Nadia Pinardi holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University, and she is full professor of Oceanography at Bologna University,Italy. Her interests range from ocean numerical modelling and predictions to data assimilation, numerical modelling of the marine physical-biologicalinteractions and pollutants at sea. She has written more than hundred and sixty papers in peer reviewed journals on a wide range of subjects. The last topic of her research is the understanding of uncertainties in ensemble forecasting, oil spill numerical modelling coupled to operational oceanographic forecasts and the analysis of climate indices in the Mediterranean Sea, such the Mediterranean Sea Overturning Circulation index.Her major achievement is the conceptual design and practical implementation of ocean forecasting systems across the worldocean: she started with the contribution to the very first real time ocean forecast in the California Current systemto the complete development of monitoring, modelling and data assimilation components for the Mediterranean, Marmara and Black Sea. Furthermore, she used the products of the forecasting system tounderstand new ocean dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea (Pinardi et al., 2014, Pinardi et al., 2019) and to develop several new societal benefit applications. She has been the director of the National Group of Operational Oceanography of the National Instituteof Geophysicsand Volcanology from 2004 to 2012. She has been Member of the European Space Agency Space Advisory Group, of the European Environment Agency Scientific Advisory Committee and of the European Research Council for Earth Sciences.From 2012 to2019 she was copresident of the Joint Committee for oceanography and Marine Meteorology(JCOMM)of Unesco-IOC and WMOand she is,since2019,co-chair of the Commission for Observation, Infrastructure and Information Systems (Infrastructure Commission) of WMO and Member of the Joint Collaborative Board of Unesco-IOC and WMO.

Martin Visbeck is head of research unit Physical Oceanography at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and professor at Kiel University,Germany. His research interests revolve around ocean dynamic and the ocean’s role in the climate system, integrated global ocean observation and ocean sustainable development. He advanced the ‘Future Ocean’ Network in Kiel to advance integrated marine sciences by bringing together different disciplines to work on marine issues. He has led the EU AtlantOS Project on sustained ocean observing in theAtlantic. He serves on a number of national and international advisory committees including the Governing Board of the International Science Council (ISC), Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), leadership council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Executive Planning Group for the UN Decade of Ocean Science Decade for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 and the Assembly supporting the development of the EU Horizon Europe Ocean Mission. He chairs the Advisory Committee for Earth Observations at ESA. He is President of The Oceanography Society (TOS), and was elected fellow of the AGU, AMS, TOS and the European Academy of Sciences. Martin Visbeck is involved in strategic planning and decisionmaking processes about the ocean and sustainable development at a national, European and global level.

Dake Chen is a fellow of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is currently working at the Second Institute of Oceanography in Hangzhou, China. He received his Ph.D. degree in physical oceanography from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1989, and has worked in the fields of ocean and climate sciences ever since. His research interest includes ocean-atmosphere interaction, ocean general circulation, coastal ocean dynamics, tropical climate variability, as well as polar climate and its global connections. He is now serving at many international and national scientific committees, and is playing an instrumental role in promoting and organizing several large-scale national campaigns in ocean and climate research.