Partners representing the major marine institutes and agencies from all the Mediterranean countries met at the UNESCO/IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) Headquarters in Paris from 11 - 13th March for the kick-off meeting of MAMA, the Mediterranean network to Assess and upgrade the Monitoring and forecasting Activity in the region. This 3-year project, funded by the Vth Framework Programme of the European Union, will stage a concerted effort between countries in the region to put in place the institutional networking and plan the basic infrastructures for the implementation of the Mediterranean Global Ocean Observing System (MedGOOS). MedGOOS will enable routine and long term monitoring of the ocean and coastal seas, and furnish daily ocean forecasts to the whole community.
 

The meeting was organised by the MedGOOS Secretariat of the IOI-Malta Operational Centre at the University of Malta.  The MedGOOS Secretariat co-coordinates this project together with the International Marine Centre in Italy.
 

For further information on MedGOOS and MAMA you can contact the MedGOOS Executive Secretary, Dr. Aldo Drago (aldo.drago@um.edu.mt) or visit the websites www.capemalta.org/medgoos and http://martingd.no-ip.com/mama/

04 April 2002