The conference “Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation: The Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance” presented by Margaret Rae (Coordination and Support to Marine Institute Ireland, Galway, Ireland) will take place on July 11, at 12 p.m.

In 2013, the two EU Commissioners for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries and Research and Innovation, together with high level representatives from United Stated of America and Canada, signed the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation to launch the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance (AORA) in the North Atlantic. The goal was to enable transatlantic cooperation in order to better understand and increase knowledge of the Atlantic Ocean, its dynamic systems, and to promote sustainable management of its resources. In the first few years a lot of effort was put into aligning research programmes and planning, in addition to identifying and developing the cooperation areas. Four cooperation areas have been identified to date and are actively being developed trilaterally at present; these areas are: Atlantic Seabed Mapping, Aquaculture, an Ecosystem Approach to Ocean Health & Stressors and Ocean Literacy. As the cooperation evolves, it is expected that other research theme areas in the Atlantic will be mutually pursued.

Venue: Amphitheatre QA1.2