Mercator Ocean is a French public initiative aimed to develop ocean forecast operational systems based on ocean physical models assimilating routinely remote sensing (altimetry from Envisat, Jason-1, GFO and Topex/Poseidon), sea surface temperature (in the years to come SMOS sea surface salinities) and in situ data. The other essential and subsequent mission is to allow, to contribute and to further operational oceanography downstream applications. For that purpose, Mercator Ocean makes its products available through two different ways: 1. Images on the web targeting the general public Every week, more than 3000 maps are updated describing 3D modelled ocean: nowcast, forecast for up to 14 days and hindcast, temperature, salinity, surface current and other ocean parameters, 5 depths from surface to bottom. These images are freely available on the web, except the zonal maps younger than 30 days. For these, the user is expected to fill an on-line form, asking his/her motivations and the use he/she intends to do with these maps. This controlled access allows us to draw the profile of this audience: 370 users (end of February 2006), represented by the "general public" (about 40%), researchers (16%), sailing (13%), studentsteachers (10%), public institutions (8%), in charge of State missions concerning oil drift prevention, environment monitoring, and recreative or professional fishing (7%). 2. Digital files targeting professional uses The use of digital files containing the Mercator outputs 3D fields is the most important criteria to evaluate the impact of the usefulness of our products. Mercator has created 'showcase products', summarizing Mercator outputs on regular grids in NetCDF format. Several ways are proposed to access these products : FTP and HTTP, including a LAS/Opendap server, which allows the user to make extraction of a period/area/vertical levels/ocean parameters, and enabling continuous time aggregations outputs in one file. The number of our numerical products users reaches about 80 teams, divided into 2 groups. The first one concerns the members of the Mercator Ocean Public Interest Group. Most of them are involved in research. Three applications are involved in operational issues : the French Navy for operational knowledge of the oceanic environment, and the National Weather Forecasting Centre for both seasonal forecasting and pollutant drift modeling. Among the second group, 'external users', projects deal with Research (not only physical oceanography, but also biology and biogeochemistry), Environment and Industrial and private uses. Only two projects are involved in a commercial activity in the field of information service for fishing industry and offshore industry.
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