I don't have much more, since the IOOS is still a concept and they are only putting it together now. The Industry liason officer for the program used to be the director of the marine engineering division at my institution and he shares an office (and good cigars and single malt scotch!) with me in his current liason role.
FWIW, here's a bit on the July 2004 congressional bill that green-lighted this particular project:
http://www.theorator.com/bills108/hr5001.html
and a little more about IOOS itself and the Ocean.US partnership putting it together:
http://www.ocean.us
And, finally, in today's news everyone is of course wondering why we don't have one of theme there fancy early warning systems in place already...
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=370063
And that's what really chaps my ass. That piece has Bush in it saying, 'Oh yes, we need this international observing system and it will save lives and...' yada yada., But when it comes time for us and other partner nations to actually cough up money to make it happen it is eerily quiet. Two weeks ago, Bush ordered the creation of a Cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy, in response to the reports of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission. These reports were a couple of years in prep and basically conclude what we already know - there will be dire human and ecological consequences if we don't stop f***ing up the oceans. Conspicuously absent from Bush's directive was ANY monetary increase in investment in ocean science, management and education. So, 'yeah, go fix everything, but don't tell us about the $billions it will actually take to make it happen.'
f***ing lip-service