New High-Tech Flexible Networks for the Monitoring of Deep-Sea Ecosystems

Authors

Jacopo Aguzzi, CSIC - Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)
Damianos Chatzievangelou, Constructor University Bremen
Simone Marini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
Emanuela Fanelli, Università Politecnica delle Marche
Roberto Danovaro, Università Politecnica delle Marche
Sascha Flögel, GEOMAR - Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel
Nadine Lebris, Sorbonne Université
Francis Juanes, University of Victoria
Fabio C. De Leo, University of Victoria
Joaquin Del Rio, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya
Laurenz Thomsen, Constructor University Bremen
Corrado Costa, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria (CREA)
Giorgio Riccobene, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Catania
Cristian Tamburini, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie
Dominique Lefevre, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie
Carl Gojak, INSU - Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers
Pierre Marie Poulain, Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale
Paolo Favali, Istituto Nazionale Di Geofisica E Vulcanologia, Rome
Annalisa Griffa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
Autun Purser, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Danelle Cline, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Duane Edgington, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Joan Navarro, CSIC - Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)
Sergio Stefanni, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Steve D'Hondt, University of Rhode Island
Imants G. Priede, University of Aberdeen
Rodney Rountree, University of Victoria
Joan B. Company, CSIC - Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

6-18-2019

Abstract

Increasing interest in the acquisition of biotic and abiotic resources from within the deep sea (e.g., fisheries, oil-gas extraction, and mining) urgently imposes the development of novel monitoring technologies, beyond the traditional vessel-assisted, time-consuming, high-cost sampling surveys. The implementation of permanent networks of seabed and water-column-cabled (fixed) and docked mobile platforms is presently enforced, to cooperatively measure biological features and environmental (physicochemical) parameters. Video and acoustic (i.e., optoacoustic) imaging are becoming central approaches for studying benthic fauna (e.g., quantifying species presence, behavior, and trophic interactions) in a remote, continuous, and prolonged fashion. Imaging is also being complemented by in situ environmental-DNA sequencing technologies, allowing the traceability of a wide range of organisms (including prokaryotes) beyond the reach of optoacoustic tools. Here, we describe the different fixed and mobile platforms of those benthic and pelagic monitoring networks, proposing at the same time an innovative roadmap for the automated computing of hierarchical ecological information on deep-sea ecosystems (i.e., from single species' abundance and life traits to community composition, and overall biodiversity).

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Environmental Science and Technology

Volume

53

Issue

12

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Aguzzi, Jacopo, Damianos Chatzievangelou, Simone Marini, Emanuela Fanelli, Roberto Danovaro, Sascha Flögel, Nadine Lebris, Francis Juanes, Fabio C. De Leo, Joaquin Del Rio, Laurenz Thomsen, Corrado Costa, Giorgio Riccobene, Cristian Tamburini, Dominique Lefevre, Carl Gojak, Pierre M. Poulain, Paolo Favali, Annalisa Griffa, Autun Purser, Danelle Cline, Duane Edgington, Joan Navarro, Sergio Stefanni, Steve D'Hondt, Imants G. Priede, Rodney Rountree, and Joan B. Company. "New High-Tech Flexible Networks for the Monitoring of Deep-Sea Ecosystems." Environmental Science and Technology 53, 12 (2019). doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00409.