ACTNOW at AAORIA Forum 2025

Cecilie Hansen (IMR) presented during the project panels at the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Forum Alliance (AAORIAFORUM2025) at the EU Commission sharing her team's research in ACTNOW as part of their Case Study and the future scenarios they developed. It was inspiring to witness the dialogue with other EU and the interaction with the audience.

Cecilie Hansen, alongside Raul Primicerio from NIVA, is leading the ACTOBoreal case study, which focuses on the benthic and fish communities of the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. This research is pivotal for understanding how these ecosystems respond to a range of stressors, from rising temperatures to changing fishing practices.

Developing Scenarios for Future Resilience

A highlight of their presentation was the suite of scenarios they’ve developed to simulate possible futures for these marine communities. Using the NoBa-Atlantis model, they explored four distinct scenarios -Global Sustainability, World Markets, Local Stewardship, and National Enterprise- each with varying levels of fishing intensity and focus on different trophic levels. This approach allows them to gauge how different management strategies and climate pathways might impact these fragile ecosystems.

The scenarios revealed crucial insights into the trade-offs between short-term yields and long-term ecosystem health, emphasizing the need for adaptive and forward-looking management.