Despite its immense ecological importance, the deep sea remains underrepresented in policy considerations and global conservation efforts. With 90% of ocean species undescribed and many natural functions poorly understood, the deep sea faces significant threats from unsustainable resource exploitation and climate change. Europe has a pivotal role to play in leading international measures to protect and manage the deep sea. While the EU’s International Ocean Governance Agenda and Biodiversity Strategy already emphasize marine biodiversity protection, there is an urgent need to translate these agendas into action, particularly concerning the deep sea.
The European Marine Board Future Science Brief n°12 'Deep Sea Research and Management Needs' explores the complexity of the deep sea and its role in Ocean health today, highlights the critical ecosystem services and functions it provides, and underscores the risks to Ocean health in the face of climate change, direct human impacts, and future industries in the deep sea. The brief also navigates the complex legal landscape and management issues, discusses the challenges of studying the deep sea, and identifies significant knowledge gaps in biological, biogeochemical, physical, and geological deep-sea sciences, and in the spatial and temporal variability of the deep sea.
The webinar agenda is available here.
You can register for the webinar here, and it will also be live-streamed on the EMB YouTube Channel.
More information about the EMB Working Group on Deep Sea & Ocean Health can be found here.