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EU set to join Atlantic Ocean research alliance

   

Goals include improving data access and engaging with Indigenous people

The EU will next month launch a new Atlantic Ocean science collaboration with Argentina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada, Morocco, South Africa and the United States.

The All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance will work on shared priorities including climate change, marine ecosystems, biodiversity and aquaculture, according to a draft version of a declaration published by the Council of the EU, which is set to be signed at a meeting in Washington DC on 13 July.

It is intended to build an Atlantic Ocean research and innovation community, enhance access to infrastructures and data, create development opportunities for early career professionals and support engagement with Indigenous peoples.

The alliance will build on existing scientific collaborations across the Atlantic. Such collaborations have previously faced problems: in a 2021 paper, researchers in Belgium and Sweden expressed concerns around inclusivity.

“A major remaining challenge for this Atlantic Ocean science diplomacy is to ensure the co-creation of policy-relevant science that will support society in the most effective way through an inclusive diversity of disciplines and stakeholders,” they said.