MISSION ATLANTIC

Context

The sustainable use of marine resources depends on our ability to assess and anticipate drivers of change and their impacts on ocean ecosystems. In a context of climate change and increasing human pressure, it is essential to have tools that allow us to understand the current state of marine ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as their future evolution.

The MISSION ATLANTIC project responds to this need by providing scientific knowledge, indicators, and management support tools to assess in an integrated way the natural and anthropogenic pressures affecting Atlantic ecosystems. Through the development and application of an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) framework at basin scale, the project aims to identify risks, vulnerabilities, and potential tipping points, taking into account both ecosystem services and human activities.

Through an ecosystem-based management approach, MISSION ATLANTIC contributes to balancing marine environmental protection with sustainable development, providing a solid scientific basis to support marine resource governance and the development of the blue economy across the North, South, and Tropical Atlantic regions.

Objectives

The overall objective of MISSION ATLANTIC is to improve understanding of the functioning of Atlantic Ocean ecosystems and the drivers of change affecting marine biodiversity and ocean resources, providing a strong scientific basis for sustainable ecosystem-based management.

More specifically, the project aims to:

1. Assess the status of Atlantic Ocean ecosystems and their resilience to natural and anthropogenic pressures, considering key ecosystem services such as food provision, climate regulation, and cultural services.

2. Map the current and future three-dimensional distributions of Atlantic biomes and the pressures acting upon them, supporting the sustainable use of marine resources.

3. Develop new indicators, tools, and technologies to identify ecosystem risks and vulnerabilities under different climate and management scenarios.

4. Provide and transfer guidelines, data, and modelling tools for their integration into ecosystem-based management processes and sustainable marine resource governance.

5. Build capacity among ocean resource managers and researchers in applying the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) framework in the North, South, and Tropical Atlantic regions.

Expected impact

MISSION ATLANTIC will contribute to the protection and sustainable management of Atlantic marine and coastal ecosystems, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the Belém Statement.

The project will strengthen the monitoring, modelling, prediction, and management capacities of Atlantic ecosystems, improving understanding of their risks and vulnerabilities, including those associated with climate change. It will also support informed decision-making through the use of integrated indicators, scenarios, and assessment tools.

As a result, MISSION ATLANTIC will support the development of policies and strategies that balance marine conservation with sustainable development, while also fostering technological innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the blue economy at European and international levels.

Key results

Publicaciones científicas

1. Astarloa, A., R. Glennie, G. Chust, I. García-Baron, G. Boyra, U. Martínez, A. Rubio, and M. Louzao. 2021. Niche segregation mechanisms in marine apex predators inhabiting dynamic environments. Diversity and Distributions 27:799-815.
2. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13229
3. Villarino, E., J. R. Watson, G. Chust, A. J. Woodill, B. Klempay, B. Jonsson, J. M. Gasol, R. Logares, R. Massana, C. R. Giner, G. Salazar, X. A. Alvarez-Salgado, T. S. Catala, C. M. Duarte, S. Agusti, F. Mauro, X. Irigoien, and A. D. Barton. 2022. Global beta diversity patterns of microbial communities in the surface and deep ocean. Global Ecology and Biogeography 31:2323-2336. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13572
4. Canals, O., J. Corell, E. Villarino, G. Chust, E. Aylagas, I. Mendibil, C. T. Michell, J. I. González-Gordillo, X. Irigoien, and N. Rodríguez-Ezpeleta. 2024. Global mesozooplankton communities show lower connectivity in deep oceanic layers. Molecular Ecology n/a:e17286. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17286
5. Valle, M., E. Ramírez-Romero, L. Ibaibarriaga, L. Citores, J. A. Fernandes-Salvador, and G. Chust. 2024. Pan-Atlantic 3D distribution model incorporating water column for commercial fish. Ecological Modelling 490:110632. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110632
6. Matos, T., C. dos Reis, L. Moura, A. de Souza, A. Luz, V. Bittar, Y. Artioli, G. Chust, P. Mariani, T. Oda, A. Rodrigues, M. Gasalla, R. Coutinho, and L. Fernandes. 2024. Early warning indicators of decadal shifts in the planktonic assemblage of the Cabo Frio upwelling ecosystem. Ecological Indicators 167:112674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112674
7. Anabitarte, A., A. Astarloa, I. Garcia-Barón, M. Valle, G. Chust, I. Galparsoro, M. Mateo, H. Arrizabalaga, V. M. Eguíluz, V. Martinez-Vicente, and J. A. Fernandes-Salvador, et al. 2025. The use of Atlantic seascapes for marine protected areas planning in the context of the marine biological diversity of areas beyond National Jurisdiction agreement. Marine Pollution Bulletin 214:117776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117776
8. Reis, C., L. Nunes, T. Matos, G. Chust, R. Coutinho, P. Mariani, M. Scherer, and L. Fernandes. 2025. Mapping marine plankton abundance along ecological gradients in the South Brazilian Shelf. Marine Environmental Research 212:107494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107494

Website

https://missionatlantic.eu/

Participants

The MISSION ATLANTIC consortium is composed of 33 organisations from 14 countries across four continents, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of experts in marine science, ecosystem management, and environmental modelling.

Participating institutions include:

Europe
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet – DTU (Coordinator, Denmark), Universitaet Hamburg (Germany), Universitaet Bremen (Germany), Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (Belgium), Seascape Belgium (Belgium), Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (France), Collecte Localisation Satellites (France), Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain), Consorcio para el Diseño, Construcción, Equipamiento y Explotación de la Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (Spain), Marine Institute (Ireland), Hafrannsóknastofnun – Rannsókna- og Ráðgjafarstofnun Hafs og Vatna (Iceland), Havforskningsinstituttet (Norway), Maritime Robotics AS (Norway), Universidade do Porto (Portugal), IMAR – Instituto do Mar (Portugal), Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Atlantic International Research Centre (Portugal), Stockholms Universitet (Sweden), World Maritime University (Sweden), Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (United Kingdom), Plymouth Marine Laboratory Limited (United Kingdom), University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom), The University Court of the University of St Andrews (United Kingdom), National Oceanography Centre (United Kingdom), University of Plymouth (United Kingdom).

Africa
University of Cape Town (South Africa), South African National Biodiversity Institute (South Africa).

America
Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil), Ministry of Defence Brazil (Brazil).

Funding