The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) participated in the All-Atlantic Forum 2025, recently held in Brussels and organized by the European Union. This event brought together institutions, researchers, and key stakeholders from across the Atlantic with the aim of boosting international cooperation in ocean science, innovation, and sustainability.
PLOCAN’s participation in this forum is framed within two European projects: OKEANOS and BLUEMISSIONAA. OKEANO, funded by the Horizon Europe program and coordinated by the Marine Institute of Ireland, seeks to consolidate the Working Groups and Joint Pilot Actions of the Atlantic Alliance in strategic areas such as blue biotechnology, aquaculture, seabed mapping, and ocean literacy through the Blue Schools. In this consortium, PLOCAN participates as a partner and leads key tasks related to the coordination and facilitation of these working groups. Meanwhile, BLUEMISSIONAA, also funded by Horizon Europe and coordinated by the AIR Centre, acts as a coordination hub to support the implementation of the European mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” in the Atlantic and Arctic basins. Its objectives focus on conserving and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, deploying a regional framework for ocean monitoring, mobilizing an innovative ecosystem for ecological restoration, and fostering citizen engagement in the transition towards a sustainable blue economy.
With its presence at the All-Atlantic Forum 2025, PLOCAN reinforces its role as a leading scientific infrastructure in the Atlantic, as well as its commitment to the objectives of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) and the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, aimed at preserving biodiversity, tackling climate change, and promoting sustainable ocean economies. Moreover, its participation in this forum contributes to fostering the involvement of young professionals and coastal communities in the development of joint solutions to ocean challenges.
In addition, within the framework of the All-Atlantic Forum 2025, an ECOP (Early Career Ocean Professional) selected by PLOCAN represented Spain. This was Ianna Luna, whose participation was co-funded by the Sociedad de Promoción Económica de Gran Canaria (SPEGC – Economic Promotion Society of Gran Canaria) and PLOCAN, after winning a competitive contest organized by the institution. Luna took an active role in the Intergenerational Dialogue held during the forum, as well as in several side events throughout the week in Brussels, bringing the perspective of young ocean professionals to the debates on cooperation and Atlantic sustainability.
