The Atlantic Seafloor Partnership for Integrated Research and Exploration (ASPIRE) is a major multi-year, multi-national collaborative ocean exploration field program focused on raising collective knowledge and understanding of the North Atlantic Ocean. The campaign will provide data to inform and support research planning and management decisions in the region. Building on the successes of the 2012-2013 Atlantic Canyons Undersea Mapping Expeditions (ACUMEN), NOAA’s ASPIRE campaign will broaden both the geographic focus to include more of the U.S. Atlantic and the high seas and the scope of partnerships to include federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as international partners from the European Union and Canada. Initial ASPIRE fieldwork was conducted in 2016 and 2017, and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will join partners in operating in the region from 2018-2020. ASPIRE goal is to provide a foundation of publicly accessible baseline data to increase understanding of the North Atlantic Ocean. The effort will also provide critical information relevant to emerging blue economy priorities, including sustainable fisheries, offshore energy and marine minerals, coastal and offshore hazards, and marine tourism and recreation.
