AAORIA Fora serve as the central platforms to highlight the scientific coordination and collaboration within the Alliance. This year’s Forum will focus particularly on two priority areas:
- Increasing our understanding of the relationship between the ocean and climate and developing outcome-oriented science for mitigating and adapting to the consequences of climate change, particularly for the benefit of increasing resilience of coastal communities;
- Coordinating Atlantic Ocean observing and improving modelling capacities, including in support of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
The AAORIA Forum 2024 is endorsed as an Ocean Decade activity by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, as a testament to its importance. This underscores the Forum's alignment with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and its commitment to advancing sustainable ocean management and research.
JPI Oceans is leading the communication and dissemination efforts of this year’s Forum, as well as organising an intergenerational dialogue session to foster meaningful exchanges between ocean professionals in their early and advanced career stages, respectively. These efforts are supported by OKEANO, an EU-funded Coordination and Support Action (CSA) for the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance.
The Intergenerational Dialogue will be held at the Forum, and it is designed to bridge generational divides in ocean research and policy to foster innovative solutions for pressing Atlantic challenges. The session will centre on collaborative group work, where Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), along with designated mentors, will craft policy briefs as tangible outcomes. The briefs intend to offer innovative solutions aligned with the two Forum’s thematic priorities mentioned above. Ultimately, this initiative aims to empower ECOPs to become active stakeholders in AAORIA’s priority areas, encouraging their engagement with the Atlantic community.