Task Group – 4:
Oceans, Coasts, Islands (OCI)
Activity report
Genki Terauchi, Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center
Aletta Yniguez, University of the Philippines
Eko Siswanto, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Jonson Lumban-Gaol, IPB University
Anukul Buranapratheprat, Burapha University
Sam Wouthuyzen, National Research and Innovation Agency
Nurul Hazrina Idris, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Aidy M Muslin, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Jutarak Luang-on, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Salem Ibrahim Salem, Kyoto University of Advanced Science
Victor Kuwahara, Soka University

TG4 pre-2025 achievements:
Data Inventory System (Geonetwork) enables access metadata from in situ observation databaseThreats and Environmental Issues in Asian Coastal Oceans
Human activities

Marine plastic debris

Climate changes

Eutrophication & red tide

Global warming

Coral reef bleaching

Sea level rise

Lebreton et al. (2017)

1980

2022
Source: Permanent Ser vice for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL)TG4 Session with new members⚫ Optical sensors* Eutrophication* Harmful algal blooms* Fisheries* Water quality⚫ Coupled numericalmodel-marine
ecosystem model* Ocean surface current* Harmful algal blooms⚫ Infrared sensor* Coral reef bleaching* Fisheries⚫ In situ observers* Harmful algal blooms* Fisheries⚫ Altimeter* Sea level

Asian Coast and Ocean Portal (A-COP)
Products/maps

Asian Coast and Ocean Portal

GEE - Global Eutrophication Watch

Optical/ocean color sensor• Phytoplankton chlorophyll-a,
CDOM, TSM
• Remote sensing reflectance(380 nm ~ 670 nm)• Optically-based water quality• Chlorophyll-a anomaly• Red tide

Infrared sensor• Sea surface temperature

Other products/maps underconsideration/discussion• Eutrohication• Bio-optical properties• Phytoplankton functional types• Net primary production (NPP)• Sea leval anomaly/trend• Surface ocean current• Plastic debris• Modeled chlorophyll-a / NPP• Fisheries-related information• etc.

CMEMS sea level anomaly
OSCAR surface current
01 SEP 2019

C hloroph yl l-a con cen trati on

Sasai et al. (2022)

Objectives of the TG4 OCI Task
Integrated Earth &social science-derived
knowledge & insights

EarthBuild regional
Inform strategic Intelligencecapacities &decisions
empower societyfor All

Harness Earth Observation (EO) to enhance coastal
ocean environmental management by monitoring
and assessing changes in key variables, informing
evidence-based decision-making, and supporting
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Strategies/Actions•Developing a portal to provide information mainly based onsatellite observations (SGLI, Sentinel etc.)

Address environmental,societal, and economic
challenges•Promoting research collaborations (in situ data collections,algorithm and model developments, calibration/validation, etc.)•Regional research capacity building (workshops, training, earlycareer scientist engagement, etc.)•Linking with ongoing projects/programmes (e.g. Asia-Pacific
Network for Global Change Research, CoastPredict) to strengthen
the outputs/outcomes•Promoting science-policy interfacing (e.g., UN Ocean Decade
Action, stakeholder engagement)

Portal development

Hiring early-career scientist

Earth Observation - RA3

Proposed
Portal development & in situ obs.

In situ observstions

Indonesia National Research &Innovation Agency

Hiring early-career scientist

Indonesia Endowment
Fund for Education

Improving regional research capacity in Earth Observation

Upcoming eventCurrent status & the way forward⚫ Task Group 4 (TG4) has redefined strategy to develop new Earth Observation-based
platform, the Asian Coastal Ocean Portal (A-COP), aiming at providing data andinformation to the community to address environmental issues in Asian coastal oceans⚫ A-COP is currently in development phase. Initially, it will provide optical/ocean color
products, with future plan to include other common biogeophysical variables. A-COP is
expected to be launched within 2024
⚫ Improving regional research capacity and early career scientist engagement⚫ The research and development of models/algorithms, along with A-COP improvement,
and their implementation for socioeconomic benefits, will be the focus of the TG4’s
strategy post-2025