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A new Scientific Committee for Ocean Research (SCOR, http://www. scor-int. org/) working group has been formed, entitled SCOR WG-154 “Integration of Plankton-Observing Sensor Systems to Existing Global Sampling Programs (P-OBS, http://www. scor-int. org/SCOR_WGs_WG154. htm.).” The working group (P-OBS WG) is reviewing biological sensing technologies and measurements that are ready for integration into existing regional and global ocean observing programs. Multidisciplinary sets of measurements, whose choice is guided by research and societal benefit goals, will transform our understanding of ocean biology and its impacts on Earth systems. The working group is currently considering measurements from two globally co-ordinated ocean observing networks: The Global Ocean Shipped-Based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP), http://www. go-ship. org/and OceanSITES, http://www. oceansites. org/. GOSHIP co-ordinates trans-basin ship surveys that are repeated at least once every 10 yr per transect. OceanSITES co-ordinates full ocean depth time series observations from moorings and repeat ship visits. Both programs are represented in the P-OBS WG, along with the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) program, https://www. sahfos. ac. uk/(the longest plankton observing system in the world), and the BGC-Argo-Biogeochemical Argo program (BGC-Argo program). BGC-Argo is implementing a global network of profiling floats equipped with bio-optical and biogeochemical sensors. Other P-OBS WG members cover areas such as remote sensing, in situ plankton measurement by imaging, genomics approaches …