The Ship Observations Team convenes every two years in plenary session, bringing together member-country representatives, programme managers, task team chairs, and secretariat staff from WMO and IOC-UNESCO. Each session reviews the status of VOS, ASAP, and OceanTraX; evaluates data quality and network performance; adopts recommendations for the intersessional period; and sets strategic priorities. Session reports are the authoritative record of SOT decisions and recommendations.
PMO workshops are held separately from SOT plenary sessions and bring together Port Meteorological Officers from participating countries around the world. They serve as the principal forum for PMOs to share best practices, receive technical training, agree on common operational standards, and strengthen the international network of port-based marine meteorology. Workshop reports document agreed recommendations that shape day-to-day VOS operations globally.
The SOT Executive Board (EB) and Executive Committee (EC) meets regularly by teleconference to manage the work of the SOT between plenary sessions. The EB manages administrative, financial, and strategic matters; sets working priorities for the Technical Coordinator; and responds to emerging issues. In addition to it, the SOT convenes panel-level executive committee meetings for the VOS, OceanTraX (formerly SOOP), and ASAP chairs. They coordinate network-specific matters between plenary sessions — reviewing network performance, progressing task team work, and preparing recommendations for the EB.
In addition to sessions, workshops, and meetings, SOT carries out webinars and other events. Most of these events focus on hands-on training in specific technical areas — instrument calibration, electronic logbook software, data quality monitoring, and observer engagement — as well as enabling newly appointed PMOs to build professional connections with the wider international network. Workshop reports and training materials are made available to the full PMO community.
