The main vision of iAOOS is a cost-effective and technologically feasible long-term monitoring system for the Arctic. Such a monitoring system would include technological solutions for obtaining and calibrating observations in cold and ice-covered environments, technological solutions to transfer data near-real time from ocean, ice and atmosphere to an operational center for continual merger of data with models to produce dynamically consistent data products, a functioning data management system, and the design, based on a deep understanding of information transfer within the climate system, of the least-costly, yet sufficient for decision-making, observing system for the Arctic. 

Such a system would merge into a global monitoring system, used to improve our understanding and forecasting skills of our physical climate system. Numerous scientific advances will obviously emerge, concerning the interplays between atmosphere, ice and ocean. iAOOS will, together with the other IPY projects, providing a snap-shot of the Arctic during the IPY years, another important legacy of IPY. By filling gaps in our spatial coverage and extending the available series in time, the intention of iAOOS is to view the ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere-biosphere system of high northern latitudes operating as a complete system.

iAOOS-international is a program sponsored by the Arctic Ocean Science Board.