- National priorities
- Projects & funding schemes
- Participating laboratories
- Funding agencies
- National contact
The French contribution to global Biogeochemical-Argo is coordinated within the Argo-France program where the national priorities are defined.
- The overall priorities of France Biogeochemical-Argo are totally in phase with those defined at an international level with respect to scientific and societal questions, variables to be acquired and float mission configuration.
- Areas of preferential deployments are essentially (but not exclusively) the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian sector of the Austral Ocean and the sub-tropical Pacific.
- A strong focus on data management is a high priority for the Biogeochemical-Argo program in France, with a strong commitment in coordinating data management meetings (in phase with the Argo data management meetings) and in production of documentation required for data management and quality control procedures.
The French contribution to global Biogeochemical-Argo is supported through various sources of funding.
- Recurrent funding: Four Biogeochemical-Argo floats are yearly attributed to French scientists, through the response to a multi-agencies (IFREMER, CNES, CNRS-INSU) call. Selected scientists are responsible for float deployments in their area of interest as well as the acquisition of in situ data for sensor calibration. Scientists are assisted in data access and visualization. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to change float mission (temporal and vertical resolution) for a limited period of float life-time (~ < 30 cycles) to conduct process studies. This successful funding scheme is running since 2010.
- Project-based funding: Biogeochemical-Argo contribution by the French community is also organized through several observation projects, funded by different sources, and based in particular on the acquisition of float time series. Since 2010, several large projects, some of them still on-going, have significantly contributed to biogeochemical-Argo time series in various open ocean waters:
- SOCLIM: soclim.com
- NAOS: naos-equipex.fr
- remOcean: remocean.eu
- Long-term commitments: In France, Argo is organized through a so-called “very large research infrastructure” which represents a 10-year commitment of funding agencies. The roadmap for this research infrastructure identifies the progressive implementation of the France Biogeochemical-Argo program as a priority for the future, a basis to develop more secure funding and to sustain long-term operation of the network
National Center for Scientific Research, public organization under the responsibility of the French Ministry of Education and Research
University Pierre and Marie Curie, devoted to science and medicine, maintains also three marine stations on the coasts of France
The Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer, public institute of an industrial and commercial nature,..
The Centre national d'études spatiales, French government space agency, under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defense and Research.
The "Investment for the future" is a programme launched by the French Government to support strategic and ambitious initiatives to boost the french competitiviness.
