EUROCORES on Deep-Sea Ecosystems (EuroDeep)

Transcription

1 EUROCORES on Deep-Sea Ecosystems () Main partners Eva Ramirez-Llodra and Paul A. Tyler, Southampton Oceanography Centre, UK Carlo Heip, NIOO-CEME Netherlands Institute of Ecology, The Netherlands Odd Aksel Bergstad, Institute of Marine Research, Norway Myriam Sibuet and Jozée Sarrazin, IFREMER Centre de Brest, France Pedro Martinez Arbizu, DZMB- Senckenberg Institute, Germany Uwe Piatkowski, University of Kiel, Germany I.G. Priede, OCEANLAB, University of Aberdeen, UK Ricardo S. Santos, University of the Azores, Portugal G. Gorsky, Station Zoologique, Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France F. Sardà, J.B. Company and J-M Gili, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain Roberto Danovaro, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy Anastasios Tselepides, Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, Greece Annelies Pierrot-Bults, Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Olafur Astthorsson, Marine Institute, Iceland Ole Tendal and Peter Rask Möller, Zoological Museum of Copenhagen, Denmark Magda Vincx and Ann Vanreusel, University of Gent, Belgium Rationale The deep sea is the largest environment on the planet, the least well known and one of the least studied. It contains extremely large, continuous habitats such as the millions of km 2 of abyssal plains and the 65,000 km long mid-oceanic ridge system. At the same time, it encloses relatively small (m² to several km²), localised geological features such as hydrothermal vents, fluid seepages on mud volcanoes, pockmarks or faults on active (subduction zone) and passive margins, which support unique microbiological and faunal communities. What little we know about deep-sea ecosystems supports the hypothesis that more species occur in the deep sea than anywhere else on Earth. For example, as much as 90% of species collected in a typical abyssal sediment sample are new to science. Similarly, over 500 new species from hydrothermal vents and over 200 new species from cold seeps have been described since the discovery of these two ecosystems, in 1977 and 1983 respectively. Moreover, certain deep-sea ecosystems, such as vents, seeps, seamounts and canyons, have a high degree of species endemicity, reaching up to 70% of endemic species in hydrothermal vents. The exploration of this vast biodiversity, the understanding of how it is generated and maintained and how it interacts with the unique deep-sea environment, is a huge challenge that can only be undertaken by a concerted effort of many European nations. Deep-sea research is very expensive and depends heavily on technological developments in the same way as the exploration of space. It therefore requires rigorous collaboration and focus on shared scientific priorities. The benthic and pelagic deep-sea ecosystems comprise a geological and hydrographically complex patchwork of distinctive, specialised habitats that are driven by different sources of energy. Previous research (e.g. JGOFS) has mainly concentrated on the sunlit euphotic zone, but has also shown that deeper pelagic habitats, the meso-and bathypelagic zones, and the benthic boundary layer require further investigation. Benthic habitats range from sedimentary (i.e. slope, abyssal plain) to hard substratum systems (i.e. rocks on mid-ocean ridges, canyons, vents, carbonates), from relatively stable (i.e. abyssal plain) to more dynamic (i.e. seamounts, mid-ocean ridges, canyons, unstable slopes, vents) systems, from heterotrophic (ultimately dependent on deposition of surface produced organic matter) to chemoautotrophic (i.e. vents, 1

2 seeps, areas of low oxygen that intersect with the margin (OMZs)) communities, and from very fragile (i.e. deep water corals, seamounts) ecosystems to others with a higher recovery potential from disturbance. These systems are crucial in understanding the oceanic carbon cycling and the functioning of the global biosphere. They support high species diversity and contain a vast reservoir of undiscovered species that may become sources of potential new molecules of interest for biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. These ecosystems are also, in many cases, fragile and vulnerable to climate change, as well as to anthropogenic disturbance such as deep-sea waste disposal, deep-sea fishing and oil and gas exploration and exploitation. There is now evidence of habitat loss caused by deep-water trawling in the NE Atlantic. However, further studies are needed to determine the effects of anthropogenic impact on deep-sea ecosystems, on the potential loss of biodiversity and on the potential collateral effect on commercial fish species. Many deep-sea species are long-lived, slow growing and, in some habitats (i.e. hydrothermal vents, seamounts, canyons), highly endemic, being then especially vulnerable to disturbance. Aim The aim of is to explore, identify and interpret the variation of biodiversity within and between deep-sea habitats and to understand the interactions between the biota and the ecosystems in which they live. Both pelagic and benthic biodiversity variation will be considered. The benthic habitats to be studied include sediment slopes, canyons, anoxic microbial systems, cold seeps and carbonate mounds on continental margins, trenches, abyssal plains, seamounts and mid-ocean ridges. Pelagic habitats range from the meso-and bathypelagic zones associated with ridges and deep basins, and the corresponding zones near continental slopes and banks. Justification Why a EUROCORES Europe has some of the world s leading oceanographic laboratories and a long history of exploration and multidisciplinary studies of the deep sea. The major expeditions that started the exploration of the deep sea were organized by European scientists, starting with the first oceanographic cruise, the Challenger Expedition in Since, many more have followed. Examples are the 4-month North Atlantic Expedition of the Norwegian RV Michael Sars in 1910 which resulted in the landmark book The Depths of the Oceans by Johan Hjort and John Murray, the Swedish RV Albatross expedition and several others by Danish, German, British, and French vessels, culminating in the Danish Galathea expedition ( ) that demonstrated the existence of life it even the greatest depths of the oceans. The nations that organised these expeditions all have significant capabilities and modern vessels, as have Iceland, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. Across Europe there is a wide range of ships, equipment and expertise available for deep-sea research. These include, amongst others, deep-water remote operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, deeptowed vehicles, deep-water sampling equipment, landers and hydroacoustic instruments, as well as isothermic and isobaric chambers for the processing and maintenance of deep-water samples. This state-of-the-art technology is essential for the study of deep-sea ecosystems, providing the necessary tools to locate, map and study the different habitats and their associated fauna. Furthermore, the development of new technologies is stimulated by the needs of sampling and studying deep-sea ecosystems, increasing steadily our capabilities for deep-sea research. Historically, Europe also has some of the best traditional taxonomy expertise, which is now being complemented by a new generation of molecular taxonomists. New analytical techniques are also developed for the study of habitats characterised by extreme physico-chemical properties (i.e. high pressure, lack of light, high toxicity at vents 2

3 and seeps), enthused by the discoveries of new ecosystems such as hydrothermal vents, cold seeps or deep-water corals. Collaboration with eastern European states, Russia, and the USA further enhances the potential. Over the years, deep-sea research has become an increasingly expensive research area beyond the capacity of all but the largest nations. In the 70 s of the previous Century, interest in deepsea research was enhanced by the prospects of commercial benefits from the exploitation of polymetallic nodules. A number of studies have been conducted to date, to develop potential mining techniques, assess the economic potential of the exploitation and predict the impact on deep-sea biodiversity. The areas that would be affected by nodule mining are very vast, covering tens to hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of seabed, with ecosystem recovery requiring decades to millions of years. The technology necessary to mine polymetallic nodules is in place, and it is market demand and environmental issues that will determine when mining operations commence. In addition, the last decades have seen the exploitation of other deep-sea resources become a reality, where two major industries, deepsea fisheries and oil and gas exploitation, are now capable of operating in waters deeper than 2000 meters. Besides the commercial relevance, scientific research in the deep-sea has increased steadily since the great expeditions of the 18 th Century. In the last 25 years, the discovery of hydrothermal vents and their remarkable microbial and faunal communities, and the realisation that the deep sea has an important role in regulating climate, being the major heterotrophic ecosystem of the planet and providing the boundary between the biosphere and the geosphere, has stimulated new deep-sea research greatly. The needs for new knowledge from many different disciplines made clear that no single country has the (wo)man power and large-scale facilities necessary to undertake research within the deep-sea ecosystem as a whole. A EUROCORES deep-sea initiative would stimulate collaboration and sharing of human and technnological resources across national boundaries. Lack of essential resources are limiting deep-sea research today, not least taxonomical expertise needed for any biodiversity study. Enhanced collaboration in a modern exploratory study would stimulate recruitment to this field of research, providing the training of a new generation of taxonomists. This will ensure the strengthening of an area of expertise that is severely affected today by an increasing lack of human potential and resources. Field sampling and observation is challenging technologically, not only because of the extensive depths, but also because some habitats such as hard substrate ridges, canyons, seamounts and slopes, require the use of manned or remotely operated vehicles. Other remote sensing tools include hydroacoustic and optical instruments of various designs, either mounted on vessels, towed bodies or moored instrument carriers. Our knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems is at a very early stage, where exploration plays a major role. To understand the processes that drive the different deep-sea habitats as well as the functioning of the ecosystem as a whole, deep-sea research needs to be multidisciplinary. To achieve these objectives and mobilise efficient teams, an international approach involving both smalll and large countries with a range of capabilities is essential both for economical and scientific reasons. SCOR and IGBP Increased cooperation in deep sea research has come a long way since the 80 s of the previous century, mainly as a result of international programmes sponsored by agencies such as SCOR and the IGBP programme, efforts which are continuing today. Whereas in the 1990 s most 3

4 attention focused on biogeochemical cycles in which organisms were reduced to highly aggregated state variables in models or blobs of carbon in geochemical measurements, the programmes of the future such as IMBER (Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research sponsored by IGBP/SCOR and due to start in ), and GLOBEC explicitly focus on the biodiversity of the oceans and its relationship to ecosystem functioning. But these programmes are restricted to studying the upper water layers. There are no international programmes addressing the deep sea below the mesopelagic zone (lower than about 1000 m water depth) and deep-sea sediments are seriously understudied. It has been estimated that the surface of all physical samples of the estimated million km 2 of deep-sea sediments covers about the size of a football field. Ironically, this is the habitat where the highest biodiversity is expected to occur. The Framework Programmes of the European Commission European integration was greatly stimulated by the directed efforts of the European Commission in its 4 th and 5 th framework programmes. In response to the need for increased knowledge of deep-sea biodiversity and functioning, required for improved management of discontinuous environments, the European Commission has funded a number of projects in the 5 th framework programme, such as the Atlantic Coral Ecosystem Study (ACES, ), the Atlantic hydrothermal vent biology and toxicity programme (VENTOX, ) and an integrated study on seamounts (OASIS, ). In the 6 th framework programme, a Network of Excellence on Marine Biodiversity (MARBEF) that includes a deep-sea component and a technological development programme (EXOCET/D) dedicated to the study of fragmented deep-sea ecosystems, have been funded and will start functioning in In addition, an Integrated Project on Hot spot ecosystems on European margins (HERMES) is being prepared for submission to the 6 th framework programme in February The results obtained during the 4 th and 5 th framework programmes and the new initiatives in the 6 th framework programme provide an excellent background from which to draw expertise and scientific knowledge to develop further research in deep-sea ecosystem biodiversity and functioning. However none of these initiatives provides funding for deep-sea research beyond the continental margin (if HERMES would be successful). will seek cooperation and coordination with the above-mentioned initiatives at the European level. This will result in an integrated and global vision of deep-sea ecosystems, providing the necessary scientific knowledge for deep-sea ecosystem management, as well as ensuring the training of a new generation of European researchers and ensuring the general public s interest and enthusiasm for deep-sea ecosystem issues. The Census of Marine Life The proposal especially focuses on the European-led projects on deep-sea ecosystems within the Census of Marine Life initiative ( but is open to any initiative that may contribute to a better understanding of deep-sea biodiversity and its relationship to ecosystem functioning. The Census of Marine Life is a growing global network of researchers in more than 45 nations engaged in a ten-year initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life in the oceans, past, present and future. Three projects focusing on deep-sea ecosystems and coordinated by European scientists are presently in an advanced stage of preparation or running. These are: 1- ChEss ( working on biogeography of chemosynthetic ecosystems, 2- MAR-ECO ( working on pelagic and benthic fauna of the northern Mid- Atlantic Ridge, and 3- CeDAMar ( working on biodiversity of abyssal plains. Additionally, a fourth CoML deep-sea project for the study the fauna on continental margins and a CoML project on seamounts (both shallow and deep) are being developed. All 4

5 CoML field projects provide their data to the Ocean Biogeography Information System (OBIS, OBIS is a web-based provider of global geo-referenced information on accurately identified marine species with online tools for visualising relationships amongst species and their environment. A EuroOBIS node is being developed, providing an excellent pre-existing data management system for. The Census of Marine Life initiative, however, does not fund research itself, but provides resources to bring together internationally recognised scientists to identify research priorities and establish new research projects. While several of the above CoML projects have extensive ship-time commitments, there is a need for additional resources to mobilise specialised technologies and the human resources to carry out essential tasks, both in the field and on land. It is ironic that it is sometimes easier to mobilise vessels than to secure funding for subsequent analyses that would enhance recruitment and general competence significantly. Conservation and management issues Because of the increasing pressure of human activities in deep waters, the deep-sea habitat is increasingly the focus of international fora. For example, the OSPAR Convention (Convention for the Protection of Marine Environment in the NE Atlantic) has included a number of deep-sea habitats (i.e. deep-water corals, seamounts) in a list of endangered habitats. Similarly, deep-sea ecosystems are included in issues dealt by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as vulnerable habitats requiring special protection. The value of creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a tool for the conservation and management of ecosystems with a high, valuable, sensitive or rare biodiversity that are potentially threatened is well established. WWF and IUCN published in 2001 a report on The Status of Natural Resources on the High-Seas. The report identifies deep-sea habitats (including vents, seeps, gas hydrates, seamounts, trenches, canyons, deepwater corals, sediment areas with polymetallic nodules) and communities (seabirds, cetaceans and transboundary fish stocks) where potential and existent commercial interests create threats to biodiversity and habitat integrity. The report identifies the need to protect some of these ecosystems and recommends potential candidates for High Seas Marine Protected Areas. Also, the main objective of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is to manage the mineral resources of the international seabed area, as a consequence of which an effective protection of the marine ecosystems from the impact of resource exploitation is required. In 2003, the European Commission created an MPA for the protection of the deep-water coral reefs on the Darwin Mounds (NE Atlantic), resulting in a permanent ban on the use of bottom trawling gear in the area. Norway has similarly protected cold-water coral reefs within its EEZ in the eastern Norwegian Sea. In relation with hydrothermal vents, an initiative is being developed by the Portuguese government to propose the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) as an MPA to OSPAR. In addition, within the framework of the EC - OASIS programme, the Sedlo seamount (NE Atlantic) will be nominated as a candidate MPA to OSPAR by the Azores government, and the United Nations General Assembly will consider the need to develop MPAs for seamounts. All of these initiatives can only be developed with a sound scientific foundation at the ecosystem level. Yet, for many deep-sea habitats, even the basic taxonomic and community functioning knowledge is lacking. It is only through international collaboration that the sharing of human and technological potential across Europe will provide the scientific knowledge essential for conservation and management issues. offers the necessary framework for the development of such research. in the EUROCORES System 5

6 Within the EUROCORES framework, the only running programmes in the area of Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences are EuroCLIMATE and EUROMARGINS. The EuroCLIMATE project focuses on understanding present and past climate variability and carbon cycle. The EuroMARGINS project focuses on imaging, monitoring and modelling of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that are occurring in the passive continental margin. However, only one of the fourteen accepted projects within EUROMARGINS deals with biology, and then only partially with establishing the benthic ecology and environmental conditions of carbonate mound and cold water coral reef formation in contrasting areas of the NE Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, a subject that will not be part of. It is clear, nonetheless, that both programmes (EUROMARGINS and -if successful-) are complimentary to each other, with EUROMARGINS providing essential results on the settings and geological processes that would help understand the biological processes and biodiversity of European continental margins studied within. This would offer excellent opportunities for collaboration amongst groups ensuring a maximum return from the ongoing science that would be highly beneficial for the scientific community as a whole. We are aware of a proposal for a EUROCORES on biodiversity. The goal of this EUROCORES (EuroDiversity) is to support the emergence of an integrated biodiversity science based on an understanding of the fundamental ecological and social processes that drive biodiversity changes, their impacts on ecosystem functioning and services, and societal responses to these changes. This should result in new tools and strategies for the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity. The programme has a strong focus on generalisations across particular systems and on the generation and validation of theory relevant to experimental and empirical data. Although EuroDiversity has its strength in a theoretical and terrestrial background it may probably generate proposals from coastal marine areas as well. However, most of its philosophy is hardly applicable to the deep sea and there will be no overlap in research activities in case both initiatives are accepted. 6