Britain is set to join a major international ocean science initiative led by the European Union, aimed at improving forecasts of extreme weather and climate events. The announcement will be made today in New York by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle, during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This decision follows concerns that this year’s unusually strong El Niño, a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, will lead to more extreme weather conditions around the world. The EU launched a €92 million initiative called OceanEye in June to enhance its role in ocean observation and provide data-driven insights for better understanding and managing the ocean. The program aims to create a digital "real-time" model of the ocean by 2030, using data collected from satellites, underwater sensors, and other monitoring systems. As part of OceanEye, the EU has formed an international partnership with Canada to address gaps in ocean monitoring and strengthen global cooperation. Ocean observations are vital for predicting weather and climate changes, as well as for national security, global trade, and protecting marine ecosystems. The UK will now share more data from the Met Office and other agencies with the EU and Canada than before. Eagle highlighted the importance of understanding the ocean to protect and restore it, saying, "We cannot save our oceans if we do not understand them." The UK’s involvement in the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is expected to help better protect the country from the impacts of climate change. However, current global ocean observation systems have significant gaps, especially in polar regions, the deep ocean, and in tracking biological changes. While the United States provides more than half of the ocean monitoring platforms and much of the related technology, it recently reversed a plan to cut funding for its Ocean Observatories Initiative after pressure from scientists. However, ongoing budget cuts for U.S. ocean agencies have left GOOS vulnerable to shifts in U.S. government priorities.