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Dr Niall McDonough said the Okeano group is committed to empowering communities and responding to complex climate challenges across the Atlantic Ocean region.
An international group of organisations, including Ireland’s Marine Institute, has come together to support efforts to protect the Atlantic Ocean.
The Okeano Coordination and Support Action group includes representatives from 16 organisations across Ireland, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Cabo Verde, France, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, South Africa and Spain.
Okeano is funded by Horizon Europe to support the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA).
In July 2022, the EU joined the US, Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Cabo Verde and Morocco in signing the AAORIA declaration, which aims to protect the Atlantic Ocean through the sharing of knowledge, infrastructure and coordinated international projects.
Priorities of the AAORIA include increasing our understanding of the relationship between the ocean and climate and the development of science to mitigate and adapt to climate consequences, monitoring and protecting marine ecosystems and biodiversity, tackling marine pollution, and promoting ocean literacy and engagement in ocean sciences.
The EU has described this alliance as “a true success” for international efforts to protect the second largest sea basin in the world.
The AAORIA builds on the 2017 Belém Statement, which strengthened collaborative commitments between the EU, South Africa and Brazil to link research activities across the Atlantic Ocean region. Belém, in turn, was built on the Galway Statement, an agreement made in 2013 between the EU, the US and Canada to better protect the Atlantic region.
Since the Galway Statement, the EU has invested €300m in more than 40 projects supporting more than 1,000 researchers to tackle major ocean science issues, including how to restore marine populations, protect coastal communities and make use of marine resources sustainably.
At a 10th anniversary celebration of the Galway Statement last year, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, TD, described it as a “key achievement” of Ireland’s European Council presidency in 2013. “[The statement] is now a global model for science diplomacy and multilateral cooperation to tackle shared challenges,” he said.
The roll of Okeano
Okeano will support the AAORIA by ensuring effective governance, cooperation and communication amongst alliance signatories. It aims to consolidate existing initiatives and tackle socio-economic issues in the Atlantic region, including the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution and ecosystem protection and restoration.
Okeano held its inaugural meeting in early March at the JPI Oceans Secretariat in Brussels. Here, Okeano’s coordinator Dr Niall McDonough outlined the group’s work plan and emphasised its aim to support the AAORIA.
“Through its range of planned activities and strong international partnership, we are committed to reaching and empowering communities across the entirety of the Atlantic to respond to the complex challenges presented by issues such as climate change and ecosystem protection and restoration,” said McDonough, who is also director of policy, innovation and research services at the Marine Institute.
Why do we need the AAORIA?
At more than 106,400,000 sq km, the Atlantic Ocean covers approximately 20pc of the Earth’s surface and its North and South sections have distinct ocean currents that influence weather around the world. In recent decades, the climate crisis, pollution and human activity have damaged the health and biodiversity of the ocean ecosystem.
Scientists have warned that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of which the Gulf Stream is a part, is in danger of slowing down or even collapsing due to the melting of the polar ice caps.
Pollution in the form of plastics, maritime transportation, mining and drilling, oil spills and ocean dumping (the direct discharge of pollutants such as sewage into the ocean) is a major problem for the busy Atlantic region. Overfishing and illegal fishing has depleted fish stocks, leaving some species in danger of extinction, and creating hazards for marine animals. Global heating has resulted in rising sea levels, creating problems for coastal communities, and the rise in CO2 has led to increased ocean acidification, which is harmful to sea life.
Speaking to SiliconRepublic.com last year, marine scientist and hydrographer with the Marine Institute Vera Quinlan explained the importance of research and sustainability initiatives to protect the Atlantic Ocean.
“Knowledge of the ocean habitats and ecosystem is crucial to both protect and benefit from our ocean’s resources,” Quinlan said. “Our future is tied explicitly to the health of our oceans.”
Last year, the Marine Institute released images from a 20-year project to map Ireland’s coastal seabed, one of the largest seabed mapping programmes ever undertaken. The data from this comprehensive survey is available for scientific, industrial and public use, and will help to inform the management of Ireland’s marine environment.
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