ASPIRE Workshop

The Atlantic Seafloor Partnership for Integrated Research and Exploration (ASPIRE) campaign seeks to align existing deep-water efforts supporting the Galway Statement to capitalize on near-term opportunities while building interest in and momentum toward organizing a major international multi-ship field campaign targeting the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 2019 and 2020. The 2018 ASPIRE Workshop will inform and influence these multinational, multi-platform exploration goals.

Workshop breakout sessions will be organized around white papers submitted by members of the community and will identify geographic and thematic areas of high value to global deep-ocean characterization. Discussion themes include basin-wide connectivity; water column acoustics and ecology; regions of unique importance for archaeology; exploration of benthic ecology around seamounts, canyons, and (in)active hydrothermal vents and seeps; among others. Dynamic discussions seek to answer targeted questions and provide actionable outputs to foster expedition planning and realize multinational exploration partnerships.