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 Danielle Wood (MIT Media Lab)
On August 21st, 2020, 1-2 PM UTC, we will meet Danielle Wood, Director of the Space Enabled Research Group, Assistant Professor of Media Arts & Sciences and Aeronautics & Astronautics, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She will talk about Sustainability in Space and on Earth: Research Initiatives of the Space Enabled. Danielle’s presentation will be about her work of the Space Enabled Research Group at the MIT Media Lab. The mission of the Space Enabled Research Group is to advance justice in Earth’s complex systems using designs enabled by space. The Group’s message is that six types of space technology are supporting societal needs, as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These six technologies include satellite earth observation, satellite communication, satellite positioning, microgravity research, technology transfer, and the infrastructure related to space research and education. While much good work has been done, barriers remain that limit the application of space technology as a tool for sustainable development.
Oceans in the solar system
On August 19, we held our second Roundtable on Current Issues. This session, entitled “Oceans in the Solar System: exploring the origin of life and habitability of water bodies on Mars, Europa and Earth”, discussed the evidence for water bodies outside the Earth, and their implications for the origins of life and planetary habitability. Our first speaker was Dr. Timothy Goudge from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin and the UT Center for Planetary Systems Habitability (CPSH). He reviewed the current geologic and geochemical clues that point towards a Martian surface that may have been entirely covered by rivers, lakes, and oceans. He will also discussed our next steps forward in planetary exploration, namely the scientific goals of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which will explore an ancient water body. Dr. Krista Soderlund, also from UT Austin and UT CPSH, journeyed us further into the depths of the Solar System to explore the present-day possibility of oceans in Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons. Her work comprises planetary fluid dynamics and geophysical numerical simulations, and will play a key part in the upcoming NASA Europa Mission. Lastly, Dr. Mary Voytek, Director of the NASA Astrobiology Program, focused on the possibility of life in the exciting habitats outlined by Dr. Goudge and Dr. Soderlund.
Summer@LSTS 2020 – Class #2 with Carlos Barrera (PLOCAN)
Summer@LSTS 2020 – Course on Introduction to Marine Robotics with applications to ocean observation, underwater archeology and ecosystems mapping – continued on August 14th, 2020, 10:30-11:30 AM UTC, with Carlos Barrera, who presented PLOCAN: A dedicated infrastructure for autonomous ocean-vehicles base. Carlos Barrera is the Head of the Ocean Vehicles Unit (VIMAS) at PLOCAN since 2009. He is responsible for the technical and operational tasks and time-shared desk activities related to R&D project coordination, ocean governance initiatives and services management. Carlos holds a degree in Oceanography (1998) by University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). He has twenty five years-experience in marine technology with focus on autonomous ocean observing platforms, over a five-hundred field operations on research vessels, sixty international research projects joined, eighty international publications and two patents related to ocean observing systems.