Marine Scotland Science (MSS) collects data in the coastal, offshore and oceanic regions around Scotland which is used to assess the changes in our marine waters over time. Specifically, temperature and salinity data are analysed and interpreted in the context of observed weather patterns since the weather has an influence on oceanic conditions, and this comparison helps put the variability observed in the marine environment into context.
The results are summarized in the Scottish Ocean Climate Status Report, which is produced by MSS on a regular basis.
Researchers at MSS also contribute to the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) annual report card. MCCIP brings together scientists, government, its agencies and NGOs to provide co-ordinated advice on climate change impacts around our coast and in our seas.
Data from offshore and oceanic regions around Scotland are brought together with data from the whole of the North Atlantic and presented on an annual basis in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Report on Ocean Climate. The reports are written by the ICES Working Group on Oceanic Hydrography to disseminate information from sustained observations at standard sections and stations. The report presents the very latest information of the status and trends of sea temperature and salinity in the ICES Area of the North Atlantic and Nordic Seas.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have recently prepared a report on the State of the Climate in 2009, which includes a section on Global Ocean Climate. State of the Climate is published as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and is edited by D.S. Arndt, M.O. Baringer, and M.R. Johnson.
For a full description of the current state of knowledge on long term climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prepares comprehensive assessments of scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of human induced climate change, potential impacts of climate change and options for mitigation and adaptation. The latest report - Climate Change 2007 - is the fourth assessment report and preparations are underway for a Fifth Assessment Report which is due to be published in 2013.
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