Advancing Costa Rica’s Ocean Forecasting Capabilities through OP4CR

To support Costa Rica’s efforts in advancing marine knowledge and conservation, Mercator Ocean International, which leads the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre (OPDCC), in collaboration with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), has initiated the Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica (OP4CR) project. Running from January 2025 to December 2026, this initiative aims to enhance the country’s digital ocean capabilities and integrate it further into global ocean prediction communities. 

Sylvanie Jardinet, Senior Development Cooperation Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), said: “This project is a collaboration between Mercator Ocean International and SINAC Costa Rica, funded by the European Union. It will mark a milestone in the approach to sustainable management of marine resources, with special attention to the remarkable protected area of Cocos Island. The European Union is committed to the global call to accelerate action and mobilize all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.  A safe, clean, protected, and sustainably managed ocean is vital to achieving greater environmental and economic resilience.” 

Enrique Alvarez, Technical Director of the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Center, said: “For us, this project is strategic and essential because it is our way of concretely applying all the effort, knowledge, and tools provided by Mercator Ocean international and the OceanPrediction DCC” 

Costa Rica’s Commitment to Marine Protection 

Costa Rica has earned a global reputation for its leadership in environmental protection, notably being named a “Champion of the Earth” by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2019. The country has consistently shown its dedication to safeguarding biodiversity, particularly through initiatives like the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, launched at COP25 in Madrid. This international coalition works towards an ambitious goal: protecting 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. 

With a marine territory that far exceeds its land area, Costa Rica has made substantial progress toward this target. In December 2021, it expanded the protected area of Isla del Coco National Park and established the Bicentennial Marine Management Area, effectively meeting the 30% conservation milestone for its marine waters. 

Despite these achievements, ensuring effective and sustained protection of marine environments demands advanced ocean knowledge and cutting-edge technologies. Tools such as ocean forecasting systems, digital observation platforms, and high-performance computing are essential to supporting conservation decisions and actions. 

In response to this need, Mercator Ocean International has partnered with Costa Rica through the "Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica" (OP4CR) initiative. Over the course of two years, the project will provide digital ocean services tailored to the needs of the Cocos Island National Park and the Bicentennial Marine Management Area. It will also offer technical training and capacity-building activities for local stakeholders. A key outcome of the project will be the delivery of a diagnosis, along with an action plan and recommendations, to guide the future development of an Ocean Prediction Service Centre in Costa Rica. 

By reinforcing Costa Rica’s ocean science infrastructure and connecting it with global prediction networks, this initiative contributes directly to both national sustainability goals and international marine conservation efforts. 

^{Cocos Island National Park from the sky. Copyright Carlos Manuel Uribe-Faico} 

Project Launch: Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica 

The partnership between Costa Rica and Mercator Ocean International has entered a new operational phase, following its announcement by Ambassador Gina Guillen Grillo, Costa Rica’s Special Presidential Envoy for the Ocean, at the Immersed in Change high-level event in June 2024. The collaboration was officially launched in January 2025 with a kick-off event in late March 2025 during a dedicated gathering of key ocean stakeholders, marking a significant milestone for marine conservation efforts in the region. 

This initiative aims to strengthen Costa Rica’s ocean forecasting capabilities and biodiversity management, with a particular focus on the unique ecosystems surrounding Cocos Island. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data, the project will support a better understanding and prediction of marine species behaviour. 

Enhancing Conservation through Technology 

David Chavarria, Director of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), highlighted the strategic potential of the initiative: 

“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 behaviour of key species, allowing us to make more accurate decisions for management and protection. We will also have new tools and more training for our staff to make the best use of technology.” 

Esteban Herrera, Director of the Cocos Marine Conservation Area (ACMC), emphasized the positive impact on monitoring systems: 

“With this project, we will be able to equip our monitoring control center for Cocos Island with robust tools that will allow us to predictively assess what may happen with certain pelagic species. This project provides significant support to our existing technological system, which has been primarily focused on control and protection. Now, we can expand its use to many more applications for conservation.” 

Data at the Heart of Marine Decision-Making 

Alejandra Villalobos, Director of the Friends of Cocos Island Foundation (FAICO), stressed the importance of knowledge generation: 

“Data generation is one of the key foundations for decision-making. These types of initiatives not only provide valuable information in advance but also innovatively complement efforts aimed at knowledge management regarding 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 conservation vision.” 

This joint effort marks a major step forward in using science, technology, and cooperation to protect marine life and promote sustainable ocean management in Costa Rica. 

^{From left to right: Esteban Herrera, Jeannina Gutiérrez Ugarte, Valentina Giunta, Enrique Alvarez and SylvanieJardinet at the kick-off event}