The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on the planet, covering approximately 60% of the Earth’s surface, most of which is unexplored and not yet understood. It harbours high biodiversity and provides services that are essential to the functioning of our planet. The deep sea also has a wealth of resources, including mineral deposits, fish and invertebrates as food sources, oil and gas, and novel biological compounds that, through... [ view more ]
The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on the planet, covering approximately 60% of the Earth’s surface, most of which is unexplored and not yet understood. It harbours high biodiversity and provides services that are essential to the functioning of our planet. The deep sea also has a wealth of resources, including mineral deposits, fish and invertebrates as food sources, oil and gas, and novel biological compounds that, through technological developments, have recently started to be exploited. Marine debris, climate change, ocean acidification, ocean de-oxygenation, as well as synergistic effects of these disturbances, are already having significant impacts in the highly-vulnerable deep ocean. These are anticipated to accelerate in the future so the conservation of deep-sea habitats and associated communities should be a priority. This includes gaining a better understanding of the deep sea worldwide, effectively managing deep-ocean resources, and mitigating potential impacts. This is a challenge given that the majority of these habitats are located on the high seas where the capacity and legal basis for intervention either do not exist or are nascent and under-equipped. Stakeholders such as the scientific community, industry, national and international organizations, and community advocacy groups must work together to develop successful exploitation management and conservation of deep-sea ecosystems.
Following the talks in this symposium, there will be a panel discussion on human impacts in the deep ocean.
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