Act now to protect deep sea ecosystems                         

The deep seas, encompassing 78% of the Mediterranean Sea and more than 65% of the Earth’s surface, are vital to life on the planet. These vast underwater realms harbour 95% of the Earth’s biosphere.

But despite their significance, the deep seas remain largely unexplored, with 66% of species yet to be discovered.

The biodiversity of the deep Mediterranean Sea depends on diversity of habitats: submarine canyons and seamounts, continental rise deposits, mud volcanoes, and extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and deep-hypersaline anoxic basins.

Even seemingly ‘featureless’ soft-bottom habitats host unique and vulnerable species and habitats (such as sponge fields and gorgonian and pennatulacean meadows).

THE DEEP SEAS ARE UNDER THREAT

But these ecosystems are under threat. Climate change, deep-sea fishing and pollution are affecting these vulnerable environments.

The preservation of deep sea biodiversity also holds significant implications for coastal communities, and the delicate balance of Mediterranean marine ecosystems.

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