Fixed-point observatories and repeat sampling sites in the open ocean provide long-term time series data in order to investigate processes and detect changes in ecosystems, ocean dynamics, and seafloor environments in remote regions. Multidisciplinary research is carried out at various sites throughout the world oceans allowing observations from the air-sea interface to the deep ocean.
Ocean observatories provide power, communications, sensors, and data infrastructure for continuous, high resolution, (near)-real-time, interactive ocean observations across a truly interdisciplinary range of research areas including biology, geology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer science; from polar to tropical environments, down to the abyss. Such coordinated data allow us to pose multivariate questions in space and time, rather than focusing on single data streams. Continuous data are required to document episodic events, such as phytoplankton blooms, earthquakes, and pollution episodes. Together, water column and seafloor observatories face the next challenge in Earth-Ocean Science: How to co-ordinate ocean data acquisition, analysis, dissemination and response across provincial, national, regional, and global scales?
In this session we bring together researchers from all ocean disciplines working on in situ observations in the open ocean to share results and discuss challenges and future plans for such observatories. We welcome contributions in all areas of ocean science including physics, geology, biology, chemistry and biogeochemistry and encourage those addressing intersections between disciplines and research themes. This could also include using ocean observatories to inform satellite algorithms and numerical models.
Examples of topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Results from specific fixed-point water column and seafloor open ocean observatories, particularly from long term sustained programmes.
2. Insights from collaborations and international programmes
3. Specific methodologies to address technical and scientific challenges.
4. Air-sea interactions, ocean surface meteorology and processes
5. Ecosystems structure and function in the water column
6. Processes and ecosystems at the seafloor and across the sediment/water interface
7. Management of open ocean observatories