HKU marine ecologist and international team identifies areas of top priority for deep-sea monitoring and conservation through a survey of world’s leading deep-sea scientists.
To classify the most important ecological and biological components of the deep sea, an international team including Professor Roberto Danovaro from Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Italy and Dr Moriaki Yasuhara from The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) sent a questionnaire-based survey to the world’s leading deep-sea scientists around the world. They then analysed the responses received from 112 scientists so as to create an expert-led list of priorities covering all aspects of deep-sea monitoring, conservation and management.
The results are useful as a guideline for future deep-sea research, conservation and monitoring. The endorsements and adoptions of the proposed deep-sea essential ecological variables by industry, governments and non-governmental organisations would also help guide more sustainable management of oceans.
The paper:
‘Ecological variables for developing a global deep-ocean monitoring and conservation strategy’ in Nature Ecology & Evolution by Roberto Danovaro and collaborators including Moriaki Yasuhara.