Biogeographical patterns in the deep ocean: environmental, biological, and historical drivers in the North Atlantic ...

• Main Author: Ramiro Sánchez, Berta
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: The University of Edinburgh 2021
• Subjects: deep-sea; corals; management; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7488/era/1420; https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/38153

In the last century, our perception of deep{sea environments has changed from being biological deserts to nding thriving and complex habitats teeming with biodiversity. Some deep{sea habitats, such as cold-water coral reefs, coral gardens and sponge grounds, are often inhabited by slow{growth, long{lived, late{maturing species; traits that limit their potential for resilience and recovery from human pressures such as bottom{contact shing, climate change and, potentially in the future, deep{sea mining. These vulnerable species and habitats are recognised as in need of protective management and conservation measures, given their critical role in the functioning and services of the ocean and planet. However, most of the deep seabed lies in areas beyond national jurisdiction, where little is known about species distributions and where governance is limited. To date, biogeographic patterns in the deep{sea have been based on the distribution of model soft{bottom taxa that potentially may show di erent ...