Giulia La Bianca

University of Plymouth | UoP · Marine Biology & Ecology Research Centre (MBERC)

Marine spatial management requires accurate data on species and habitat distributions. For the deep sea, these data are lacking. Habitat suitability modelling offers a robust defensible means to fill data gaps, provided models are sufficiently reliable. We tested the performance of published models of 2 deep-sea habitat-forming taxa at low and high...

This paper interrogates the concept of transdisciplinarity, both theoretically and practically, from a perspective of early career researchers (ECRs) in transformative ocean governance research. Aiming to advance research methodologies for future complex sustainability challenges, the paper seeks to illuminate some common uncertainties and challeng...

Despite its remoteness, human activity has impacted the deep sea and changes to the structure and function of deep-sea ecosystems are already noticeable. In terrestrial and shallow water marine environments, demonstrating how ecosystems support human well-being has been instrumental in setting policy and management objectives for sustainable resour...

Degradation of the natural world and associated ecosystem services is attributed to a historical failure to include its ‘value’ in decision-making. Uncertainty in the quantification of the relationship between natural capital ‘assets’ that give rise to critical societal benefits and people is one reason for the omission of these values from natural...

After drawing attention to the crucial role of marine biodiversity, including that of deep-sea ecosystems, in current scientific understanding of the ocean-climate nexus, this article highlights the limited extent to which the international climate change regime has so far addressed the ocean. The focus then shifts to how the international climate...

The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) opens a new path in international law towards addressing issues at the ocean-climate nexus, as well as considering implications for the protection of human rights and achieving equity among States in the context of ocean knowledge production and environmenta...

In parts of the Whittard Canyon, a submarine canyon on the Irish Atlantic margin, black corals (order Antipatharia) are remarkably common. Antipatharians are widely distributed in all oceans and occur in water depths from just a few meters down to >8000 m. During cruise CE14009 of RV Celtic Explorer to Whittard Canyon in June 2014, we collected HD...

Commissioned by Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway. Report of the analysis of deep water species and habitats encountered during the 2017 SEAROVER expedition.