Research priorities and roadmap for deep-sea ecology in the Bay of Biscay (Northeast Atlantic)

• DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2024.104324
• Publication Date: 2024-05-21T06:54:47Z
• Authors: Ibon Galparsoro; Iratxe Menchaca; Ivan Manso-Narvarte; Irene Ruiz; Maria C. Uyarra; Javier Franco; Iñigo Muxika; Miquel Canals; Alberto Serrano; José Manuel Gonzá...; Alberto Abad-Urib...; Ana Colaço; María Gómez-Balle...; Javier Cristobo; Pilar Ríos; Fergal McGrath; Ángel Borja

Peer reviewed<br/>Ibon Galparsoro Iza reports financial support was provided by Biodiversity Foundation of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. This research represents the output from the project entitled “Establecimiento las bases para la generación de conocimiento de los Ecosistemas PROfundos del CANtábrico (EPROCAN)”. The project had the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. MC acknowledges the Sustainable Blue Economy Chair of the University of Barcelona, sponsored by Tecnoambiente. CRG Marine Geosciences is funded by the Catalan Government within its excellence research groups program (ref. 2021 SGR 01195 ). PR acknowledges the intramural project of CSIC BIMARCANT. AC acknowledges FCT-IP Program Stimulus of Scientific Employment CEECIND/00101/2021 – attributed to AC) and Strategic funding UIDB/05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020 (Okeanos), attributed by FCT-IP (Foundation for Science and Technology - Portugal). We would like to thank all 51 respondents to the questionnaire and those who participated in the workshop, Natalia Montero who has elaborated part of the graphical content of the manuscript and Olga Lukyanova for assessing the MPAs coverage in the Bay of Biscay. This is publication number 1221 of AZTI.<br/>The Bay of Biscay is a structurally complex region, exhibiting high biodiversity and productivity and hosting a wide variety of benthic habitats. Unfortunately, current scientific knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems is limited. Our investigation provides an updated vision of the existing knowledge on key aspects of the deep-sea ecosystem and identifies research priorities for the definition of a research roadmap in support of sustainable management, including the protection and conservation of deep-sea ecosystem of the Bay of Biscay. To achieve this, firstly a revision of projects, surveys and studies conducted in the region, was carried out resulting in the identification of 62 publicly available scientific documents. Secondly, an online survey was carried out, receiving 51 responses from 24 research institutions in 9 countries. Finally, a workshop was attended by 39 scientists to identify and discuss ways forward on deep-sea research in the Bay of Biscay. Results indicate that knowledge of benthic habitats, and vulnerable and sensitive habitats/species is good or very good for 45% of the respondents, while limited knowledge was reported for deep pelagic habitats. Almost 75% of the scientists agreed that deep-sea processes affect shallower areas. Funding (71%) and research vessel availability (57%) were considered the most constraining aspects limiting deep-sea research. More than 50% of the scientists perceived a short- or medium-term threat from human activities and pressures, while over than 40% of the respondents considered that there are no, or limited, data available to assess the environmental status. Regarding climate change, 55% of scientists partially or fully agreed with the existence of evidence of climate change effects, but 47% of them totally or partially considered that climate change monitoring is insufficient to assess eventual changes and effects. Most respondents (63%) considered that deep-sea ecosystems are not properly represented in the current Marine Protected Areas network. In terms of future needs, the development of monitoring strategies to reduce costs and guarantee an optimal design, data sharing and an increase in transnational collaboration are most cited. Finally, a proposal for a roadmap to fill in knowledge gaps for a better understating of the ecosystem processes of the deep sea of the Bay of Biscay is delivered.<br/>