Background Ocean salinity plays critical roles in ocean circulation, marine biology and biogeochemistry, ocean-atmosphere exchanges, land-sea interaction, and in sea-ice formation and melting. Through these roles, ocean salinity affects the Earth’s hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere, underscoring salinity’s strong societal relevance. Significant progress has been made in the past two decades in observing global ocean salinity using satellite and in-situ technologies. The resulting measurements have materially enhanced our understanding of the role of ocean salinity in the Earth’s environment, revealing how salinity both reflects water-cycle variability and actively shapes both ocean circulation and mixing across different spatial and temporal scales. The main goal of the 2026 Ocean Salinity Science and Technology Meeting is to identify critical drivers for ocean salinity science, applications, and salinity measurement needs for the coming decade. This meeting builds on the outcome of the series of international ocean salinity community meetings (Brest, France – 2013; Exeter, UK – 2014; Hamburg, Germany – 2015; Falmouth, MA, USA – 2017; Paris, France – 2018; New York City, NY, USA – 2022; and Noordwijk, the Netherlands – 2024).
This meeting is planned primarily as an in-person meeting with limited options for remote participation.
Severine Fournier (JPL/NASA)
Tony Lee (JPL/NASA)
Peter Gaube (University of Washington)
Roberto Sabia (European Space Agency)
Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer (NASA HQ)
Klaus Scipal (European Space Agency)
Fred Bingham (University of North Carolina Wilmington)
Jacqueline Boutin (Sorbonne University)
Annette deCharon (ODYSEA LLC)
Estrella Olmedo (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Nicolas Reul (IFREMER)
Julian Schanze (Earth and Space Research)
Lisan Yu (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)