Hard copies of the infographic will be circulated at CCAMLR-XXXIV.

The Southern Ocean Observing System was established by SCAR and SCOR in 2011 and has been steadily developing its work.  In this paper, we summarise the outcomes of strategic planning over 2015 and a recent meeting of the SSC and workshop aimed at implementing the strategic plan.  SOOS is developing regional and capability working groups to implement its strategy.  The regional working groups will be important to CCAMLR in providing data relevant to conservation and fisheries in different parts of the CCAMLR area.  The capability working groups aim to develop long term capabilities of SOOS.  Those of interest to CCAMLR include Working Groups on Ecosystems, Acoustics and Monitoring of pack ice seals.  The development of the SOOS Data Management System and Portal will also be important to CCAMLR.  These are described more fully in the paper.  In conclusion, we discuss the value of developing a partnership between SOOS and CCAMLR to help develop a positive relationship between the CCAMLR and international scientific communities and to progress the international coordination and assessments of climate change impacts on Southern Ocean ecosystems, the focus of a conference in 2018.

In recent years, the Scientific Committee has been dealing with a great diversity of important issues for which the Commission was expecting advice. The current structure of the Working Groups has struggled to address these issues efficiently, leading to expanded time taken on intersessional meetings and a large diversity of important issues.  A number of important issues are not being addressed at present.  In our view, this stems from constraints on the way SC-CAMLR does work. In this paper, we describe these constraints and combine thoughts given to the CCAMLR Symposium in May 2015 on how these issues may be resolved.  In particular, we propose some options for re-organising the work and structure of the Scientific Committee.  These options include having three meeting periods timetabled through the year: a two week period for workshops, a three week period for the Scientific Committee and its working groups and maybe workshops in mid-year, and a short meeting of the Scientific Committee just prior to the annual Commission meeting.  We also suggest a co-ordinating group (bureau) be established in the Scientific Committee, comprising the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the SC and the Convenors of Standing Working Groups (supported by the Secretariat) to co-ordinate the business of the meeting and to stimulate and guide inter-sessional activities.  We provide suggestions for the working groups as well as for improving reports of these meetings.