Organisers:
Location
Date
8am-6pm
Registration for the main event (15-16 April 2026) is now closed
2026 FORUM SIDE EVENTS
PROGRAMME
AAORIA Summer School – Working on Technologies for Oceanic and SUBsea Environments: Autonomous Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (WTSUB 2026)
Organization/Partners: INPO/CNPq (BR)
Date & Time: 09-11 April 2026
Location: TBC
Registration: Closed
The AAORIA Summer School is designed as a training and integration program aimed at equipping Early-Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) with the skills and knowledge considered essential by AAORIA to address current and future ocean challenges. Inspired by the successful experiences of previous thematic schools — Ocean and Climate Computational Modelling (Basics and Applications – 2024) and The Numerical Modelling and Data Analysis Fundamentals: Application on Coastal Resilience Studies (2025) — the program offers lectures, hands-on training sessions, and roundtable discussions with leading national and international researchers. The Summer School targets ECOPs interested in advancing science, technology, and innovation for the ocean, providing opportunities for learning, exchange, and professional development.
All-Atlantic Intergenerational Hackathon
Organization/Partners: OKEANO CSA (EU)
Date & Time: 13–14 April 2026
Location: TBC
Registration: Closed
Building on the Intergenerational Dialogues held in Ottawa and Brussels, the 2026 Intergenerational Hackathon aims to transform dialogue outcomes into actionable solutions, building on the All-Atlantic Declaration priorities, including but not limited to coastal resilience, ocean-climate relation, ocean observation and fisheries and aquaculture. Over an intensive 24-hour period, ECOPs will work in mixed teams with senior scientists, policy advisers, and project managers to design forward-looking, creative, and implementable solutions to core Atlantic challenges. Please note that the All-Atlantic Hackathon goes much beyond coding and it welcomes all disciplines: teams may produce outputs such as sketches, mock-ups, prototypes, or any demonstrable solution. What matters the most is the clarity and creativity of the ideas. Applicants from all ocean-related fields such as natural sciences, social sciences, Indigenous knowledge, engineering, innovation, policy, communication, as well as data science are encouraged. The Hackathon will bring together at least 50 ECOPs and approximately 20 coaches (scientists and project-management experts), bringing to life ECOPs recommendations issued at the previous intergenerational sessions into actionable solutions.
Bate-papo Atlântico: Ciência e Comunidades
Organization/Partners: Organised by the OKEANO CSA in cooperation with SEMA ( Secretaria do Meio Ambiente) and FIOCRUZ | Bahia with the support of UFBA (Universidade Federal da Bahia)
Date & Time: 13 April 2026, 16:00-18:30
Location: Artmalte, R. Feira de Santana, 354 – Rio Vermelho, Salvador – BA, 41940-600, Brazil
Registration: N/A as it is an in person event and you can register in person
All-Atlantic photo competition: A Celebration of Culture and Communities
Organization/Partners: Air Centre (EU)
Date & Time: 14-16 April 2026, 9:00-18:00
Location: Foyer, SENAI CIMATEC
Registration: Open
Now returning for its 2nd edition in 2026, the All-Atlantic photo competition: A Celebration of Culture and Communities invites participants to explore and capture the cultural richness of Atlantic communities. The competition celebrates traditions and ways of life shaped by the ocean, from music, dance, and craftsmanship to fishing practices and everyday social life. Submissions should highlight traditional lifestyles, Indigenous knowledge, and the artistic, culinary, or cultural expressions that reflect the identity and resilience of communities living along the Atlantic shores. The contest is open to photography enthusiasts of all skill levels, from professionals to amateurs, living or working in regions bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from pole to pole and coast to coast.
From Pixels to Policy: Unlocking the Atlantic Ocean’s Benthic Biodiversity Data
Organization/Partners: South African Environmental Observation Network – SAEON & Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK)
Date & Time: 14 April 2026, 9:00 – 12:00
Location: SENAI CIMATEC
Registration: Open – Register here!
The ocean remains one of the least explored frontiers on Earth, yet recent expeditions and industrial surveys, as well as international programmes under the Ocean Decade and Seabed 2030, are generating unprecedented volumes of seabed imagery across Atlantic nations. However, this wealth of visual data often remains locked—unprocessed, unstandardised, or analysed using inconsistent methodologies that limit its utility for biodiversity assessments, spatial planning, and conservation action. The gap between data acquisition and meaningful application represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the All-Atlantic community. Building on the foundation from recent seabed imagery processing activities, this side event will address the critical next step: discussing and sharing pathways for processed biodiversity data to inform decision-making at national, regional, and global scales. Participants will leave with enhanced understanding of standardised data workflows, and connections to regional expertise networks. The event will identify priority actions for the AAORIA community to strengthen the data-to-policy pipeline and establish foundations for sustained collaboration in deep ocean biodiversity assessment across Atlantic nations.
Ocean Technology Innovation: Sustainability and Applied Research for Robotics
Organization/Partners:SENAI CIMATEC
Date & Time: 14 April 2026, 9:00 – 17:00
Location: SENAI CIMATEC
Registration: Open – Register here!
Promoted by SENAI CIMATEC, this event explores technological advancements in marine environments.
The program will briefly present three main topics:
- Simulation for operations in aquatic environments. The session will address the role of simulation for operations in the aquatic environment. The presentation explores how the creation of realistic virtual scenarios and physical modeling is applied to test and validate the behavior of marine technologies before deployment.
- Workshop – Practical applications in soft robotics. The workshop will present a practical application of soft robotics, highlighting the methods used for their control and operation. The session provides a technical overview of the use of these flexible systems and includes a practical demonstration, detailing the real-time operation and functionality of a soft manipulator.
- Challenges and pathways for sustainability, innovation and research in the ocean environment. This session focuses on ocean sustainability and will analyze the operational challenges and emerging pathways for marine innovation. Researchers and specialists will discuss the current marine technology landscape and institutional collaboration through lectures and a roundtable.
A complete schedule of the presentations will be sent to your email at a later date.
All-Atlantic Network of Coastal Resilience Beacon Sites From Local to Global: Sharing Knowledge and Experiences
Organization/Partners: OKEANO CSA (EU)
Date & Time: 14 April 2026, 14:00 – 17:30
Location: SENAI CIMATEC
Registration: Open – Register Here
The All-Atlantic Coastal Resilience workshop brings together stakeholders from AAORIA member countries in Brazil. The aim is to learn from Brazilian sites how coastal resilience is being addressed. From a Beacon Sites network perspective, it will explore avenues for sharing local experiences with an Atlantic-wide network of coastal resilience sites and a global community of coastal resilience managers and researchers. The Brazilian coast is subject to increased flooding and storm intensity, exacerbated by climate change, and the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems and communities. Coastal challenges are further intensified by rapid urbanization and altered river flows. Brazil thus offers valuable perspectives on both the challenges and potential solutions for the Atlantic and beyond. This workshop offers a unique opportunity for reciprocal learning between invited researchers, stakeholders and practitioners.
Integrated assessments of South Atlantic ecosystems: lessons learned during Mission Atlantic
Organization/Partners: Mission Atlantic (EU Horizon 2020), OKEANO
Date & Time: 14 April 2026, 17:00
Location: Museu do Mar – Aleixo Belov
Address: Largo de Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, 2. Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, Salvador
Registration type: Open (on-site registration)
