Diva Amon

University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB · Marine Science Institute

The crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are interlinked and must be addressed jointly. A proposed solution for reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and thus mitigating climate change, is the transition from conventional combustion‐engine to electric vehicles. This transition currently requires additional mineral resources, such as nickel a...

Radical and quick transformations towards sustainability will be fundamental to achieving a more sustainable future. However, deliberate interventions to reconfigure systems will result in winners and losers, with the potential for greater or lesser equity and justice outcomes. Positive tipping points (PTPs) have been proposed as interventions in c...

Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) are the common heritage of humankind and require coordinated protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable use by the international community. A common first step in marine area-based management is the identification of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) using the...

Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) are the common heritage of humankind and require coordinated protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable use by the international community. A common first step in marine area-based management is the identification of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) using the...

Full book here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375039371_Grenada_National_Ecosystem_Assessment_2023

National ecosystem assessments (NEAs) collate and synthesise current knowledge on the status, trends and threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services in target countries. These assessments also provide information on the economic, social and intrinsic value of those ecosystems and ecosystem services for use in national and local level decision ma...

Management of deep-sea fisheries in areas beyond national jurisdiction by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations/Arrangements (RFMO/As) requires identification of areas with Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Currently, fisheries data, including trawl and longline bycatch data, are used by many RFMO/As to inform the identification of VMEs. H...

This year marks the mid-point for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 14 (‘Life below water’). We asked a range of researchers working across marine science, conservation, policy and implementation to reflect on priorities f...

The 2022 Global Deep-Sea Capacity Assessment is a baseline assessment of the technical and human capacity for deep-sea exploration and research in every coastal area with deep ocean worldwide. From 200 to nearly 11,000 meters below sea level, the deep sea encompasses the single largest—and arguably the most critical—biosphere on Earth. Globally, tw...

Abyssal seafloor communities cover more than 60% of Earth’s surface. Despite their great size, abyssal plains extend across modest environmental gradients compared to other marine ecosystems. However, little is known about the patterns and processes regulating biodiversity or potentially delimiting biogeographical boundaries at regional scales in t...

Radical and quick transformations towards sustainability have winners and losers, with equity and justice embedded to a greater or a lesser extent. According to research, only the wealthiest 1–4 % of the global population will radically need to change their consumption, behaviours, societal values and beliefs in order to make space for an equitable...

In ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction, various legal regimes and governance structures result in diffused responsibility and create challenges for management. Here we show those challenges are set to expand with climate change driving increasing overlap between eastern Pacific tuna fisheries and the emerging industry of deep-sea mining. Clima...

The vestimentiferan tubeworm genera Lamellibrachia and Escarpia inhabit deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, such as seeps, hydrothermal vents and organic falls, and have wide distributions across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In 2010–2012 during initial explorations of hydrothermal vents of the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre (MCSC), b...

This chapter deploys assemblage theory and thinking to bring together a unique set of insights on the seabed ranging from the ecological, to legal, practice to theoretical. It does so with a particular aim in mind: to integrate debates pertinent to understanding the frontier space of the sea floor. Whilst there are increasing calls for interdiscipl...

The impacts of deep seabed mining on people have not been sufficiently researched or addressed. Using a legitimacy framework, we discuss the social-equity dimensions of this emerging industry in the ocean commons.

Transforming the rapidly growing ocean economy into a ‘blue economy’ based on principles of sustainability, equity and inclusivity is crucial. We contend that marine biotechnology is not on this trajectory and that a more holistic approach for people and nature is needed to bring marine biotechnology into the blue economy.

The morphology, physiology and behavior of marine organisms have been a valuable source of inspiration for solving conceptual and design problems. Here, we introduce this rich and rapidly expanding field of marine biomimetics, and identify it as a poorly articulated and often overlooked element of the ocean economy associated with substantial monet...

Oceans are expected to become the next great economic frontier, with enormous potential for innovations and development across multiple sectors. To optimize co-benefits for the well-being of people and the planet, it's vital that we pursue the blue economy in a sustainable manner. This Voices asks: where and what are the opportunities to steer a su...

A minuscule fraction of the deep sea has been scientifically explored and characterized due to several constraints, including expense, inefficiency, exclusion, and the resulting inequitable access to tools and resources around the world. To meet the demand for understanding the largest biosphere on our planet, we must accelerate the pace and broade...

In 2017, more than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries signed a second warning letter to humanity to caution against our continued wholesale destruction of global ecosystems (Ripple et al., 2017). Here, we reaffirm their message with a similar warning specifically focused on the ocean: humanity must immediately and significantly alter our harmful...

There is a growing interest in the exploitation of deep-sea mineral deposits, particularly on the abyssal seafloor of the central Pacific Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), which is rich in polymetallic nodules. In order to effectively manage potential exploitation activities, a thorough understanding of the biodiversity, community structure, species r...

The biodiversity of marine and coastal habitats is experiencing unprecedented change. While there are well-known drivers of these changes, such as overexploitation, climate change and pollution, there are also relatively unknown emerging issues that are poorly understood or recognized that have potentially positive or negative impacts on marine and...

Ecosystem services are benefits that people derive from nature. ● The deep ocean provides many critical ecosystem services, such as fish and shellfish for food; products from organisms that can be used for medicines; climate regulation; and historical, cultural, social, educational, and scientific value for people worldwide. ● Human activities can...

The deep ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet, constituting greater than 90% of all habitable space. Over three-quarters of countries globally have deep ocean within their Exclusive Economic Zones. While maintaining deep-ocean function is key to ensuring planetary health, deficiencies in knowledge and governance, as well as inequitable glob...

Whale bones and wood on the deep-sea floor provide resource pulses that support characteristic faunal assemblages in an otherwise food-poor environment. To isolate the role of bathymetric and geographical drivers of organic-fall diversity and community structure, the study of organic-rich substrates of similar sizes, qualities, and seafloor duratio...

Capacity development is a major priority in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the Decade). Persistent disparities in ocean science capacity illustrate the substantial challenges to achieving the Decade's stated goal of eradicating inequality. We argue that a new conversation about capacity development is essent...

A comprehensive understanding of the deep-sea environment and mining’s likely impacts is necessary to assess whether and under what conditions deep-seabed mining operations comply with the International Seabed Authority’s obligations to prevent ‘serious harm’ and ensure the ‘effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects’ in ac...

With growing acknowledgement of the need to address disparities in capacities to undertake open-ocean, deep-ocean, and high-seas scientific research, numerous global initiatives have been launched to make ocean science more inclusive, equitable, and accessible. Participation in offshore research cruises has emerged as a primary activity to achieve...

Few States are able to undertake scientific research in the half of the planet that lies in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. Capacity building is therefore a key part of the development of a new international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdi...

The deep seafloor is regarded as a potentially large source of the minerals needed for producing batteries to fuel the transition to a low-carbon energy system, but rapid, unrestrained mining would have severe impacts on deep-ocean ecosystems and should be avoided. We propose alternative pathways forward.

Calcifying plankton in the upper ocean produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) shells that sink to the seafloor after death resulting in the vertical transport of inorganic carbon in shells and organic carbon in carcasses. In situ observations of pelagic detritus on the abyssal plain are very scarce. Carcasses are rapidly scavenged and shells may dissolv...

Of all the interconnected threats facing the planet, the top two are the climate and the biodiversity crises. Neither problem will be solved if we ignore the ocean. To turn the tide in favour of humanity and a habitable planet, we need to recognize and better value the fundamental role that the ocean plays in the earth system, and prioritize the ur...

To protect the range of habitats, species, and ecosystem functions in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a region of interest for deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining in the Pacific, nine Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) have been designated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The APEIs are remote, rarely visited and poorl...

• The abyss lies between 3 and 6 km water depth and covers more of the Earth’s sur- face than all other habitats combined. • The present chapter is the first in the World Ocean Assessment that is dedicated to the abyss, covering biodiversity, regional dif- ferences, biogeography, and changes and impacts as a result of natural stressors and anthropo...

Biological collections are fundamental to marine scientific research and understanding of biodiversity at various scales. Despite their key importance, sample collections and the institutes that house them are often underfunded and receive comparatively little attention in the discussions associated with global biodiversity agreements. Furthermore,...

1. The ocean is the linchpin supporting life on Earth, but it is in declining health due to an increasing footprint of human use and climate change. Despite notable successes in helping to protect the ocean, the scale of actions is simply not now meeting the overriding scale and nature of the ocean's problems that confront us. 2. Moving into a post...

• The ocean is the linchpin supporting life on Earth, but it is in declining health due to an increasing footprint of human use and climate change. Despite notable successes in helping to protect the ocean, the scale of actions is simply not now meeting the overriding scale and nature of the ocean's problems that confront us. • Moving into a post‐C...

Chemosynthetic ecosystems have long been acknowledged as key areas of enrichment for deep-sea life, supporting hundreds of endemic species. Echinoderms are among the most common taxa inhabiting the periphery of chemosynthetic environments, and of these, chiridotid holothurians are often the most frequently observed. Yet, published records of chirid...

The workshop aimed to identify coherent, collaborative, and scientifically robust solutions to addressing taxonomic knowledge gaps in various stages from collection, preservation and archiving of biological samples and taxonomic data to identification and description of species. Specifically, the workshop focused on: (i) identifying specific needs...

Mining the extensive accumulations of minerals on the seafloor of the deep ocean might provide important resources, but it also has the potential to lead to widespread environmental impacts. Some of these impacts are unknown, and some may differ for the three main resource types: polymetallic nodules, seafloor massive sulphides, and polymetallic (c...

This Review focuses on whether the emerging industry of deep-seabed mining aligns with the sustainable development agenda. We cover motivations for deep-seabed mining, including to source metals for technology that assists with decarbonization, as well as governance issues surrounding the extraction of minerals. Questions of sustainability and ethi...

Scientific misconceptions are likely leading to miscalculations of the environmental impacts of deep-seabed mining. These result from underestimating mining footprints relative to habitats targeted and poor understanding of the sensitivity, biodiversity, and dynamics of deep-sea ecosystems. Addressing these misconceptions and knowledge gaps is need...

Climate change manifestation in the ocean, through warming, oxygen loss, increasing acidification and changing particulate organic carbon flux (one metric of altered food supplies), is projected to affect most deep‐ocean ecosystems concomitantly with increasing direct human disturbance. Climate drivers will alter deep‐sea biodiversity and associate...

Marine debris is a growing problem in the world’s deep ocean. The naturally slow biological and chemical processes operating at depth, coupled with the types of materials that are used commercially, suggest that debris is likely to persist in the deep ocean for long periods of time, ranging from hundreds to thousands of years. However, the realized...

The subduction of seamounts and ridge features at convergent plate boundaries plays an important role in the deformation of the overriding plate and influences geochemical cycling and associated biological processes. Active serpentinization of forearc mantle and serpentinite mud volcanism on the Mariana forearc (between the trench and active volcan...

When the RV Knorr set sail for the Galapagos Rift in 1977, the scientists aboard expected to find deep-sea hydrothermal vents. What they did not expect to find was life—abundant and unlike anything ever seen before. Submersible dives revealed not only deep-sea hydrothermal vents but entire ecosystem surrounding them, including the towering bright r...

For over 40 years, hydrothermal vents and the communities that thrive on them have been a source of profound discovery for deep-sea ecologists. These ecosystems are found throughout the world on active plate margins as well as other geologically active features. In addition to their ecologic interest, hydrothermal vent fields are comprised of metal...

br/>Motivation Traits are increasingly being used to quantify global biodiversity patterns, with trait databases growing in size and number, across diverse taxa. Despite growing interest in a trait‐based approach to the biodiversity of the deep sea, where the impacts of human activities (including seabed mining) accelerate, there is no single repo...

The ocean crisis is urgent and central to human wellbeing and life on Earth; past and current activities are damaging the planet's main life support system for future generations. We are witnessing an increase in ocean heat, disturbance, acidification, bio‐invasions and nutrients, and reducing oxygen levels. Several of these act like ratchets: once...

Careful definition and illustrative case studies are fundamental work in developing a Blue Economy. As blue research expands with the world increasingly understanding its importance, policy makers and research institutions worldwide concerned with ocean and coastal regions are demanding further and improved analysis of the Blue Economy. Particularl...

For over forty years, hydrothermal vents and the communities that thrive on them have been a source of profound discovery for deep-sea ecologists. These ecosystems are found throughout the world on active plate margins as well as other geologically active features. In addition to their ecologic interest, hydrothermal vent fields are comprised of me...

For over forty years, hydrothermal vents and the communities that thrive on them have been a source of profound discovery for deep-sea ecologists. These ecosystems are found throughout the world on active plate margins as well as other geologically active features. In addition to their ecologic interest, hydrothermal vent fields are comprised of me...

A key question for the future management of the oceans is whether mineral deposits that exist on the seafloor of the deep ocean can be extracted without significant adverse effects to environmental sustainability and marine life. The potential impacts of mining are wide-ranging and will vary depending on the type of metal-rich mineral deposit being...

Two new Hexactinellida species from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the East Pacific Ocean are described. They are the first described representatives of the genus Sympagella in this region. The new sponges were collected in 2013 during the ABYSSLINE Project´s first cruise, AB01, on board the RV Melville. The CCZ is known for its polymetallic...

Exploration of the deep ocean (>200 m) is taking on added importance as human development encroaches. Despite increasing oil and natural gas exploration and exploitation, the deep ocean of Trinidad and Tobago is almost entirely unknown. The only scientific team to image the deep seafloor within the Trinidad and Tobago Exclusive Economic Zone was fr...

Marine bacteria regulate fluxes of matter and energy essential for pelagic and benthic organisms and may also be involved in the formation and maintenance of commercially valuable abyssal polymetallic nodules. Future mining of these nodule fields is predicted to have substantial effects on biodiversity and physicochemical conditions in mined areas....