The EPOC project aims to understand the role of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) in the Earth system and its impacts on weather and climate. A specific focus of the EPOC project is to re-evaluate the conceptual idea of the AMOC as a 'great ocean conveyor', and to that end, assesses AMOC coherence and variability as a function of timescale and latitude. Within EPOC, we have targeted one known location where AMOC coherence is expected to breakdown (a "transition area"), at 47°N in the Atlantic in a region of strong convex topography. In EPOC-Hopon, we will target a second transition area across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge (GSR). The GSR is an area of shallow topography which separates the North Atlantic from the Nordic Seas and Arctic, where the GSR presents a barrier to connectivity between dense waters formed in the Nordic Seas or Arctic and the dense waters which make up the southward flowing limb of the AMOC in the wider North Atlantic. Here, we propose to extend observational records of the transports across the ridge, including the dense overflows and the northward flow of warm salty Atlantic water towards the Arctic, by re-analysing historical observations and making new ones across a long-standing gap in observations across the ridge (specifically, the Iceland-Faroe Ridge). These records will be used to help connect and validate transport estimates generated within EPOC using multi-observational approaches, while the new observations will be used to test and improve new methods to observe the AMOC across this key transition area and in a region where climate models struggle to represent observed oceanic processes. The EPOC-Hopon project addresses a key region in AMOC science, strengthens the connection between EPOC work and the Arctic, and improves knowledge circulation between the EPOC partners in Europe, the UK, USA, and Canada with the new partner in the Faroe Islands.

EPOC will generate a new conceptual framework for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, to understand how it functions in the Earth system and impacts weather and climate. The AMOC is a key component of the climate system, responsible for ocean heat and freshwater transport, associated with the ventilation of anthropogenic carbon, and anticipated to experience or drive climate tipping points. However, the link between ocean transport, ventilation and tipping points relies on the common conceptual view of the AMOC as a ‘great ocean conveyor’ which was developed to explain very long timescale (glacial-interglacial) fluctuations in climate. The conveyor-belt schematic conflates millennial timescales with human timescales (days to 100 years), leading to misconceptions by the observing and modelling communities, and misplaced expectations about the AMOC’s role in climate. EPOC will capitalise on new understanding about the AMOC variability and coherence from two decades of AMOC observations and advances in ocean observing technology and climate modelling, to develop new tools and approaches to quantify and explain past AMOC change and how its connectivity or lack thereof imprint on the Earth system. Through joined-up observational and model experiments, focussing on next generation high resolution coupled models, machine learning techniques and critical re-assessment of paleo proxies, EPOC will generate a new conceptual framework for the AMOC, its meridional connectivity, feedbacks and the relationship between ventilation and overturning on human timescales. This will lead to better predictions of the AMOC and related climate evolution, including the risk of rapid change.

The overall objective of MeCCAM is to develop, implement and recommend climate mitigation and adaptation solutions and increase the resilience and sustainability in the fisheries sector. MeCCAM employs an integrated multi-actor approach to deliver relevant and feasible results to support the fishing industry and policymakers. The outputs include: decision support tools allowing fishers to mitigate and adapt to climate change; innovative fishing gears to improve selectivity, fuel efficiency, and minimise habitat damage; and an environmental impact management software to reduce carbon emissions, and other impacts across the value chain. The solutions will be designed and implemented within six case studies (CSs) which have been selected for their suitability to address a multitude of challenges posed by climate change. MeCCAM also builds adaptive capacity by delivering: climate-informed advice prototypes for CSs; mitigation and adaptation plans at the CS level, as well as general recommendations; CS-specific plans for commercial utilisation of emerging species; and a policy brief on how to improve governance for mitigation and adaptation in the sector. Project outputs will be evaluated for their environmental and socio-economic efficacy in close collaboration with stakeholders. MeCCAM´s evidence-based and demand-driven solutions have a high potential for transferability to various regions and contexts and will provide actors with tools and pathways to advance climate resilience. MeCCAM will, therefore, contribute to the European Green Deal, the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy, United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and 14, as well as the Ocean Decade challenges 2, 3, 4, and 6.

Ocean observing is executed and financed by nations according to their national interest and needs, but aligned with European and international agreements and directives. ObsSea4Clim brings together key European and international actors within ocean observing science, climate assessment, Earth System modelling, data sharing and standards, with users of oceanographic products and services with the goals of: - improving sustained and multipurpose observations vital to European and global climate requirements, and - delivering an improved observation framework based on EOV/ECVs and embedded in a Rolling Review of Requirements approach. ObsSea4Clim will: - improve regional and global climate assessments and - provide projections and actionable indicators for sustainable development provided. The work program is organized around four building blocks (TRL7-8): 1- the EOV/ECV concept, 2- the regional ocean indicator concepts, 3- the nations’ multi-purpose (climate, services, ocean health) ocean observing, 4- the integration with European and global initiatives. ObsSea4Clim will make use of ocean climate application areas such as: sea ice loss, ocean transports, stratification, sea level, ocean warming and marine heat waves and ocean mesoscale. Regional observing will be transformed into an EOV/ECVs framework suitable for regional and global climate products, ESM development (CMIP7) and indicators. ObsSea4Clim will also link to the Mission Restore our Ocean 2030 lighthouse basins. AI methods will control data quality and unlock EOV/ECVs from existing data repositories. ObsSea4Clim will promote the implementation of FAIR/CARE data, enabling and advocating their use for versatile applications and referenced to an EOV/ECV framework. ObsSea4Clim will actively lead the dialogue with European and international climate and data initiatives to ensure the necessary exchanges for implementing the ObsSea4Clim results into the international system. In this way, ObsSea4Clim will ensure sustained EU leadership in the ocean–climate–biodiversity science nexus at a global level.