Tidal Analysis and Prediction in the Western Indian Ocean Regional Report

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO developed a Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) program in 1985 to address the growing concern about the rise in mean sea level around the globe. The objective of GLOSS was to provide high quality standardized data from which valuable sea level products can be produced for international oceanographic programmes and data centres such as World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere (TOGA), Univeristy of Hawaii Sea Level Centre (UHSLC) and Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), and regional research programmes as well as for practical application on a national and regional level. Through GLOSS, a network of about 300 tide gauges have been installed throughout the globe. The regional component of GLOSS in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Region is through IOC’s Regional Committee for the Co-operative Investigations in the North and Central Western Indian Ocean (IOCINCWIO), which was established in 1979 by resolution XI-9 of the eleventh session of the IOC Assembly. IOCINCWIO coordinates development and implementation of regional oceanographic research activities in the member states in the region (Comoros, French Indian Ocean islands, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania).