OceanBestPractices (OBP) is a secure, permanent document (and other objects) repository. It aims to provide a discovery point for research groups to search and find community accepted existing ocean best practices. This service also invites the ocean research, observation and data/information management communities to submit their own best practice documents to share globally with their colleagues. More...

Please note unless it has been accepted and annotated in OBPS as an Endorsed Practice by an Expert Panel, inclusion of a methodology in the OBPS, does not indicate that the methodology is recommended by OBPS.

User Guides

Best Practices Document Template Collection

    Communities in OceanBestPractices

    Select a community to browse its collections.

    ⇒ ACT: Alliance for Coastal Technologies [81]
    ⇒ ARGO: an international programme using autonomous floats ... [30]
    ⇒ CalCOFI: California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation [30]
    ⇒ Citizen Science [14]
    ⇒ CMEMS: Copernicus Marine Service [5]
    ⇒ DBCP: Data Buoy Cooperation Panel [8]
    ⇒ EAF-Nansen Programme [8]
    ⇒ EMB: European Marine Board [1]
    ⇒ EMBRC: European Marine Biological Resource Centre [7]
    ⇒ EMODnet: European Marine Observation and Data Network [12]
    ⇒ EU: European Union [133]
    ⇒ EUROGOOS [11]
    ⇒ EUROSEA [11]
    ⇒ FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization [15]
    ⇒ GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility [7]
    ⇒ GEOTRACES: internat. study of the marine biogeochemical cycles ... [5]
    ⇒ GGGI: Global Ghost Gear Initiative [6]
    ⇒ GLOBAL HF RADAR NETWORK [2]
    ⇒ GOOS: Global Ocean Observing System [4]
    ⇒ GO-SHIP: Global Ocean Ship-Based Hydrographic Investigations [23]
    ⇒ HELCOM: Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission [42]
    ⇒ ICES: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea [90]
    ⇒ IMAS: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Univ. of Tasmania [2]
    ⇒ IMOS: Integrated Marine Observing System [56]
    ⇒ INSPIRE: Infrastructure for Sparial Information n Europe [1]
    ⇒ IOCCG: International Ocean-Colour Coordinating Group [27]
    ⇒ IOCCP: International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project [11]
    ⇒ IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Not IODE and GOOS [137]
    ⇒ IODE: International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange [44]
    ⇒ IOOS: The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System [36]
    ⇒ IQuOD:International Quality-controlled Ocean Database Project [6]
    ⇒ IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature [6]
    ⇒ JAMSTEC: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology [11]
    ⇒ JCOMM: Joint Tech Comm for Oceanography & Marine Meteorology [29]
    ⇒ JERICO: Jt Euro. Res. Infrastruct. Netwk for Coast. Observatories [39]
    ⇒ MBON: Marine Biodiversity Observing Network [16]
    ⇒ MEDIN: Marine Environmental Data and Information Network [19]
    ⇒ MOEJ: Ministry of the Environment Japan [2]
    ⇒ NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Aministration [0]
    ⇒ NCOSM: National Center of Ocean Standards and Metrology, China [16]
    ⇒ NESP Marine and Coastal Hub / AusSeabed [28]
    ⇒ NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [16]
    ⇒ NOAA NOS CO-OPS:Center for Operation. Ocean. Prods & Services [42]
    ⇒ OBON: Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network [22]
    ⇒ OCB: US Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program [7]
    ⇒ OceanGliders : global network of Ocean Gliders Observations [24]
    ⇒ OceanSITES: global network of open ocean time series stations [10]
    ⇒ ODIP: Ocean Data Interoperability Platform [9]
    ⇒ OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [8]
    ⇒ OGC: Open Geospatial Consortium [112]
    ⇒ ONC: Ocean Networks Canada [3]
    ⇒ OOI: Ocean Observatories Initiative [10]
    ⇒ OSPAR Commission [6]
    ⇒ OTGA: OceanTeacher Global Academy [8]
    ⇒ OTN: Ocean Tracking Network [0]
    ⇒ PACIFIC Community (SPC) [1]
    ⇒ POGO: Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean [2]
    ⇒ POLAR Collaborations [252]
    ⇒ SARGASSUM Practices [21]
    ⇒ SCOR: Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research [32]
    ⇒ SEADATANET/SEADATACLOUD [17]
    ⇒ SOCIB : Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System [6]
    ⇒ TechOceanS: Technologies for Ocean Sensing [6]
    ⇒ UNITED NATIONS Programmes [2]
    ⇒ UN Ocean Decade (2021-2030) [2]
    ⇒ WMO: World Meteorological Organization [40]
    ⇒ ZZZ_Miscellaneous Communities [535]

    Recently Added

    • Standard Operating Procedure: Calibration of the AA3 Nutrient Analyzer, Revision 5. 

      AOML Ecosystem Assessment Laboratory (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Miami, FL, 2024)
      This Standard Operating Procedure is followed when calibrating the SEAL Analytical AutoAnalyzer 3 (AA3) in the Nutrient Laboratory at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. It describes the preparations ...

    • Best practices for Core Argo floats - part 1: getting started and data considerations. 

      Morris, Tamaryn; Scanderbeg, Megan; West-Mack, Deborah; Gourcuff, Claire; Poffa, Noe´; Bhaskar, T.V.S.U.; Hanstein, Craig; Diggs, Steve; Talley, Lynne; Turpin, Victor; Liu, Zenghong; Owens, Breck (2024)
      Argo floats have been deployed in the global ocean for over 20 years. The Core mission of the Argo program (Core Argo) has contributed well over 2 million profiles of salinity and temperature of the upper 2000 m of the ...

    • Addressing ALDFG in Africa: a best practice guide. 

      Gifford, Tayla; Marlin, Danica; Randall, Peter; Nathaniel, Joshua (Sustainable Seas Trust, Gqeberha, South Africa., 2024)
      Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is considered harmful not only because it may lead to ghost fishing, but because fishing gear makes up a significant proportion of macrolitter in the world’s ...

    • A model for community-driven development of best practices: the Ocean Observatories Initiative Biogeochemical Sensor Data Best Practices and User Guide. 

      Palevsky, Hilary; Clayton, Sophie; Benway, Heather; Maheigan, Mairead; Atamanchuk, Dariia; Battisti, Roman; Batryn, Jennifer; Bourbonnais, Annie; Briggs, Ellen M.; Carvalho, Filipo; Chase, Alison P.; Eveleth, Rachel; Fatland, Rob; Fogaren, Kristen; Fram, Jonathan; Hartman, Susan E.; Le Bras, Isabela; Manning, Cara; Needoba, Joseph A.; Neely, Merrie Beth; Oliver , Hilde; Reed, Andrew C.; Rheuban, Jennie E.; Schallenberg, Christina; Walsh, Ian; Wingard, Christopher; Bauer, Kohen Witt; Chen, Baoshan; Cuevas, Jose; Flecha, Susana; Horwith, Micah; Melendez, Melissa; Menz, Tyler; Rivero-Calle, Sara; Roden, Nicholas; Steinhoff, Tobias; Trucco Pignata, Pablo Nicolás; Vardaro, Michael; Yoder, Meg (2024)
      The field of oceanography is transitioning from data-poor to data-rich, thanks in part to increased deployment of in-situ platforms and sensors, such as those that instrument the US-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative ...

    • African Marine Litter Monitoring Manual. 2nd Edition. 

      Barnardo, Toshka; Marlin, Danica; Ribbink, Anthony J; Pichegru, Lorien (African Marine Waste Network, Sustainable Seas Trust, Gqeberha, South Africa, 2023)
      The manual evolved from an initiative in the Western Indian Ocean region that was spearheaded by WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association) and Sustainable Seas Trust. The first edition created considerable ...

    View more