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Atlantic Climate and Environment Strategic Science - AtlantiS
AtlantiS is a five year programme (2024 – 2029) that delivers the continuation and evolution of the UK’s strategic ocean observing and ocean prediction programme. The programme is led by the National Oceanography Centre and is a collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, The Scottish Association for Marine Science, and the Marine Biological Association. The programme builds and expands on the CLASS project. The AtlantiS programme aims to provide evidence, tools and knowledge to support the UK’s ambition for healthy, biologically diverse and resilient marine environments, a sustainable blue economy and communities safe from natural hazards.
Project Drivers
The global ocean is the largest part of the Earth's climate system and acts as a major buffer to climate changes resulting from human activities. By absorbing 90% of excess heat and nearly a quarter of carbon resulting from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the ocean has already substantially mitigated climate change in the atmosphere and on land. This service has come at a cost to the health and resilience of the ocean and by extension the people who depend on it.
Significant damage has been caused to biodiversity and productivity of marine ecosystems, to shelf seas and coastal environments, and to inland areas through extremes of weather. The futures of regional climate and ecological systems depend on the response of the ocean to multiple anthropogenic stressors. Understanding and predicting the response is fundamental for sustainable development and to guide adaptation and mitigation.
The challenge is that the ocean is so large and variable that it cannot be completely and fully observed. Achieving adequate knowledge on all scales requires international coordination of observing and modelling over decades. It requires advancement in technology to expand our ability to observe, and to expand the range of variables measured. This includes the continued development of mathematical computer models and new digital tools to help us manage and interpret increasingly large volumes of data.
AtlantiS programme objectives are to:
- Strengthen the capacity of UK marine science to observe, model and predict the ocean
- Deliver a step change in capability to maximise the value inherent in marine data
- Transform the ocean from being data poor to data rich
- Provide global syntheses of iconic climate change indicators
- Lead an increase in public and government understanding of the role of the ocean in climate
- Communicate actionable knowledge effectively.
AtlantiS research will seek to address knowledge gaps related to our understanding of natural and anthropogenically driven changes in the global ocean, the Atlantic and its shelf seas, and how these impact marine ecosystems and human society. We will specifically seek to progress our understanding of:
- How natural and anthropogenic drivers of basin and decadal changes alter the Atlantic ecosystem, and the consequences for ecosystem functioning and services;
- The importance of ocean-shelf-coast connectivity in shaping ecosystems, biodiversity, natural hazards and impacts on society;
- The implications and feedbacks associated with climate mitigation strategies, and the need for improved assessments and advice to policy makers;
- The sensitivity and timescales of feedbacks that determine the ability of the ocean to continue to mitigate climate change by absorbing excess heat and carbon.