister for Science and Technology launched Digital Ocean platform of Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Services (INCOIS)
About Digital Ocean platform
Digital Ocean is a one stop-solution for all data related needs of a wide range of users, including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry, and the public.
This platform will facilitate an online interactive web-based environment for data integration, 3D and 4D data visualization, data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features obtained from multiple sources like on site monitoring devices, remote sensing and model data
Significance of the platform
- It is expected to bring a sea-change in how the oceanographic data is served for a better understanding of oceans surrounding us.
- Digital Ocean play a central role in sustainable management of our oceans and expanding our ‘Blue Economy’ initiatives
- This first of its kind platform for ocean data management has a set of applications that present heterogeneous oceanographic data with geospatial technology.
A brief note on Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Services (INCOIS)
ESSO-INCOIS was established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO)
INCOIS provides ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders in the country, including Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories( issued in Hindi, English and 8 vernacular languages. ), Ocean State Forecast (OSF), high wave alerts, tsunami early warnings, storm surge and oil-spill advisories, among others., using state-of-the-art technologies and tools to get real time information on oceanographic and marine meteorological data. The institute has been serving as the National Argo Data Centre and Regional Argo Data Centre of the International Argo Programme,
International Involvement of INCOIS:
- INCOIS has a prominent international presence, being a permanent member of the Indian delegation to IOC of UNESCO and a founding member of the Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS) and the Partnership for Observing the Oceans (POGO).
- ESSO-INCOIS houses the IOGOOS secretariat and the Sustained Indian Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (SIBER) International Programme Office.
- Through the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES), ESSO-INCOIS provides ocean information and forecasts to member countries.
- NCOIS is also a member of the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) OceanView Science Team (GOVST) and Patrons Group.
