Just to give you an idea of how other regions are handling their Ocean Observing Systems, here's a provisional list of various *OOS networks:
Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy)
National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP)
Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Networks (ORION)
Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System (PACOOS)
Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS)
Open IOOS
Southeastern United States Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS)
Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS)
Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS)
Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS)
Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS)
North-East Pacific Time-Series Undersea Networked Experiments (NEPTUNE)
Pacific Ocean Oberving System (PacOOS)
Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS)