The #GoAtlanticBlue and the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador Initiative to raise awareness of and promote the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance was launched on the signing of the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation between Canada, the European Union and the United States of America in May 2013.  A request to raise the visibility of the Atlantic Ocean was made by the trilateral Galway Statement Implementation Committee.  In answer, the #GoAtlanticBlue campaign was created and piloted in June 2019 alongside World Oceans Day as this highly visible way to raise the profile of the Atlantic Ocean in people’s everyday lives and promote a reconnection with the Atlantic Ocean.

The #GoAtlanticBlue celebrating the Atlantic Ocean and our connections to it asked people and places to don blue garments, blue face paint, blue wigs and celebrate their connections whether they be livelihoods, inspiration, health and wellbeing or sustainable actions and developments for the ocean that could be celebrated.  At night, the ask was to light up in blue and celebrate these connections.  All were asked to share on social media.  The success of this endeavour will be described and the next level of ambition will be discussed.

Following on from the June event, in August 2019 an All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador summer school was held at the special request of the Healthy Oceans & Seas Unit at the European Commission DG Research and Innovation. The All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador initiative is supported by the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance under the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation and the Belém Statement on Atlantic Ocean Research & innovation Cooperation. 23 Youth Ambassadors participated in this event from 15 countries along and across the Atlantic Ocean.  Three (3) campaigns types were co-created during this time under the umbrella of #MyAtlanticStory, #GoAtlanticBlue.  These campaigns as well as the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador Forum launched in Brussels in February 2020 will be described and their success to date shown.