PIRATA was launched in the framework of the international program CLIVAR and is comprised of scientific teams from USA, France, and Brazil.

USA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory / Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory / Climate Observation Division (NOAA/PMEL/AOML/COD). The PIRATA Northeast Extension (PNE) project is a joint AOML and PMEL effort to expand the PIRATA array of tropical Atlantic ATLAS moorings into the northern and northeastern sectors of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean. NOAA provides instrumentation and hardware for PIRATA surface moorings.  NOAA also supplies ~ 1 cruise / year to maintain the four PIRATA NE (PNE) sites (20N 38W, 21N 23W, 12N 23W, 4N 23W). 

France: IRD in collaboration with Meteo-France , CNRS/INSU, and IFREMER
IRD coordinates oceanic cruises with contributions by Meteo-France, CNSR/INSU, and IFREMER. Financial support for the program are from the IRD, Meteo France, and Observatoire Midi-Pyrenees/Universite Paul Sabatier French cruises maintain the six East Atlantic PIRATA sites (0 23W, 0 10W, 6S 10W, 10S 10W, 0 0, 6S 8E).

Brazil: INPE and DHN
INPE and DHN provide ship time and technical support for the Western Atlantic and SW PIRATA Extension (15N 38W, 12N 38W, 8N 38W, 4N 38W, 0 35W, 8S 30W, 14S 32W, 19S 34W).