The SOCAT scientific community aims to provide annual, public releases of synthesis and gridded, quality controlled, observational products of surface ocean CO2 (carbon dioxide) for the global oceans and coastal seas. Specifically SOCAT scientists aim to release SOCAT version 5, consisting of 21.5 million surface ocean CO2 measurements collected between 1957 and 2017, by July 2017.

The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT, www.socat.info) is a synthesis activity by the international marine carbon research community with more than 100 contributors worldwide. SOCAT data products are discoverable, accessible and citable. Powerful, interactive, online viewers, the Data Set Viewer and the Gridded Data Viewer (www.socat.info), allow investigation of the SOCAT synthesis and gridded data products.

SOCAT enables quantification of the ocean carbon sink and ocean acidification, as well as evaluation of ocean biogeochemical models, all of which inform policy. Multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications and high-impact reports cite SOCAT publications. While celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, SOCAT has become a milestone in research coordination, data access, biogeochemical and climate research and in informing policy.