This briefing document was produced for the Science-Policy Discussion on 'Forecasting fish distribution and abundance in the Atlantic Ocean: The Challenge of balancing exploitation and sustainability" organised by three Horizon 2020 projects, Blue-Action, TRIATLAS and MISSION ATLANTIC, with the support of the European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity & Sustainable Development on 3 December 2020 as an online event. Corresponding Authors: Mark R. Payne (mpay@aqua.dtu.dk) and Noel Keenlyside (noel.keenlyside@gfi.uib.no) ; The Blue-Action, TRITLAS and MISSION ATLANTIC projects have received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation pogramme under grant agreement no. 727852, 817578 and 862428 respectively.
The ocean plays a vital role in the global climate system and biosphere, providing crucial resources for humanity including water, food, energy and raw materials. There is a compelling need to develop an integrated basin-scale ocean observing system to support of ocean management. We articulate a vision for basin-scale ocean observing - A comprehensive All-Atlantic Ocean Observing Systems that benefits all of us living, working and relying on the ocean. Until now, basin-scale ocean observation has been conducted through loosely-aligned arrangements of national and international efforts. The All-Atlantic Ocean Observing System (AtlantOS) is an ntegrated concept for a forward-looking framework and basin-scale partnership to establish a comprehensive ocean observing system for the Atlantic Ocean as a whole. The system will be sustainable, multi-disciplinary, multi-thematic, efficient, and fit-for-purpose. Platforms, networks, and systems do already exist that operate at various maturity levels. AtlantOS will go beyond the status quo by bringing together the observing communities and countries of the Atlantic basin, providing the opportunity to join and support the system. AtlantOS will build upon the coordinated work of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), two international bodies that support and coordinate global ocean observing. AtlantOS will complement those efforts and offers a new approach to organizing ocean observing at the basin-scale. The new SystemAtlantOS will focus not only on the physics but also the biology, ecology and biogeochemistry of the ocean and seafloor and will enhance new partnerships among between governments, science, civil society and the private sector.
