Post by Environmental Defense Fund

Fishers are on the water every day, accessing places traditional ocean observing systems often can't reach. Their unique view helps power the future of ocean science. FVON—the Fishing Vessel Ocean Observing Network—works with fishing communities across the world to collect ocean data from coastal waters, where critical information is often missing. The data helps improve our understanding of ocean conditions and supports forecasting systems used around the world. In the past year alone, the network grew by 52%, adding 255 vessels across 7 new countries that are typically under observed. Plus, FVON delivered more than 20,000 subsurface temperature observations to global forecasting networks. This year, FVON launched OceanObserve-Tz (pictured). The program, based in Tanzania, is the first nationwide FVON network in Africa, and it's transforming the amount of subsurface data available in the Western Indian Ocean. Together, fishers and scientists are building a smarter, more connected ocean observing system. Stay updated: https://lnkd.in/emTEuMC4