Lead institution:
Institut Français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (IFREMER) – France
The deep ocean remains the last unexplored frontier on our planet. A place that holds secrets to the origin of life and could provide ecosystem goods and services for the sustainable development of humankind.
Despite being out of sight, it is impacted by human activities and faces growing pressures. High-technological devices and expertise from multiple scientific areas are needed to allow us unveiling the unknown. For this, we propose a step-change in deep-sea science through the development of observatories and surveying technologies at various sites of the global ocean. This coordination will help us understand how the deep-sea ecosystems are functioning, how they are affected by climate change and human activities, as well as contribute to protect people from natural hazards. Synergies are expected with other relevant Decade initiatives, such as those coordinated by DOOS, DOSI/Challenger150, Smart Cables, POGO and GOOS/ARGO International.
Start Date: 01/01/2021
End Date: 31/12/2030
Lead Contacts: Nan-Chin Chu (nan.chin.chu@ifremer.fr); Helene Leau (helene.leau@ifremer.fr); Tsuyoshi Sugiura (sugiurat@jamstec.go.jp); Ella Minicola (ellaminicola@oceannetworks.ca); Sara Pero (sara.pero@emso-eu.org)