Deep-Sea Meiofauna Biodiversity - European Commission
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Food, Farming, Fisheries
Maritime Forum

Deep-Sea Meiofauna Biodiversity

City
Madrid
Country
Spain
Stage of project
Stage 4: Growth
Sea basin regions
Arctic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean (including North Sea)
International (other sea-basins / ocean)
Categories
Ocean conservation

The primary goal of this project is to identify and describe new species of meiofauna in international deep-sea waters, with a significant focus on the biodiversity of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a region under consideration for mineral extraction. By advancing the taxonomy and ecology of meiofaunal species, particularly Kinorhyncha and Loricifera, the project aims to provide essential baseline data to support sustainable management and conservation of deep-sea ecosystems. This project builds upon prior research partially funded last year by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) through the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI), co-financed by the European Union.

The initial phase of the project, funded by the ISA under the SSKI initiative, spans from November 2023 to October 2024, focusing on the analysis and description of collected meiofauna samples. Many additional samples remain, highlighting the vast, unexplored biodiversity of deep-sea meiofauna and the need for continued research.