PROJECTS / ATLAS

Summary Show more ↓

Changing environmental conditions and human activities have major impacts on the distribution and sustainability of living marine resources. This poses a serious challenge to the business and policy communities seeking to balance societal needs with environmental sustainability. Large-scale ocean observation is needed to improve our understanding of how deep ocean ecosystems function, their roles as reservoirs of biodiversity and genetic resources, and their health under future scenarios of climate change and human use.

Accomplished missions by ATLAS
MapGES 2020
Project reference

678760 (ATLAS)


Funding agency

European Union’s Horizon 2020


Time period

01/05/2016 to 30/04/2020


External website
https://www.eu-atlas.org/

Involved team members
Marina Carreiro-Silva
Senior Scientist
Luís Rodrigues
Senior Scientist
Manuela Ramos
Student
Laurence Fauconnet
Early-career Researcher
Guilherme Gonçalves
Research Assistant
Telmo Morato
Principal Investigator
Carlos Dominguez-Carrió
Early-career Researcher


Collaborators
Laurence Fauconnet Adriana Ressurreição Jorge Fontes Gerald Taranto Íris Sampaio Maria Rakka Cristina Gutiérrez Jordi Blasco

Group's role

We lead the ATLAS WP3 Biodiversity and Biogeography, lead the case study #8 Azores and participated in many other work packages such as WP2 Functional Ecosystems, WP6 Maritime Spatial Planning, WP7 Policy Integration to Inform Key Agreements, and WP9 Dissemination, Knowledge Transfer and Outreach.


Main Results Show more ↓
ATLAS advanced our understanding of deep Atlantic marine ecosystems and populations by collecting and integrating high-resolution measurements of ocean circulation with functioning, biological diversity, genetic connectivity, and socioeconomic values. In the Azores, new deep-sea species, new biotopes, new species associations, and even new hydrothermal vent systems have been discovered. We showed that cold-water corals are vulnerable to predicted ocean acidification. Experimental studies combined with meta-analysis on chemical dissolution and biological erosion of coral reefs worldwide showed that the increased dissolution of the coral framework under OA is a key factor determining the future survival of reef ecosystems. Statistical models showed that many VME indicator taxa and commercially important deep-sea fish species might be facing a reduction in the suitable habitat and a northward shift in distribution under future climate change scenarios. We assisted in developing innovative technological solutions for deep-sea research and informed marine policy at the regional, national, European, and international levels.


Related cruises
MapGES 2020
ATLAS Gallery

Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas

Rua Prof. Doutor Frederico Machado, 4

9901-862 Horta, Portugal

Azores Deep-sea Research

azoresdeepsea@gmail.com

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