Mercator Ocean and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) have launched the Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica (OP4CR) project, running from January 2025 to December 2026, to strengthen the country’s digital Ocean capacities and establish it in global networks of Ocean Prediction experts.

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 and Ocean Conservation 

Costa Rica has long been a pioneer in environmental conservation in Central America, earning recognition as a “Champion of the Earth” by UNEP in 2019.  

The country’s commitment to preserving nature was further demonstrated at COP25 in Madrid, where Costa Rica spearheaded the creation of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC30X30). This coalition aims to conserve 30% of terrestrial, inland water, marine, and coastal areas by 2030.  

With a marine territory significantly larger than its mainland, Costa Rica achieved the goal of conserving 30% of its marine surface by expanding the Cocos Island National Park and creating the Bicentenary Marine Management Area in December 2021. 

Nevertheless, protecting Costa Rica’s waters and resources remains challenging. This protection requires advanced Ocean science, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and digital Ocean analysis systems.  

By helping Costa Rica to leverage advanced technologies and international cooperation, Mercator Ocean will support the country in enhancing its Ocean prediction capabilities and boosting its contribution to global marine ecosystem preservation efforts. Mercator Ocean will begin by delivering Ocean prediction services for Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park and Bicentenary Marine Management Area, as well as providing technical training for operators. Additionally, a diagnostic and action plan for the development of an Costa Rican Ocean-Prediction Service Centre (OPSC) is expected to be completed by the end of the project. 

Kick off event in Costa Rica 

The collaboration between Mercator Ocean and Costa Rica, first announced by Ambassador Gina Guillen Grillo, Costa Rica’s Special Presidential Envoy for the Ocean, at the high-level  ‘Immersed in Change’ Ocean action event in June 2024, has now progressed into an actionable project. Officially launched at the end of March 2025 during an event with key stakeholders, the initiative drew attention to its significance and anticipated 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 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”. 

Similarly, Esteban Herrera, Director of the Cocos Marine Conservation Area (ACMC), underscored the project’s impact on monitoring capabilities: “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”; 

Alejandra Villalobos, Director of the Friends of Cocos Island Foundation (FAICO), added a perspective on data-driven decision-making: “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 collaborative effort marks a significant step forward in leveraging technology for ocean conservation and biodiversity management in Costa Rica. 

Mercator Ocean’s Role 

Mercator Ocean has been at the forefront of developing digital Ocean systems for over two decades. It has expanded its global role, hosting the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre (DCC), established by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO to improve ocean prediction systems worldwide. Since 2023, the OceanPrediction DCC has fostered collaboration through nine regional teams and developed tools to enhance forecasting systems.   

This year, with funding from the EU, and under the framework of OceanPrediction DCC, Mercator is implementing two major projects in Africa and Central America:    

• The Ocean Prediction for Costa Rica (OP4CR) project, kicked off in March 2025 to provide tailored prediction services for Costa Rica and Cocos Island National Park, with solutions showcased at UNOC-3; 

• The Ocean Prediction Enhancement in Regions of Africa (OPERA) project, launched in January 2025, strengthening regional cooperation and forecasting for sustainable resource management. 

An official OceanPrediction for Costa Rica high-level event will take place on 10 June at the European Digital Ocean Pavillion during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). Join us in Nice and discover more at the Pavilion!