AORA - Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance

AORA

The Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation was signed in the Marine Institute, Galway on 24 May 2013 by representatives of the European Union, Canada and the United States. This historic document established a formal Atlantic Ocean Research Cooperation between signatories and partner countries to build on existing co-operative initiatives within the North Atlantic. 

 

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Programme objectives and aspirations aim to:

  • Improve ocean health and stewardship
  • Promote sustainable management of resources
  • Improve ecosystem assessments and forecasts and deeper understanding of vulnerabilities and risks, including climate change
  • Generate new tools to increase resilience, conserve rich biodiversity, manage risk and determine social, environmental, and economic priorities
  • Promote our citizens’ understanding of the value of the Atlantic by promoting oceans literacy

The Galway Statement mandated Fisheries & Oceans (DFO), Canada, the European Commission (EC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA to implement the commitments to guide the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance and thus establish the Trilateral Galway Implementation Committee.

The Priority Areas of Cooperation identified are:

  • Atlantic Seabed Mapping and Characterization
  • Aquaculture
  • Ocean Literacy and Outreach
  • Ocean Health and Stressors
  • Ocean Observation and Prediction

As the largest national seabed mapping programme, INFOMAR representing Ireland and indeed the EU, played a fundamental role in developing and leading the AORA Seabed Mapping Working Group.

More information here

Explore our interactive story map of the first INFOMAR-AORA trans-Atlantic mapping survey here.