Responsibility for strategic planning, implementation, and oversight of network activities is divided among three groups: the steering and data committees and an ethical advisory board. The roles and responsibilities of each are described below.

Steering Committee

Membership

The Steering Committee is composed of 12-15 members and led by two co-chairs. Members are elected via ballot following nominations from the community. Vacant positions may be filled out of session. Membership terms last four years and typically members would serve for one term but are eligible for one subsequent term. Initial members will serve terms of either two or four years so that term expiries are staggered, ensuring a continuity of experience on the Committee. Where possible, the Committee will have a balance across geographic representation, gender, career status, community representation and expertise. In particular, the Committee should encompass expertise in:

  • Physical oceanography
  • Animal tracking (seals, sharks, turtles)
  • Data management
  • Regional oceanographic representation and representatives from the following communities:
  • GOOS/JCOMMOPS/OCG
  • CLS Argos
  • Instrument manufacturing

Role

The Steering Committee:

  • Provides leadership to implement the observing network
  •  Coordinates network activities including deployment regimes
  • Writes, reviews and submits the scientific and operational plans of the network to GOOS OCG
  • Assists the co-chairpersons in the preparation of reports, reviews action items of previous meetings and reports these to the broader community
  • Ensures and builds stakeholder engagement
  • Promotes broad international involvement, enhances coordination and collaboration to achieve integrated and sustained observations to end-users globally

Current Committee:

Co- Chairs:

  • Clive McMahon, Sydney Institute of Marine Science
  • Fabien Roquet, University of Gothenburg

Members:

  • Sophie Baudel, CLS Argos
  • Mike Fedak, Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews
  • Christophe Guinet, CEBC, CNRS –  La rochelle Université
  • Mark Hindell, UTAS/IMAS
  • Melinda Holland, Wildlife Computers, Seattle, WA
  • Tiphaine Jeanniard du Dot, CEBC, CNRS –  La rochelle Université
  • Theresa Keates, University of California Santa Cruz
  • Monica M. C. Muelbert, UNIFESP/IMAS
  • Ana Sequeira, University of Western Australia
  • Samantha Simmons, SMRU Consulting
  • Victor Turpin, OceanOPS
  • Fred Whoriskey, Ocean Tracking Network
  • Bill Woodward, U.S. IOOS – Animal Telemetry Network

Data Committee

Membership

The Data Committee is composed of 10 expert members and led by a chair. Members are elected via ballot following nominations from the community. Vacant positions may be filled out of session. Typically, members serve for one term of four years, but members may in principle be eligible for one subsequent term. Initial members will serve terms of either two or four years so that term expiries are staggered, ensuring a continuity of experience on the Committee. Where possible, the Committee will have a balance across geographic representation, gender, career status, community representation and expertise.

Role

The Data Committee:

  • develops a strategy and implementation plan for international coordination and governance of the Network’s data and metadata.
  • solves issues that hinder true interoperability of animal-borne sensor data and metadata, regardless of species, tag/sensor manufacturer and type, regional or national facility, and deployment location.
  • oversees network adherence to FAIR and Open data principles:
    • Findable – Data and supplementary materials have sufficiently rich metadata and a unique and persistent identifier.
    • Accessible – Metadata and data are understandable. Data is deposited in a trusted repository.
    • Interoperable – Metadata use a formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable language or knowledge representation.
    • Reusable – Data and collections have a clear usage license and provide accurate information on provenance.
    • Open – Data can be used, reused and redistributed by anyone, subject to appropriate attribution and sharing in the same manner they appear.

Current Committee:

Co- Chairs:

  • Ian Jonsen, Macquarie University
  • Fiona Carse, UK Met Office

Members:

  • Clint Blight, SMRU, University of St. Andrews
  • Eva Cougnon, IMOS – AODN
  • Christophe Guinet, CNRS
  • Xavier Hoenner, CSIRO
  • Fabrice Jaine, IMOS Animal Tracking Facility
  • Megan McKinzie, ATN/MBARI
  • Kevin O’Brien, University of Washington, NOAA/PMEL, GOOS OCG
  • Jon Pye, Ocean Tracking Network
  • Fabien Roquet, University of Gothenburg
  • Vardis Tsontos, NASA/JPL
  • Victor Turpin, OceanOPS
  • Danny Vo, Wildlife Computers
  • Kenady Wilson, Wildlife Computers

Ethical Advisory Board

Membership

Animal welfare and best animal handling practice is a core concern for the network and to ensure compliance across the network membership, AniBOS has an Ethical Advisory Board.

The Ethical Advisory Board is composed of 6-8 expert members and led by a chair. Members are elected via ballot following nominations from the community. Vacant positions may be filled out of session. Typically, members serve for one term of four years, but members may in principle be eligible for one subsequent term. Initial members will serve terms of either two or four years so that term expiries are staggered, ensuring a continuity of experience on the Committee. Where possible, the Committee will have a balance across geographic representation, gender, career status, community representation and expertise.

Role

This Ethical Advisory Board:

  • ensures that the use of animals is justified, provides for the welfare of those animals and incorporates the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs).

1. Replacement – techniques that replace the use of animals must be sought and  used where possible

2. Reduction – each project must use no more than the minimum number of animals necessary and

3. Refinement – projects should be designed to avoid pain and distress in animals

  • ensures that all network activities relating to the care and use of animals comply with and are conducted in accordance with world’s best practice and in compliance with local legal requirements
  • reviews proposals from prospective network members to ensure adherence to the stringent compliance standards of the network on the use of animals for scientific and observational purposes
  • provides ongoing feedback to the network membership on advances in best practise and facilitates the adoption of these where appropriate

Current Committee:

Chair:

  • Daniel Costa, University of California Santa Cruz
  • Sara Labrousse (Co-Chair), LOCEAN-CNRS/Sorbonne Université

Members:

  • Mark Hindell, UTAS/IMAS
  • Kim Holland, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • Tiphaine Jeanniard du Dot, CEBC, CNRS –  La rochelle Université
  • Kit Kovacs, Norwegian Polar Institute
  • Christian Lydersen, Norwegian Polar Institute
  • Clive McMahon, Sydney Institute of Marine Science
  • Monica M. C. Muelbert, UNIFESP/IMAS
  • Fabien Roquet, University of Gothenburg
  • Fred Whoriskey, Ocean Tracking Network