EUR-OCEANS aims to achieve lasting integration of European research organisations on global change and pelagic marine ecosystems, and to develop models for assessing and forecasting the impacts of climate and anthropogenic forcing on food-web dynamics (structure, functioning, diversity and stability) of pelagic ecosystems in the open ocean. The NOE will favour the progressive integration of research programmes and facilities of major research Institutes all over Europe. The long-term goal of the Network of Excellence is to create a multi-site Institute for European Research on Ocean Ecosystems under anthropogenic and Natural forcings.

The international context is provided by Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC), and the forthcoming Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP).

EUR-OCEANS' Joint Programme of Activities comprises:
(1) Integrating activities on networking (data and model integration);
(2) Jointly executed research, organised around four broad modelling tasks (together with observations and experiments) on: pelagic ecosystems end-to-end, biogeochemistry, ecosystem approach to marine resources and within-system integration;
(3) Activities to spread excellence, including training of researchers, and spreading excellence to socio-economic users and to the European public (through the Association of Aquaria for EUR-OCEANS public outreach);
(4) Management Activities

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