Assessing operational ocean observing equipment (OOOE) based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method

• Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model (FCEM) is applied for assessing OOOE.
• Evaluation index system includes 4 factors, as well as 11 sub-indices.
• FCEM is applied to evaluate 17 typical in-situ instruments in China.
• Different evaluation ranks can be more helpful to manage OOOE.

In this paper, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model (FCEM) is applied for assessing operational ocean observing equipment (OOOE) in China. The evaluation index system (EIS) has been developed and it includes 4 factors: intrinsic performance (IP), operational reliability (OR), operational stability (OS) and entire cost (EC), as well as 11 sub-indices. The AHP-Delphi method is used to obtain the weight values of indices and the OR factor is endowed the highest weight value because continuous accurate observation is attached top priority in operational ocean observing. The FCEM is applied to evaluate 17 typical in-situ instruments used to measure waves, water levels and winds. The results show that all typical instruments are classified as “very suitable” except the SZF wave buoy which is classified as “suitable” due to its data collection percentage of only 95%. The DWR-MK III is considered the best among the 6 typical wave measuring instruments, demonstrating that the FCEM is reasonable. The FCEM cannot only assist the administrator to deploy ocean observing equipment in a scientific manner, but also can guide the upgrading of currently operating facilities.