Bluelink ocean forecasting Australia: 15 years of operational ocean service delivery with societal, economic and environmental benefits

ABSTRACT The operational Australian Bluelink ocean forecast system is used to transform physical oceanographic observations into coherent analyses and predictions. These analyses and predictions form the basis for information services about the marine environment and its ecosystem, and can provide boundary data for weather predictions. Bluelink information services are available to marine industries (e.g. commercial fishing, aquaculture, shipping, oil and gas, renewable energy), government agencies (e.g. search and rescue, defence, coastal management, environmental protection), and other stakeholders (e.g. recreation, water sports, artisanal and sport fishing) who depend on timely and accurate information about the marine environment. This review highlights the last 15 years of Bluelink achievements delivering mesoscale (eddy-resolving) to sub-mesoscale and short- to medium-range (days to weeks) ocean forecasts and reanalyses. Key achievements include the development of a global ocean forecasting and reanalysis system, a relocatable ocean-atmosphere model and a littoral zone analysis and forecasting capability. Beyond the traditional short-term forecasting of physical ocean properties (temperature, salinity, surface height, currents, waves), marine activities such as water quality and habitat management as well as climate monitoring increasingly rely on operational oceanographic data and products. These are areas of active research of the Bluelink team in collaboration with national and international partners.