The ocean is immensely powerful. It is capable of devastating coastal communities, ocean users, ecosystems and economies. To mitigate the ocean’s hazards, make it safer and enhance community resilience, evenly distributed higher-density ocean data and reliable forecasting systems are urgently needed.

Coastal communities and ocean users, ocean ecosystems and blue economies are exposed to devastating, unsustainable impacts on land and at sea. The frequency and intensity of weather- and climate-related hazards are changing, which makes their impact even more extreme. Tools and processes for evaluating and mitigating priority risks, and formulating adaptive responses are needed. Higher-density ocean data and improved forecasting with data on sea level, marine weather, climate, etc. are needed on a scale from real time to decades in order to maximize safety on the coast and at sea and minimize risk. Linking this data feed to education, outreach and communication will inform policy and decision-making and mainstream resilience.