OBJECTIVES                             Co-ordination of a flexible and operative infrastructure for data and information exchange between key Black Sea scientific institutions to serve reliably observing and predicting the sea state and the ecosystem state. Build the scientific capacity of human resources in the Black Sea region aimed at further development, maintenance and improvement of an operational observing and forecasting system through especially designed educational and training programme. Continuously collecting and updating of the historical databases and metadata bases and extending the access of the end-users to these information sources by development of a Black Sea information system, that will contain all available metadata, compiled in the past (after validation), and efficient updating mechanisms by the Internet. To organize a cost-effective VOS pilot programme, applying modern technologies and developments for data collection, transmission, storage, use and dissemination.