Digital twins are virtualisations or representations of real-world objects or systems, with two-way connectivity between the real and virtual world. They have been widely used in engineering and have recently been adapted to Earth system applications.
The marine community is envisioning Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTO) as an opportunity to make informed operational, scientific, management, and policy decisions about the real-world ocean. Digital twins are powered by continuous data streams from observing systems focused on their physical twins, combined with a suite of models to accurately represent actual and hypothetical (“what if”) behaviours users wish to simulate. The connection between the digital and physical twins requires a well-formulated interface between complex constellations of software, interoperable data lakes, and the user.
Within this framework, the DITTO programme supports the development of digital twins of the ocean as realistic digital representations of assets, processes or systems in the built or natural environment. DITTO is a Programme led by GEOMAR under the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
The key activities of the programme encompass articulating a common understanding of digital twins of the oceans’ purpose and architecture, establishing procedures to build trust in Digital Twins through FAIR, open, and verifiable quality data, identifying a number of “use case” prototypes Digital Twin applications across the spectrum from science, engineering and operations and ultimately build a community of practice at the intersection between other Decade Programmes.
Between January and June 2023, Trust-IT worked with GEOMAR to rebuild the branding identity and new WordPress website of the DITTO programme, ensuring adequate, revamped visibility to the DITTO mission and its contribution to the building blocks of the Digital Twin of the Ocean programme, the existing use cases and localized Digital Twins and the partners who are joining efforts towards this global effort.