OOIFB Community Forum: Building a Collective Vision for the Future of Ocean Observing
December 4-5, 2026
Marriott Marquis, San Francisco, CA
Prior to the 2026 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference in San Francisco, CA, the Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board (OOIFB), funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), will host a Community Forum focused on building a collective vision for the future of ocean observing. This collaborative event will bring together leading researchers, modelers, data scientists, resource managers, policy-makers, students, and other ocean science and observing stakeholders to consider the future of ocean observing in the context of the recent NSF Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) requesting community input on ocean observing priorities. Building on perspectives from federally-funded observing efforts (e.g. NSF, NOAA, NASA, USGS, and ONR) and drawing from community responses to the NSF DCL, the Forum will articulate:
- Why sustained ocean observations matter for society and a range of public stakeholders.
- A community-consensus message on ocean observing needs and priorities, identifying convergence across different ocean observing communities and synthesizing ideas shared in response to the NSF DCL.
- A forward-looking vision for the role of federally-funded ocean observation in hypothesis-driven science.
The Forum will begin in the early evening of Friday, December 4th with an informal, opening reception that will provide an opportunity to bring participants together and engage before focused discussions on the following day. An engaging, opening presentation will spark conversation and encourage broader thinking. On Saturday, December 5, 2026, a framing panel discussion, featuring diverse perspectives from across the ocean observing system, will then be followed by a series of collaborative breakout sessions. The goal of these full-day discussions is to develop a concise, accessible, community-informed framework, “Ocean Observations: A Summary for Stakeholders,” that will synthesize areas of community consensus around the value of ocean observing, critical scientific and observational gaps, coordination priorities, and emerging opportunities. The summary will help articulate not only what individual observing systems provide, but why a coordinated, sustained, and responsive ocean observing system is essential to advancing ocean science and addressing societal needs.
Who should attend this Community Forum? Stakeholders that span federally-funded, sustained observing programs, time-series sites, biogeochemical and physical observing, deep-ocean infrastructure, polar observing, and ecosystem-scale observations.
Registration to participate in this forum is required. In-person space is limited and individuals are encouraged to submit their application to participate promptly. There is no registration fee to attend this event, and limited travel support (via post-event reimbursement) is available for eligible individuals. Virtual participation will be available, but only on Saturday, December 5th. Virtual attendees still need to apply to participate.
Please follow this link to apply to participate in the 2026 OOIFB Community Forum.
An agenda outline and other event details will be posted to this webpage soon.
If you have any questions or issues, please email Holly Morin (holly@ooifb.org).
