Synchro article in the Economist Impact

“The ocean and its ecosystems are facing unprecedented challenges from climate change which is heating both land and sea to record levels. According to NOAA research forecasts, 40% of the global ocean is experiencing marine heatwave conditions and that figure is expected to remain high through the end of 2023. These anomalously warm ocean temperatures have significant impacts on marine life and coastal communities and economies, bleaching coral reefs, creating conditions that can favor harmful algal blooms and decreasing the productivity of cold water ecosystems like those off California and other upwelling zones that harbor whales, salmon and lush kelp forests. Continued observational monitoring helps marine managers and researchers understand and mitigate climate impacts on marine life, but ocean data is also critical when looking to the ocean for climate solutions, including offshore wind and other technologies to generate renewable ocean energy….”

To read the rest of Synchro’s take on monitoring offshore wind please click below for our blog in the Economist Impact Back to Blue series:

Synchro is a UN Ocean Decade Project. And it’s all about Co-Design!

The Ocean Decade of the United Nations (2021-2030) has 271 projects that fall within its highlighted challenges. Of those 17 challenges, one is Ocean Observing C0-Design: Evolving Ocean Observing for a Sustainable Future, sponsored by The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

Synchro landing page on UN website

Beneath that umbrella are a dozen projects, of which Synchro is one: Co-design for technology evolution! It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of the larger GOOS community and recognized by the other UN-endorsed projects, especially on the topic of co-design, which is Synchro’s main engine.

But what is co-design?

Successful co-design is defined here as actions that:

  • Involve all concerned stakeholders
  • Engage all stakeholders throughout all stages (e.g. identification, production and dissemination)
  • Build on pre-existing relationships, networks and shared experiences and embraces transdiscplinary resource.

For a fantastic breakdown on co-design and how to bring that into an ocean program successfully, please click on resource below :

Co-design guidance document front page