1. Biological characteristics and processes in the deep sea
Variation in metazoan biodiversity (species diversity, functional and food web diversity, niches) within and between habitats and ecosystems.
Life history strategies and interconnectivity between deep-sea habitats: physical and biological factors that drive/affect dispersal and gene flow (e.g. the stepping stone function)
Exploring the biodiversity of specific deep-sea habitats such as seamounts, deep-water coral reefs, vents, gas and fluid seeps, large organic inputs (e.g. wood or whale falls)
Understanding the biogeochemical pathways that sustain microbial systems and assessing the biodiversity of deep-sea microbes, their control and their possible interactions with metazoans
Impact of microbial and animal biodiversity on energy flow through benthic deep-sea ecosystems
Effects of climate change on deep-sea biodiversity
2. Abiotic processes in deep-sea habitats driving biodiversity variation
Understanding the impacts of physics and biogeochemistry of the benthic boundary layer on the biology of benthic organisms in the deep sea: near-bottom hydrodynamics, organic matter deposition and re-suspension, early diagenesis
Understanding deep-ocean hydrodynamics and geochemistry in hot spot ecosystems as related to the distribution of organisms and communities
3. Human impacts and ecosystem management
Evaluating the potential biodiversity and habitat loss caused by anthropogenic pressures such as fisheries, oil and gas exploitation, mining, dumping and CO2 sequestration in the deep-sea
Assessing deep sea ecosystem vulnerability to disturbance
Development of criteria for the establishment of deep-sea marine protected areas.
