The Australian National Coastal Ocean Modelling System (ANCOMS) is a community-driven initiative to deliver a next-generation, nationally coordinated capability for coastal and shelf-scale ocean prediction in response to the NMSP 2015-2025 R4 and as a FOO working group. Over the past year, an Implementation Plan has been developed and delivered to the National Marine Science Committee (NMSC) through extensive community consultation, providing a shared roadmap for technical development, partnerships, and governance. This plan now features prominently in the upcoming National Marine Science Strategy (NMSS) Modelling and Quantitative Science white paper, aligning coastal modelling with Australia’s broader marine science and environmental intelligence priorities.

Several key elements of ANCOMS are already underway or funded, including upgrades to various component systems, development of open-source modelling tools, and national data infrastructure via the CoastRI Coastal Commons. By delivering a coordinated national framework, ANCOMS will enhance Australia’s ability to accelerate coastal prediction R&D, respond to extreme events, assess long-term climate impacts, and support evidence-based decision-making for sustainable ocean management. This presentation will outline progress to date, highlight early successes, and explore opportunities for collaboration as we continue build our national coastal modelling capability.

Biography:

Emlyn is the Marine Systems Modelling and Informatics Research Group Leader within CSIRO Environment, and has a background in developing operational systems for use in decision making. His research interests include developing data assimilation systems to improve the skill of prediction systems, rapidly relocatable modelling systems and linking modelling systems to decision making.