iAtlantic has delivered knowledge that is critical for responsible and sustainable management of Atlantic Ocean resources in an era of unprecedented global change. Recently concluded, this ambitious project involved marine scientists from countries bordering the north and south Atlantic Ocean, seeking to determine the resilience of deep-sea animals – and their habitats – to threats such as temperature rise, pollution and human activities.

iAtlantic undertook an ocean-wide approach to understanding the factors that control the distribution, stability and vulnerability of deep-sea ecosystems. Work spanned the full scale of the Atlantic basin, from the tip of Argentina in the south to Iceland in the north, and from the east coasts of USA and Brazil to the western margins of Europe and Africa. Central to the project’s success was the international collaboration between scientists throughout the Atlantic region, with sharing of expertise, equipment, infrastructure, data and personnel placed at the forefront of iAtlantic’s approach.