EPOC’s 2026 Annual Meeting ran from 25 to 27 August at CERFACS and Météo France in Toulouse, bringing together the consortium along with invited scientists for two days of science presentations, followed by a third day dedicated to collaborative work across the project’s work packages.
The meeting opened with an overview from Eleanor Frajka-Williams, followed by a communications update setting out EPOC’s dissemination progress and the case studies now taking shape. From there, each member across every EPOC component (work packages) took the floor in turn, from the AMOC observing system team’s latest results through to new findings on meridional connectivity, AMOC variability, and future AMOC evolution.
Gokhan Danabasoglu (National Center for Atmospheric Research), a member of EPOC’s External Expert Advisory Board, brought sharp, constructive critique across the two days of talks, a useful outsider perspective. The format also facilitated lively exchanges between work package leads.
The meeting’s final day turned to EPOC’s internal work: shaping the project’s three legacy case studies and planning the synthesis reports due over the coming year.
Between sessions, the consortium made good use of the late-August sun, networking over coffee outside CERFACS between talks. The programme also included a hike and a dinner to kick things off. For many new EPOC members, this was the first time that they’d met in person, reminding us of the importance of building relationships within the research field.
Our thanks to CERFACS and Météo France for hosting, to Rym Msadek, Kaja Scheliga, and Brady Ferster for the logistics that kept three packed days running smoothly, and to everyone who took part in the AGM helping to make it a success.
