China releases global ocean dataset at UN conference

China Global Ocean Fusion Dataset 1.0 (CGOF1.0), a high-quality marine dataset using advanced information technologies, was launched during a side event of the ongoing United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday in Nice, France.

As the world grapples with pressing challenges, such as climate change, disaster prevention, ecological protection and sustainable economic development, high-quality ocean data plays a pivotal role in addressing these issues.

The CGOF1.0 incorporates data from more than 40 different domestic and foreign sources and integrates China's marine observations, Yu Ting, researcher at National Marine Data and Information Service, told China Media Group.

With a span of over 60 years, the dataset offers a spatial resolution of 10 kilometers, Yu explained. Moreover, the dataset incorporates advanced AI technologies, including deep learning, transfer learning and machine learning, making it more accurate than many mainstream international datasets.

The release of CGOF1.0 has garnered recognition from UN agencies, governments and marine experts worldwide.

Vidar Helgesen, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, emphasized the urgency of sharing ocean data. 

More extreme weather events are taking place in oceans. More biodiversity collapses and many changes are threatening coastal communities, said Helgesen, noting that data sharing is essential for better prediction and preparation in the face of these threats.

Helgesen praised China's leadership in ocean policy and observation, calling on all nations to intensify efforts and collaborate in the face of a rapidly changing ocean environment.

The ocean data remains very limited, making China's role in this area very important, especially for developing countries, said Dwikorita Karnawati, director of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics.

She said the data that China provides is not only critical for its own needs but also highly valuable to global society, particularly in enhancing ocean safety and early warning systems.

"For many purposes, the data is very meaningful," said Karnawati.

Leonardo Arancibia, area coordinator of natural resources, science and technology at the Library of the National Congress of Chile, stressed the importance of building a unified global ocean database, one that includes key parameters like temperature and salinity data over the past decades. The data released by China is of high significance, helping analyze and understand oceanic changes from both global and local perspectives.