From 25 to 28 March 2019 the First International AtlantOS Symposium ‘An All-Atlantic Ocean Observing System Ambitions and Opportunities feeding into the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)’ brought together around 170 participants from 30 countries at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
The event was particularly important in two ways: First and foremost, it marked the transition from the EU-Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action AtlantOS “Optimising and Enhancing the Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing Systems” to an international basin-scale program, the All-Atlantic Ocean Observing System (AtlantOS), which benefits from the Galway and Belém Statements and is the Atlantic contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Secondly, it was an excellent opportunity for all AtlantOS partners to come together and present their achievements in front of a broad and diverse audience.
Experts on ocean observing connected with diverse ocean observing stakeholder communities, from science, policy, public authorities, industries and the wider society to articulate and refine our joint All-Atlantic ambition for ocean observing.
The symposium showcased successes and articulated opportunities, needs and benefits from the work of the EUH2020 AtlantOS project feeding into the implementation of the AtlantOS Program and its role of enabling a wide range of societal benefits. Questions discussed include: How will AtlantOS the Program contribute to ocean policy processes? How does it fit into the wider ocean observing context? What are national and regional ocean observing ambitions and contributions? And how will AtlantOS the Program respond to user needs, from the scientific, private sector, and civil society perspective?
This international event comes at a critical time to deliver consolidated ocean observing inputs to the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans working group and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
The symposium articulated the path forward to sustain and grow the All-Atlantic Ocean Observing System (AtlantOS) during the next decade by delivering the Paris Declaration on All-Atlantic Ocean Observing. The report, presentations and more details on the conference can be found on the AtlantOS Symposium Website.
