Decade of Deep-Ocean Action
The Issue: The United Nations has proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) to boost international coordination and cooperation in research and scientific programmes for better management of ocean resources. The Decade will galvanise collaboration to fill knowledge gaps in support of sustainable development – the lack of fundamental knowledge in the deep-ocean has been highlighted as a priority. In 2018, IOC-UNESCO began the coordination of the Decade’s preparatory process, including a concerted implementation plan. In this preparatory stage, it is crucial to identify key priorities for deep ocean science to support sustainable development.
The Working Group: The Decade working group aims to provide input to the implementation of the Decade in relation to the deep-ocean science, particularly in the field of deep-sea ecology. It currently has over 345 members from around the globe.
- Act as the interface between the UN and the deep sea science community to prepare for and implement the Decade in the deep-ocean, at global and regional levels.
- Promotion of international coordination and cooperation in deep-sea ecology research and scientific programmes.
- Challenger 150 – Proposed UN Ocean Decade Programme for deep-sea biological research. Find papers below in Past Activities.
- Raising awareness about the need of fundamental science to increase our understanding of the deep-ocean and to provide tools for its sustainable use.
- Development of an international and global deep-sea ecology programme with measurable targets.
- Compilation of a list of ongoing international collaborative deep-ocean programmes and how they meet the Decade objectives.
- Engagement with representatives of IOC member States and presentation of the WG to the IOC.
- Provision of guidelines and goals for the implementation of the Decade in the deep-ocean.
- Public outreach product (video/flyer) about the need of exploration and fundamental research to achieve sustainable development outcomes.
- Preparation for attending 2nd Global Planning Meeting for UN Decade (March 2020, Paris) – Cancelled COVID-19.
2026
- The Working Group presented a webinar on The Atlantic’s Deep Secrets on the Map. Across the deep Atlantic Basin, there are significant gaps in spatial biodiversity data. These data underpin decisions on fisheries management and the protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), regional environmental management planning, and the effective use of area-based management tools. Under the umbrella of DOSI’s UN Ocean Decade Programme, Challenger 150, three new projects, Coral Cartography, Deep Vision, and Deep Map, are working to address the gaps by producing new modelled maps of deep‑water ecosystems across the Atlantic, based on coordinated Atlantic-scale seafloor observations, with a particular focus on
cold‑water corals and other VMEs. This 1‑hour interactive webinar introduced the projects and discussed how they can support the work of the webinar attendees. - Challenger 150’s African Network of Deep-Water Researchers co-lead, Kirsty McQuaid, participated in the DOSI Town Hall ‘Deep-Ocean Science as the Foundation for a Thriving Global Ocean” on a Panel along with other members of the UN Deep Ocean Decade community who were invited to collaborate.
2025
- Following a successful proposal in July 2025, Challenger 150’s African Network of Deep sea Researchers organised a deep-ocean mini symposium at the WIOMSA workshop in Mombasa, Kenya, titled ‘Into the Depths: Advancements in Deep-Water Research in the Western Indian Ocean”. Convenors were Kirsty McQuaid from Nelson Mandela University, South Africa and Agnes Muthumbi from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. This mini symposium, aligned with the theme Science as the Foundation for Decision making, aiming to: raise awareness and inspire enthusiasm for deep-water research in the WIO; highlight recent research activities and discoveries; facilitate new connections among researchers and strengthen
collaborative networks; and identify strategic priorities for future deep-water research by showcasing new insights and fostering a dynamic research community. The symposium strives to collectively advance our understanding of the WIO’s deep-water ecosystems in support of science-based decision-making.
2024 and earlier
- 3rd June 2021: New Challenger 150 website launched – see here
- June 2021: Challenger 150 endorsed by IOC-UNESCO as an Ocean Decade activity
- November 2020: Howell, K et al. (2020). A Blueprint for an Inclusive, Global Deep-Sea Ocean Decade Field Program. Front. Mar. Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.584861
- November 2020: Howell, K et al. (2020). A decade to study deep-sea life. Nature Ecology & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01352-5
- August 2020: Poster introducing Challenger 150 presented at eDSBS Conference
- January 2020: Online meeting to move forward with DOSI Decade plans in collaboration with SCOR working group members and others.
- July 2019: Two online meetings were held to discuss finer details of the DOSI Decade science plan. Minutes DOSI Decade Meeting July 2019.
- May 2019: DOSI Decade working group members attended 1st Global Ocean Decade Planning Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, May 13-15, 2019. 1st Global Ocean Decade Planning Meeting Report – Kerry Howell. Official GPM Summary Report.
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Collaborate with us to advance deep-sea climate science. Engage in meetings, contribute to policy briefs and publications, and participate in international events.
WG members are encouraged to actively engage with WG communications and meetings, as these are where further information will be provided on workshops, outputs such as policy briefs and publications, as well as event attendance. Please note: DOSI Ambassadors who are involved key meetings are selected according to our DOSI internal policy and at the discretion of the WG leads.
