UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) promotes international cooperation and coordinates programmes in marine research, services, observation systems, hazard mitigation, and capacity development in order to understand and effectively manage the resources of the ocean and coastal areas. IOC coordinates ocean observation and monitoring through the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) which aims to develop a unified network providing information and data exchange on the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean. Moreover, IOC sponsors the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the IOC’s GOOS serves as the ocean component of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), which supports the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).