Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

A decade to study deep-sea life

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 5, pages 265–267 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development presents an exceptional opportunity to effect positive change in ocean use. We outline what is required of the deep-sea research community to achieve these ambitious objectives.

The health of the global ocean, on which society depends, is in decline. The importance of sustainable use to ocean health has long been recognized1, yet the United Nations (UN) First World Ocean Assessment2 from 2017 highlighted increasing ocean pressures from accelerated expansion of human activities, including climate change. These pressures affect all ocean regions, from the coast to the deep sea3. In response to this concern, and to align with several international policy commitments, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2021–2030 the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development4.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Steps towards a sustainable deep ocean.

References

  1. Costanza, R. & Mageau, M. Aquat. Ecol. 33, 105–115 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. United Nations The First Global Integrated Marine Assessment: World Ocean Assessment I (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2017).

  3. Levin, L. A. et al. Glob. Change Biol. 26, 4664–4678 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ryabinin, V. et al. Front. Mar. Sci. 6, 470 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Illsley-Kemp, F., Barker, S. J., Smith, B. & Wilson, C. J. N. Eos 101, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EO140955 (2020).

  6. Levin, L. A. et al. Front. Mar. Sci. 6, 241 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Menegotto, A. & Rangel, T. F. Nat. Commun. 9, 4713 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Webb, T. J., Vanden Berghe, E. & O’Dor, R. PLoS ONE 5, e10223 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Danovaro, R. et al. Nat. Ecol. Evol. 4, 181–192 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Howell, K. L. et al. Front. Mar. Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.584861 (in the press).

  11. Hand, K. P. & German, C. R. Nat. Geosci. 11, 2–4 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Phillips, B. T. et al. Deep Sea Res. I 153, 103136 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Barbier, E. B. et al. Nature 505, 475–477 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Pınarbaşı, K. et al. Mar. Policy 83, 83–91 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Evans, J. L., Peckett, F. & Howell, K. L. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 72, 1483–1497 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK

    Kerry L. Howell

  2. CESAM & Biology Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Ana Hilário, Patricia Esquete & Sofia P. Ramalho

  3. Ryan Institute and School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    A. Louise Allcock

  4. Institute for Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    David Bailey

  5. School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK

    Maria Baker & Jon Copley

  6. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand

    Malcolm R. Clark

  7. Instituto do Mar, and Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - Okeanos da Universidade dos Açores, Horta, Portugal

    Ana Colaço

  8. Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Erik E. Cordes

  9. Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

    Roberto Danovaro

  10. Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy

    Roberto Danovaro

  11. University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar

    Awantha Dissanayake

  12. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología Universidad, Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México, México

    Elva Escobar

  13. Beneath the Waves, Herndon, VA, USA

    Austin J. Gallagher

  14. National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK

    Andrew R. Gates

  15. UMR 8187 Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université de Lille, ULCO, CNRS, Lille, France

    Sylvie M. Gaudron

  16. Sorbonne Université, UFR 927, Paris, France

    Sylvie M. Gaudron

  17. Department of Geology & Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA

    Christopher R. German

  18. IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Kristina M. Gjerde

  19. Cape Eleuthera Institute, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas

    Nicholas D. Higgs

  20. Sorbonne University, Banyuls Oceanological Observatory, Paris, France

    Nadine Le Bris

  21. Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Lisa A. Levin

  22. Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, ISMAR-CNR, Venice, Italy

    Elisabetta Manea

  23. Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, USA

    Craig McClain

  24. Ifremer, Plouzané, France

    Lenaick Menot

  25. CIMA - Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal

    Nelia C. Mestre

  26. Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Anna Metaxas

  27. Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA

    Rosanna Milligan

  28. School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

    Agnes W. N. Muthumbi

  29. The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK

    Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy

  30. Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway

    Eva Ramirez-Llodra

  31. REV Ocean, Lysaker, Norway

    Eva Ramirez-Llodra & Alex D. Rogers

  32. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK

    Laura M. Robson

  33. Department of Marine Biology & Millennium Nucleus ESMOI, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile

    Javier Sellanes

  34. Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt, Germany

    Julia D. Sigwart

  35. Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch, Newlands, South Africa

    Kerry Sink

  36. Department of Ocean Sciences and Biology Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

    Paul V. R. Snelgrove

  37. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Paris V. Stefanoudis & Lucy C. Woodall

  38. Nekton Foundation, Begbroke, UK

    Paris V. Stefanoudis & Lucy C. Woodall

  39. Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Paulo Y. Sumida

  40. School of Life Science, University of Essex, Colchester, UK

    Michelle L. Taylor

  41. College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and Department of Microbiology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

    Andrew R. Thurber

  42. Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK

    Rui Vieira

  43. X-STAR, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan

    Hiromi K. Watanabe

  44. Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal

    Joana R. Xavier

  45. Department of Biological Sciences and K.G. Jebsen Centre for Deep-Sea Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Joana R. Xavier

Authors
  1. Kerry L. Howell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana Hilário
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Louise Allcock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Maria Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Malcolm R. Clark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ana Colaço
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jon Copley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Erik E. Cordes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Roberto Danovaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Awantha Dissanayake
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Elva Escobar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Patricia Esquete
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Austin J. Gallagher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Andrew R. Gates
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Sylvie M. Gaudron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. Christopher R. German
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. Kristina M. Gjerde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  19. Nicholas D. Higgs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  20. Nadine Le Bris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  21. Lisa A. Levin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  22. Elisabetta Manea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  23. Craig McClain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  24. Lenaick Menot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  25. Nelia C. Mestre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  26. Anna Metaxas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  27. Rosanna Milligan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  28. Agnes W. N. Muthumbi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  29. Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  30. Sofia P. Ramalho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  31. Eva Ramirez-Llodra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  32. Laura M. Robson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  33. Alex D. Rogers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  34. Javier Sellanes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  35. Julia D. Sigwart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  36. Kerry Sink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  37. Paul V. R. Snelgrove
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  38. Paris V. Stefanoudis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  39. Paulo Y. Sumida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  40. Michelle L. Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  41. Andrew R. Thurber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  42. Rui Vieira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  43. Hiromi K. Watanabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  44. Lucy C. Woodall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  45. Joana R. Xavier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerry L. Howell.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Howell, K.L., Hilário, A., Allcock, A.L. et al. A decade to study deep-sea life. Nat Ecol Evol 5, 265–267 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01352-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01352-5

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing