Diana Silva and Ricardo Oliveira recently represented SPI at the AtlantECO General Assembly, held from September 16th to 21st in Vigo, Spain. AtlantECO, a Horizon 2020 initiative launched in 2020 and running until 2025, focuses on studying the Atlantic microbiome, plastic pollution, and seascape connectivity. The project is built on a trilateral scientific cooperation framework between the EU, Brazil, and South Africa.
As co-leaders of Work Package 10 (WP10) – “Data Management, dissemination and exploitation of results”, SPI is responsible for Task 10.3, which specifically focuses on contributing to EU marine strategy and policy.
During the assembly, SPI highlighted the main activities carried out during the last year, addressing AtlantECO’s role in shaping both European and international marine policy. SPI also fostered the discussion on this topic with the researchers in the venue by co-chairing a breakout session titled “The Southern Gap in Ocean Microbiome Science,” which included discussions on policy briefs.
On the third day of the event, SPI presented AtlantECO’s policy contributions to a broader audience that included local NGOs, academic institutions, and policymakers. The assembly also featured a visit to Vigo’s largest fishing port in Europe.
Looking ahead, SPI will continue to advance the project’s policy objectives, preparing additional policy briefs, recommendations, and events to maximize AtlantECO’s impact. The project has already made significant progress by engaging multiple stakeholders across the Atlantic basin and addressing several structural problems in ocean science.
