The registration is now open for the anticipated All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Forum 2025, hosted by the European Union on September 25-26 in Brussels.
The AAORIA unites countries across the Atlantic basin – from Europe, Africa, North and South America, to both polar regions – to advance marine research and innovation through collaborative efforts. This unique alliance continues to strengthen international cooperation in implementing the Galway and Belém Statements while addressing the priorities outlined in the All-Atlantic Declaration.
This year’s Forum holds particular significance as the EU’s chairmanship agenda aligns strategically with both the EU’s Atlantic Strategy and the ambitious EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’. The event will serve as a critical platform to showcase achievements in implementing the AAORIA Declaration and advance cooperation across all agreed partnership areas.
A key focus of the Forum will be promoting activities that transfer scientific knowledge and solutions to local communities along the Atlantic coastline. The upcoming network of Atlantic Beacon Sites- demonstration sites for coastal resilience – will be highlighted as a model for cooperation among inter-linked policy areas based on scientific results. Additionally, the Forum will further the Atlantic inter-generational dialogue through an innovative Blue Intergenerational Programme.
The AAORIA Forum represents a unique opportunity to connect the Atlantic research community with policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society. By bringing together diverse stakeholders from across the Atlantic, it can accelerate knowledge exchange and develop more effective, coordinated approaches to ocean challenges.
Attendance is free, but spaces are limited with registration accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The organizers strongly encourage early registration, particularly for participants requiring invitation letters for visa purposes.
In keeping with AAORIA’s commitment to accessibility, the Forum will also be web-streamed, with recordings made available on the AAORIA website following the event.
To register, please visit the following webpage: https://bit.ly/4m7Uda4
More information on the event will be shared soon.
Networking Friday with Maria Buraimoh (University of Lagos, Nigeria)
On November 20th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we had Maria Buraimoh, University of Lagos, Nigeria. She presented Circular Economy: A Sustainable And Preventive Strategy For The Alleviation Of Atlantic Ocean Pollution. The moderator was Isa Elegbede, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU), Germany. The major challenges confronting the Ocean is pollution emanating majorly from land due to poor waste management (especially plastics/related polymeric material and other organic wastes). Unfortunately, in the developing part of the world where most water bodies are channelled into the Atlantic Ocean, the spread of light and floating plastic polymers travels to shared International environments. Invariably, wastes generated in one continent spread and find their ways to other connected continents via the pollution of the Atlantic Ocean with great consequences on the climate, and lives in the ocean. In her group, They have started to work on preventive approach to Atlantic Ocean and other environmental pollution, which could be achieved through circular economy and sustainable resource recovery especially in the developing country like Nigeria. This could help to maintain clean and safe Atlantic Ocean and environment. In addition, a way of job creation and eradication of poverty. Dr. Olanike Maria Buraimoh is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Microbiology Faculty of Science, University of Lagos. She holds a Ph.D. certificate of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos Nigeria. Her research interest is focused on Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology with special focus on bioremediation of polluted ecosystems and bioconversion of wastes to value-added products as a sustainable solution to climate change.
Networking Friday with Dava Newman (MIT)
On November 13th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we had Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She presented Physics-informed GANs for coastal flood visualization with the collaboration of her students Björn Lütjens, Brandon Leshchinskiy, Christian Requena-Mesa, Farrukh Chishtie, Natalia Díaz-Rodriguez, Océane Boulais, Aaron Piña, Alexander Lavin, Yarin Gal, Chedy Raïssi. The moderator will be Marco Tedesco, Lamont Research Professor , Marine Geology & Geophysics , Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), The Earth Institute, Columbia University. As climate change increases the intensity of natural disasters, society needs better tools for adaptation. As stakeholders ranging from local to national governments cope with increased flood risks due to climate change, visual explanations can aid their decision-making process. And while today’s flood modeling capabilities include both high-level, color-coded maps, as well as intimate, street-level images, decision-makers would benefit from imagery that is both holistic and intuitive. Accordingly, the MIT-Portugal / NASA / AIIA Earth Intelligence Engine team has produced satellite images of future coastal floods: physics-informed, photorealistic images that look like real satellite imagery. The proposed visualizations will enable a variety of stakeholders in climate resilience planning and disaster preparedness to communicate flood risks to decision-makers.
Networking Friday with Zita Martins (Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal)
On November 6th, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we met Zita Martins, Associate Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). She talked about Astrobiology: Origin and detection of life in the solar system. The moderator was Gaia Stucky de Quay, University of Texas at Austin. Science magazine considered the search for life in the Universe as one of the twenty-five major questions still unanswered in science, and with prominence during the next decade. To answer this question, scientists i) investigate how life on Earth came about, and ii) develop space missions to search for extra-terrestrial life. In case i) they analyse meteorites in the laboratory and make in-situ analyses of comets and asteroids. This is because it is known that the Earth received tons of organic molecules, that were delivered by these celestial bodies, from the formation of the solar system up until 3.8 billion years ago. Their analysis gives fundamental clues about the primitive Earth and how life on our planet could have potentially appeared. In case ii) it is necessary to first determine places in the solar system that have the conditions for life to arise and develop. Among them we find the planet Mars, and the icy moons Europa and Enceladus. Zita’s presentation discussed the origin of life in the solar system, and the various space missions in search of extra-terrestrial life.