25 March 2026 | 08:30 - 12:30 CET
Open Session - HYBRID
Room: Hornung
Organiser: Vikki Gunn (Seascape Consultants Ltd/EPOC project)
Session Description:
The Atlantic and Arctic are components of an intimately connected, dynamic and changing ocean system, bound by a two way exchange of heat and salt that links polar change to the global climate. Under a changing climate the links between them are strengthening: changes in the Arctic Ocean’s properties and dynamics have consequences for the Atlantic and vice versa, including impacts on fisheries and food security, sea level rise, and coastal erosion and resilience, among many others. With ongoing climate warming - which is four times faster in the Arctic than globally - quantifying that connectivity and understanding the consequences of change are essential.
This workshop will showcase emerging research results from the EU-funded EPOC project (Explaining and Predicting the Ocean Conveyor; www.epoc-eu.org) that reveal new understanding of the Arctic-Atlantic connectivity loop based on observational measurements and innovative modelling approaches. Aimed at a broad audience and engaging stakeholder organisations, this session will explain and explore the implications of these results at different scales and over varied timeframes, examine potential impacts on the blue economy, and discuss relevance for policy and governance.