Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Elementa Science of the Anthropocene 5 (2017): 4, doi:10.1525/elementa.203.

Description: The deep sea encompasses the largest ecosystems on Earth. Although poorly known, deep seafloor ecosystems provide services that are vitally important to the entire ocean and biosphere. Rising atmospheric greenhouse gases are bringing about significant changes in the environmental properties of the ocean realm in terms of water column oxygenation, temperature, pH and food supply, with concomitant impacts on deep-sea ecosystems. Projections suggest that abyssal (3000–6000 m) ocean temperatures could increase by 1°C over the next 84 years, while abyssal seafloor habitats under areas of deep-water formation may experience reductions in water column oxygen concentrations by as much as 0.03 mL L–1 by 2100. Bathyal depths (200–3000 m) worldwide will undergo the most significant reductions in pH in all oceans by the year 2100 (0.29 to 0.37 pH units). O2 concentrations will also decline in the bathyal NE Pacific and Southern Oceans, with losses up to 3.7% or more, especially at intermediate depths. Another important environmental parameter, the flux of particulate organic matter to the seafloor, is likely to decline significantly in most oceans, most notably in the abyssal and bathyal Indian Ocean where it is predicted to decrease by 40–55% by the end of the century. Unfortunately, how these major changes will affect deep-seafloor ecosystems is, in some cases, very poorly understood. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview of the impacts of these changing environmental parameters on deep-seafloor ecosystems that will most likely be seen by 2100 in continental margin, abyssal and polar settings. We also consider how these changes may combine with other anthropogenic stressors (e.g., fishing, mineral mining, oil and gas extraction) to further impact deep-seafloor ecosystems and discuss the possible societal implications. 

Description: A.K. Sweetman D.O.B. Jones and R. Danovaro acknowledge funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement 603418 (MIDAS), and the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 689518 (MERCES). L.-A. Henry and J.M. Roberts acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 678760 (ATLAS).

Description: Knowledge on basic biological functions of organisms is essential to understand not only the role they play in the ecosystems but also to manage and protect their populations. The study of biological processes, such as growth, reproduction and physiology, which can be approached in situ or by collecting specimens and rearing them in aquaria, is particularly challenging for deep-sea organisms like cold-water corals. Field experimental work and monitoring of deep-sea populations is still a chimera. Only a handful of research institutes or companies has been able to install in situ marine observatories in the Mediterranean Sea or elsewhere, which facilitate a continuous monitoring of deep-sea ecosystems. Hence, today’s best way to obtain basic biological information on these organisms is (1) working with collected samples and analysing them post-mortem and / or (2) cultivating corals in aquaria in order to monitor biological processes and investigate coral behaviour and physiological responses under different experimental treatments. The first challenging aspect is the collection process, which implies the use of oceanographic research vessels in most occasions since these organisms inhabit areas between ca. 150 m to more than 1000 m depth, and specific sampling gears. The next challenge is the maintenance of the animals on board (in situations where cruises may take weeks) and their transport to home laboratories. Maintenance in the home laboratories is also extremely challenging since special conditions and set-ups are needed to conduct experimental studies to obtain information on the biological processes of these animals. The complexity of the natural environment from which the corals were collected cannot be exactly replicated within the laboratory setting; a fact which has led some researchers to question the validity of work and conclusions drawn from such undertakings. It is evident that aquaria experiments cannot perfectly reflect the real environmental and trophic conditions where these organisms occur, but: (1) in most cases we do not have the possibility to obtain equivalent in situ information and (2) even with limitations, they produce relevant information about the biological limits of the species, which is especially valuable when considering potential future climate change scenarios. This chapter includes many contributions from different authors and is envisioned as both to be a practical “handbook” for conducting cold-water coral aquaria work, whilst at the same time offering an overview on the cold-water coral research conducted in Mediterranean laboratories equipped with aquaria infrastructure. Experiences from Atlantic and Pacific laboratories with extensive experience with cold-water coral work have also contributed to this chapter, as their procedures are valuable to any researcher interested in conducting experimental work with cold-water corals in aquaria. It was impossible to include contributions from all laboratories in the world currently working experimentally with cold-water corals in the laboratory, but at the conclusion of the chapter we attempt, to our best of our knowledge, to supply a list of several laboratories with operational cold-water coral aquaria facilities.

Description: © The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Spooner, P. T., Thornalley, D. J. R., Oppo, D. W., Fox, A. D., Radionovskaya, S., Rose, N. L., Mallett, R., Cooper, E., & Roberts, J. M. Exceptional 20th century ocean circulation in the Northeast Atlantic. Geophysical Research Letters, 47(10), (2020): e2020GL087577, doi:10.1029/2020GL087577.

Description: The North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPG) connects tropical and high‐latitude waters, playing a leading role in deep‐water formation, propagation of Atlantic water into the Arctic, and as habitat for many ecosystems. Instrumental records spanning recent decades document significant decadal variability in SPG circulation, with associated hydrographic and ecological changes. Emerging longer‐term records provide circumstantial evidence that the North Atlantic also experienced centennial trends during the 20th century. Here, we use marine sediment records to show that there has been a long‐term change in SPG circulation during the industrial era, largely during the 20th century. Moreover, we show that the shift and late 20th century SPG configuration were unprecedented in the last 10,000 years. Recent SPG dynamics resulted in an expansion of subtropical ecosystems into new habitats and likely also altered the transport of heat to high latitudes.

Description: We thank Janet Hope and UCL laboratory staff, colleagues who sailed on EN539, Kathryn Pietro‐Rose, Sean O'Keefe and Henry Abrams, Sara Chipperton, Tanya Monica, Laura Thrower and Kitty Green for sediment processing, Miles Irving for artwork assistance, James Rolfe for nitrogen isotope measurement, Maryline Vautravers and Michael Kucera for guidance, Arne Biastoch and Christian Mohn for discussion of VIKING20, and Chris Brierley, Meric Srokosz, and Jon Robson for comments. Funding was provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) grant OCE‐1304291 to D.W.O. and D.J.R.T., the Leverhulme Trust, National Environment Research Council (NERC) grant NE/S009736/1, and the ATLAS project to D.J.R.T. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 678760 (ATLAS). This paper reflects only the authors views and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.

Description: In this data set, we provide environmental (coordinates, depth, temperature, salinity, type of substrate, demersal fisheries) and biological data (sponge morphotype density and sponge morphotype size) from seabed images collected using a towed camera in the sponge belt located in the Faroe-Shetland Channel Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area.

Description: The lipid and organic nitrogen isotopic (delta15N) compositions of two common deep-water corals (Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata) collected from selected locations of the NE Atlantic are compared to the composition of suspended particulate organic matter, in order to determine their principle food source. Initial results suggest that they may feed primarily on zooplankton. This is based on the increased abundances of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and alcohols and the different ratios of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, 22:6/20:5 of the corals when compared to those of the suspended particulate organic matter. There is enrichment in L. pertusa of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and of delta15N relative to M. oculata. It is unclear whether this reflects different feeding strategies or assimilation/storage efficiencies of zooplankton tissue or different metabolism in the two coral species.

Description: This data was used in a study that demonstrates how cold-water coral morphology and habitat distribution are shaped by local hydrodynamics, using high-definition video from Tisler Reef, an inshore reef in Norway. A total of 334 video frames collected on the north-west (NW) and south-east (SE) side of the reef were investigated for Lophelia pertusa coral cover and morphology and for the cover of the associated sponges Mycale lingua and Geodia sp. Our results showed that the SE side was a better habitat for L. pertusa (including live and dead colonies). Low cover of Geodia sp. was found on both sides of Tisler Reef. In contrast, Mycale lingua had higher percentage cover, especially on the NW side of the reef. Bush-shaped colonies of L. pertusa with elongated branches were the most abundant coral morphology on Tisler Reef. The highest abundance and density of this morphology were found on the SE side of the reef, while a higher proportion of cauliflower-shaped corals with short branches were found on the NW side. The proportion of very small L. pertusa colonies was also significantly higher on the SE side of the reef. The patterns in coral spatial distribution and morphology were related to local hydrodynamics—there were more frequent periods of downwelling currents on the SE side—and to the availability of suitable settling substrates. These factors make the SE region of Tisler Reef more suitable for coral growth. Understanding the impact of local hydrodynamics on the spatial extent and morphology of coral, and their relation to associated organisms such as sponges, is key to understanding the past and future development of the reef.

Description: These datasets were used to describe the diversity, ecology and role of non-scleractinian corals on scleractinian cold-water coral carbonate mounds in the Logachev Mound Province, Rockall Bank, NE Atlantic. Cold-water coral carbonate mounds, created by framework-building scleractinian corals, are also important habitats for non-scleractinian corals, whose ecology and role are understudied in deep-sea environments. In total ten non-scleractinian species were identified, which were mapped out along eight ROV video transects. Eight species were identified as black corals (three belonging to the family Schizopathidae, one each to the Leiopathidae, Cladopathidae, and Antipathidae and two to an unknown family) and two as gorgonians (Isididae and Plexauridae). The most abundant species were Leiopathes sp. and Parantipathes sp. 2. Areas with a high diversity of non-scleractinian corals are interpreted to offer sufficient food, weak inter-species competition and the presence of heterogeneous and hard settlement substrates. A difference in the density and occurrence of small vs. large colonies of Leiopathes sp. was also observed, which is likely related to a difference in the stability of the substrate they choose for settlement. Non-scleractinian corals, especially black corals, are an important habitat for crabs, crinoids, and shrimps in the Logachev Mound Province.

Description: To gain information on the physical parameters of deep water in the Northwest Atlantic, CTD measurements were taken during seven dives to the RMS Titanic wreck (front of bow approx. 41.7330181, -49.9460561; 3816 m water depth) and one dive to the Nargeolet-Fanning Ridge (approx. 41.5980514, -49.4386889; 2896 m water depth) during the OceanGate expedition aboard the AHTS Horizon Arctic, 15 June - 25 July 2022. The CTD measurements of the water column down to a maximum water depth of 3853 m were conducted using a Valeport MIDAS SVX2 6000 unit attached to the submersible Titan for the duration of each dive and provided standard data for conductivity, temperature, and pressure. Conductivity and temperature data were used to compute salinity.

Description: Analyzing historic cruise data for microplastics is an effective way to create baseline level understanding of microplastic pollution through time. This study analyzed 112 benthic specimens gut contents for ingestion of microplastics. These specimens were collected as part of a research cruise on the RRS Discovery D340b from 26 June to 4 July 2009 as part of the Oceans 2025 programme, the cruise Chief Scientist being Mark Inall. Out of the 112 specimens dissected, only 9 contained microplastic samples. These samples were photographed and their microplastic signatures were analysed using Raman Spectroscopy.