The Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Coordination and Support Action (AORA-CSA) is tasked with the implementation of activities of the EU, Canada and USA Galway Statement and its Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance signed in May 2013.
This Statement establishes a formal Atlantic Ocean Research Cooperation between the European Union, its Member States, the United States of America and Canada and partner countries that builds on existing initiatives and programmes to increase coherence and coordination of ocean research cooperation.
The Coordination & Support Action is comprised of a High Level Advisory Board (see Members below), a project secretariat (based at the Marine institute Ireland) and eleven themes divided into workpackages (outlined in the table below).
AORA-CSA Objectives
- Support the Galway Statement and its Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance
- Support the improvement in the international cooperation framework of marine research programmes - creating the basis for the development of future large-scale joint international marine research programmes.
- Establishment of a long term knowledge sharing platform for easy access to available information and data holding international research significance for Ocean Management.
AORA-CSA Research and Underpinning Themes
Click on the table below for more information on Work Packages.
| Governance & Coordination | ||
| Work Package | WP Leader | Organisation |
| Governance & Coordination | Peter Heffernan | Marine Institute Ireland |
| This Work Package helps support the entire Support Action ensuring efficient governance and timely coordination between all the partners within the Support Action.It asks ultimately to support the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance
For more information click here. |
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| Networking & Conferencing | Peter Heffernan | Marine Institute Ireland |
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The objective of this Work Package is to organise networking and conference events to support inclusiveness and to provide a platform to engage the widest European and North American input in terms of research policy makers and funders, research performers, major regional and pan-European research networks, and including industry and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) representatives. For more information click here. |
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| Communications & Dissemination | Peter Heffernan | Marine Institute Ireland |
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The objective of this Work Package is to support Communications and the Dissemination of information on activities of the Support Action and the AORA to the AORA and Support Action partners and to the wider North American Atlantic Research Community including research policy makers and funders, researchers and research institutes (including the education sector), major regional and pan-European research networks, and including industry and Non-governmental organisation representatives For more information click here. |
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| Research Support Areas | ||
| Work Package | WP Leader | Organisation |
| Ecosystem Approach to Ocean Health & Stressors | Mark Dickey-Collas | ICES |
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This work package supports the AORA Ecosystem Approach to Ocean Health & Stressors Working Group. The Work Package is led by Mark Dickey-Collas, ICES. The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) coordinates and promotes marine research in the North Atlantic, including adjacent seas such as the Baltic Sea and North Sea. For more information click here. |
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| Ocean Observation | José Joaquín Hernández-Brito | PLOCAN |
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The Ocean Observation work package of the AORA-CSA supports coordination and ensures wider Atlantic participation in terms of Ocean Observation Research & Innovation. This work package is led by Dr. José Joaquín Hernandez Brito, PLOCAN. For more information click here. |
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| Marine Biotechnology | Sigurður Björnsson | RANNÍS |
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The Marine Biotechnology work package of the AORA-CSA supports coordination and ensure wider Atlantic participation in terms of Marine Microbial Ecology and Marine Biotechnology Research & Innovation. This work package is led by Dr. Sigurður Björnsson, RANNÍS. For more information click here. |
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| Aquaculture | Wojciech Wawrzynski | ICES |
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This work package supports the AORA Aquaculture Working Group. The Work Package is led by Wojciech Wawrzynski, ICES. For more information click here. |
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| Ocean Literacy | Ana Noronha | Ciência Viva |
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This work package supports the AORA Ocean Literacy Working Group. The Work Package is led by Ana Noronha, Ciência Viva. For more information click here. |
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| Seabed & Benthic Habitat Mapping | Pål Buhl-Mortensen | IMR |
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This work package supports the AORA Working Group on Seabed Mapping also known as the Atlantic Seabed Mapping International Working Group (ASMIWG). The Work Package is led by Dr. Pål Buhl-Mortensen at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR). The IMR undertakes research on marine resources, the marine environment and aquaculture. The principal objective of the IMR is to provide scientific advice in the above areas to the authorities, industry and society as a whole. For more information click here. |
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| Underpinning Support Areas | ||
| Work Package | WP Leader | Organisation |
| Shared Access to Marine Research Infrastructures (MRI) | Aurélien Carbonnière | IFREMER |
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This work package supports all the AORA Working Groups. The Work Package is led by Aurélien Carbonnière, French National Marine Research Institute (IFREMER). Ifremer’s mission is to improve knowledge about the oceans and their resources, monitor the coastal and marine environment and sustainable development of marine activities. Ifremer designs and deploys observational, experimental and monitoring tools and manages the French Ocean Research Fleet on behalf of the entire French scientific community. For more information click here. |
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| Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP) | Neil Holdsworth | ICES |
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This work package supports all the AORA Working Groups. This Work Package is led by Neil Holdsworth, ICES. The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) coordinates and promotes marine research in the North Atlantic, including adjacent seas such as the Baltic Sea and North Sea. For more information click here. |
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The AORA-CSA facilitates the mapping and connectivity of relevant on-going research activities and programmes in the Atlantic and identifies common research areas and gaps. We contribute to aligning the planning and programming of research activities, with a view to launching joint Research & Innovation initiatives, while building on existing ones and also national and multilateral initiatives. Included in these research themes are two underpinning themes:
- Knowledge sharing platform
- Shared access to Marine Research Infrastructure (MRI)
We will establish a long-term knowledge sharing platform, in the identified Galway Statement priority areas, to allow for long-term usability of the data, information and knowledge thereby ensuring tangible value creation from invested resources. This platform will comprise a classification system, which allows for an easy, focused, quick and reliable use and analysis of the information collected and stored. The principle of open access will govern such a platform. Representatives from funding agencies and these communities will be consulted in the design to enhance the exploitability of the platform for policy making and stakeholder consultation purposes. Long-term viability options for this platform will be investigated.
The project will also facilitate a shared use of marine research infrastructures (MRI), as well as dissemination and knowledge transfer activities to assist optimal exploitation of projects' results, fostering mobility and networking of researchers.
High Level Advisory Board
| PETER HEFFERNAN (CHAIRMAN) | |
| DR THOMAS AUF DER HEYDE | ANNE CHRISTINE BRUSENDORFF |
| PAUL HOLTHUS | CRAIG MCLEAN |
| VLADIMIR RYABININ | TREVOR SWERDFAGER |
| JANICE TROTTE DUHÁ | JACKY WOOD |