The North Atlantic Ocean, its connection to the Arctic, and its shelf seas are crucial for the ecological, economic, and societal health and resilience of both North America and Europe. This region also plays a critical role in the global climate system as a significant reservoir of heat, water, and carbon dioxide, as well as through its ability to transport these over large meridional distances and exchange them freely with the atmosphere.
In April 2014, with support from the US National Science Foundation and the European Union Commission, the Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program coordinated and convened an international North Atlantic-Arctic planning workshop to discuss the state of science in the North Atlantic-Arctic system and begin planning the next phase of interdisciplinary research, with an emphasis on mechanisms to facilitate international collaboration. The outcome of this planning workshop was a community-vetted international science plan that outlines a core science vision for advancing the next phase of research focused on the coupled North Atlantic-Arctic ocean-atmosphere system, including key biogeochemical and ecological processes and relevant socio-economic systems.
Community News & Events
- Transatlantic Science Week: Blue Futures conference (Nov. 4-6, 2015, Boston, MA)
- US-Sweden Planning Workshop Report on joint Arctic Research using the I/B Oden
- International North Atlantic-Arctic Science Plan finalized
- To mark the 20th anniversary of the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT), Plymouth Marine Laboratory hosted an AMT Open Science Conference June 23-25, 2015
Workshops and Activities
April 2014 Planning Workshop (Arlington, VA)
This international planning workshop was the first step in fostering the development of a large multidisciplinary research program focused on the coupled North Atlantic-Arctic system that will facilitate partnerships among U.S., European Union (EU), and Canadian scientists. The workshop, which was jointly supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the EU, convened expertise in marine biogeochemistry, biodiversity, ecosystem dynamics, paleoceanography, ocean physics, etc. to establish the interdisciplinary framework for a large international research initiative that will examine key components of the North Atlantic-Arctic system (e.g., Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, spring bloom timing, biological carbon pump, ecosystem structure as well as their dynamics, etc.) and associated sensitivities to circulation and climate changes.
Agenda
Participant list
Breakout lists
Poster list
Bibliography
Observing assets map
Workshop Presentations
Meeting Report: Benway, H. M., E. Hofmann, M. St. John (2014). Building international research partnerships in the North Atlantic-Arctic System: An international planning workshop for a North Atlantic-Arctic science program. Eos Trans. AGU 95(35),317, DOI: 10.1002/2014EO350007.
May 2013 Workshop The Atlantic: A Shared Resource (Galway, Ireland)
In February 2013 the European Union (EU)-U.S. Joint Consultative Group held a meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation, which focused on developing the knowledge and technologies that can foster economic growth, create jobs and help solve shared challenges, such as in health, climate change and food security. To facilitate this process the Group explored how to advance cooperation in trans-Atlantic marine, maritime and Arctic research, transport research, health research, and materials science. This meeting was followed by the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation, which is an agreement, signed in May 2013, between the U.S., European Union, and Canada to join forces on Atlantic research. The goals of this cooperative agreement are to better understand the Atlantic Ocean, promote the sustainable management of its resources, and study the interplay of the Atlantic Ocean with the Arctic Ocean, particularly with regards to climate change. This agreement recognizes that Atlantic research will be more effective if coordinated on a trans-Atlantic basis.
Presentations
Workshop Website
Galway Statement
Workshop report
