ASOF aims to measure and model the variability of fluxes between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean with the view to implementing a longer-term system of critical measurements needed to understand the high-latitude ocean's steering role in decadal climate variability.

ASOF's domain is stuctured around six main regional tasks intended to meet the ASOF goal of measuring the key ocean exchanges between the Arctic Ocean and Subarctic Seas and their impact both on the overturning circulation of the Northern North Atlantic and the Water Cycle. A 7th modelling task will provide the necessary link between the regional tasks.

ASOF is an element of inter-SEARCH (International Study of Environmental Arctic Change) and an endorsed project of CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability Study).