Mercator Ocean and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission have launched the Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica (OP4CR) project, which will run from January 2025 to December 2026. The project aims to strengthen the country’s digital capabilities in ocean science and integrate Costa Rica into global ocean forecasting expert networks.
Sylvanie Jardinet said, “This project is the result of a collaboration between Mercator Ocean International and SINAC Costa Rica, funded by the European Union. It will mark an important milestone in the approach to sustainable marine resource management, with a special focus on the remarkable protected area of Cocos Island. The European Union is committed to responding to the global call to accelerate action and mobilize all stakeholders in favor of ocean conservation and sustainable use. A safe, clean, protected, and sustainably managed ocean is essential for achieving greater environmental and economic resilience.”
Enrique Alvarez, Technical Director of the OceanPrediction Decade Collaboration Center, stated, “For us, this project is strategic and essential because it’s our way of concretely applying all the efforts, knowledge, and tools provided by Mercator Ocean International and the DCC OceanPrediction.”
Costa Rica and Ocean Conservation
Costa Rica has long been a pioneer in environmental conservation in Central America, earning the title of « Champion of the Earth » from the UN Environment Programme in 2019.
The country’s commitment to nature preservation was demonstrated at COP25 in Madrid, where Costa Rica led the creation of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC30X30). This coalition aims to conserve 30% of terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and coastal areas by 2030.
With a marine territory significantly larger than its landmass, Costa Rica has achieved the goal of conserving 30% of its marine area by expanding Cocos Island National Park and creating the Bicentennial Marine Management Area in December 2021.
However, the protection of Costa Rica’s waters and resources remains a challenge, requiring advanced ocean science, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and digital ocean analysis systems.
By helping Costa Rica leverage cutting-edge technologies and international cooperation, Mercator Ocean will assist the country in improving its ocean forecasting capabilities and strengthening its contribution to global marine ecosystem preservation efforts. Mercator Ocean will begin by providing ocean forecasting services for Cocos Island National Park and the Bicentennial Marine Management Area in Costa Rica, along with technical training for operators. Additionally, a diagnostic and action plan for establishing an Ocean Prediction Service Center (OPSC) in Costa Rica is expected to be completed by the end of the project.
Launch Event in Costa Rica
The collaboration between Mercator Ocean and Costa Rica, first announced by Ambassador Gina Guillen Grillo, Special Envoy of the President of Costa Rica for the Ocean, at the high-level event « Immersed in Change » in June 2024, has now become a tangible project. Officially launched in late March 2025 during an event bringing together key stakeholders, the initiative highlighted its importance and expected outcomes.
David Chavarria, Director of Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), emphasized the project’s potential: “With this new project, in collaboration with Mercator Ocean International, the European Union, and national institutions, we will be able to add ocean variables that will help us predict the behavior of key species, allowing us to make more accurate management and protection decisions. We will also have new tools and enhanced training so our staff can make the most of the technology.”
Similarly, Esteban Herrera, Director of the Cocos Island Marine Conservation Area (ACMC), highlighted the project’s impact on monitoring capabilities: “With this project, we will be able to equip our Cocos Island surveillance control center with robust tools that will enable us to predict what may happen with certain pelagic species. This project provides important support to our current technological system, which has primarily focused on monitoring and protection. Now, we can extend its use to many more conservation applications.”
Alejandra Villalobos, Director of the Cocos Island Friends Foundation (FAICO), added a perspective on data-driven decision-making: “Data generation is one of the main foundations of decision-making. This type of initiative not only provides valuable information in advance but also innovatively complements efforts to manage knowledge about the biodiversity and uniqueness of Cocos Island and its adjacent ecosystems, supported by cutting-edge tools and highly experienced professionals. We are proud to contribute and be part of this vision for conservation.”
This collaborative effort marks an important step in utilizing technology for ocean conservation and biodiversity management in Costa Rica.
The Role of Mercator Ocean
Mercator Ocean has been at the forefront of developing digital ocean systems for over two decades. It has expanded its global role by hosting the OceanPrediction Decade Collaboration Center (DCC), established by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO to enhance global ocean forecasting systems. Since 2023, the DCC OceanPrediction has fostered collaboration within nine regional teams and developed tools to improve forecasting systems.
This year, with EU funding and as part of the OceanPrediction DCC, Mercator is implementing two major projects in Africa and Central America:
- The Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica (OP4CR) project, launched in March 2025 to provide tailored forecasting services for Costa Rica and Cocos Island National Park, with solutions presented at UNOC-3.
- The OPERA project, launched in January 2025, strengthens regional cooperation and forecasting for sustainable resource management.
A high-level OceanPrediction event for Costa Rica will take place on June 10 at the European Digital Ocean Pavilion during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). Join us in Nice and learn more at the Pavilion!
