Introduction

At present all countries around the North Sea operate fixed monitoring systems for proper management and scientific research of the marine environment. These systems feature differences with respect to technical concept and application. However they deliver valuable data to study the dynamics of the marine system in the North Sea basin for application in the management of the marine environment.

Optimum use of the existing facilities is prevented by two major stumbling blocks. They are:

• Most systems are meant for use on a local or national scale. With the exception of meteorological parameters, there is little exchange of data for use on a regional scale.
• In most systems the integrated approach of real-time in-situ measurements using fixed platforms, buoy stations, satellites and operational data-assimilation modelling to produce complete and detailed information and forecast, has not yet been implemented.

Recognition is growing among agencies operating national marine monitoring networks that integrated use (data exchange) and integrated system concept (integration of measurements and modelling) are necessary from an economic and operational point of view.

In view of this an initiative had been taken to form a European Workshop on Fixed Monitoring Networks in the North Sea Region: