Working Group on Integrated Assessment of the Azores (WGIAZOR; outputs from 2025 meeting)

The Working Group on Integrated Assessment of the Azores (WGIAZOR) performs scientific data analysis on key natural and socio-economic aspects for an integrated assessment of the Azorean ecosystem. This report summarizes the working group’s scientific activities and publications from 2023 to 2025. During this 3-year term, the group continued to provide input to ICES Fisheries Overview (FO) of the Azores, published in 2025, as well as ICES Ecosystem Overview (EO) of the Azores. Additionally, during this period, selected case studies within the area using ecosystem models were reviewed and it was possible to perform a new Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) for the area under a project. WGIAZOR also aimed to advance on a definition of subregional units with a focus on productivity and climate variability and considering their spatio-temporal scales using productivity and pressure variables; assess sustainability of fisheries in terms of biological, socio-economic and environmental and climate performance.This report presents an introduction with an updated description of the Azorean ecoregion including the main oceanographic circulation and regional features. The ecoregion has been mainly influenced by the Subtropical Gyre and surface conditions have recently been warmer than average, particularly in the Gulf Stream region. Subtropical front change may explain 3°C warming anomaly. Ecosystem models, Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE), Ecospace), were also applied and shown that Azorean ecosystem dynamics is mainly driven by the combined effects of deep-sea fisheries exploitation and environmental variability, particularly primary productivity anomalies. The report presents also spatial management recommendations for the Azorean ecosystem using marine protective areas (MPA).