With the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss continuing to spiral, the need for ecosystem protection is becoming more urgent, particularly for the communities of the Atlantic.

Partner countries attending the two-day All-Atlantic Oceans Research Forum in Washington DC, which concluded today (14 July), signed the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance Research Declaration (AAORIA) Declaration in recognition of a shared commitment to advancing marine research and building on previous cross-Atlantic collaborations.

Officials from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cabo Verde, the European Union, Morocco, South Africa and the United States of America agreed to continue the Alliance's successful ocean science diplomacy, setting a common path forward for ocean research cooperation across the Atlantic.  Through this new strategic course, AAORIA partners are joining forces to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing countries along the Atlantic.

The declaration signatories were joined by officials from Colombia, Ghana, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom, who also expressed their countries' commitment to Atlantic Ocean research and innovation collaboration. 

Participants at the Forum included senior leaders and scientists, who engaged in forward-looking discussions on topics such as ocean literacy, capacity building, pollution, the ocean-climate nexus, ocean observations, marine ecosystems, and a sustainable ocean economy to inform future collaboration.

The Atlantic Ocean is an invaluable resource shared by all Atlantic nations and beyond. To ensure a healthy ocean for the communities that depend on it now and in the future, effective cooperation in marine research and innovation is vital to inform the sustainable management of human activities affecting the Atlantic.

The All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance is the result of science diplomacy efforts involving countries along and across the Atlantic Ocean basin. It builds on the success of the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation (signed by the European Union, the United States, and Canada in 2013) and the Belém Statement on Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Cooperation (signed by the European Union, Brazil, and South Africa in 2017), as well as a number of other bilateral and multilateral agreements. The AAORIA research declaration updates and extends cooperation, leveraging the strong support of the Atlantic partners and connecting the many research teams within the Alliance.

AAORIA encourages organisations or institutes (from Atlantic nations that are not signatories, or international bodies) to participate in and contribute to the Alliance's joint science, research and innovation activities.

For more information on AAORIA, please visit https://allatlanticocean.org/.