Information on Research Activities Related to Deep-Seabed Genetic Resources Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction
In decision VIII/21, the Conference of the Parties noted that deep-seabed ecosystems beyond the limits of national jurisdiction contain genetic resources of great interest for their biodiversity value and for scientific research as well as for present and future sustainable development and commercial applications. It recognized that given the vulnerability and general lack of scientific knowledge of deep seabed biodiversity, there is an urgent need to enhance scientific research and cooperation and to provide for the conservation and sustainable use of these genetic resources in the context of the precautionary approach.
In paragraph 4 of that decision, the COP invited Parties, other Governments, research institutions and other relevant organizations to make available information on research activities related to deep seabed genetic resources beyond the limits of national jurisdiction and to ensure that the results of such marine scientific research and analysis, when available, are effectively disseminated through international channels, as appropriate, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In this decision, the COP requested the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with relevant organizations, to compile and further disseminate such information through the clearing-house mechanism.
In response, Parties, other Governments, relevant research institutions and other relevant organizations were invited to provide information on their research activities for posting on this website by
Notification 2006-069, dispatched on 23 June, 2006. Responses were received from the following Parties and other Governments:
Poland Thailand European Union United States
A response was also received from UNESCO, Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, in the form of the following publications:
A World of Science UNU-IAS Report: Bioprospecting of Genetic Resources in the Deep Seabed: Scientific, Legal and Policy Aspects Ruth, L. 2006.
Gambling in the deep sea. EMBO reports 7(1), 17–21.
Sheridan, C. 2005.
It came from beneath the sea. Nature Biotechnology 23 (10), 1199-1201.
Parties, other Governments and research organizations wishing to add information on their research activities are invited to do so by contacting the Secretariat at
secretariat@cbd.int.
In addition, the following list of organizations conducting research activities that encompass the deep-sea and open-ocean environments, including research cruises that explore the deep seabed, was compiled.
British Oceanographic Data Centre This cruise inventory is a first-level inventory of measurements and samples collected at sea providing information on who has collected what, where and when. It provides a resource to scientists, programme managers and data managers.
Census of Marine Life The Census of Marine Life is a global network of researchers in more than 70 nations engaged in a ten-year initiative (2000-2010) to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans.
HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas) HERMES is an integrated research project designed to gain new insights into the biodiversity, structure, function and dynamics of ecosystems along Europe's deep-ocean margin.
IFREMER (National institute of marine research, France) The objective of IFREMER's programme on ocean floors and their biodiversity is to explore, with the most powerful tools, ocean floors in order to understand geophysical, geochemical and biological processes and their interactions. This work is intended to contribute to better control of exploitation activities or the use of living, mineral and energy resources, and contribute to the preservation of unique ecosystems.
JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) JAMSTEC's Extremobiosphere Research Center (XBR) has been focusing on extremophiles, microorganisms living in extremely high-pressure or high-temperature environments where humans can never survive, and investigates their biological properties and the complex marine ecosystem. JAMSTEC operates the manned submersible SHINKAI 6500 and the 3,000 m-class remotely operated vehicle HYPER-DOLPHIN equipped with a high-vision camera, which provide valuable samples and information about deep-sea life.
Research Ship Schedules and Information This site, maintained by the University of Delaware, maintains a searchable database of research cruise schedules, ship specifications and contact information.
Sailwx.info This website maintains a worldwide ship tracker, including an oceanographic research vessel tracker.
Sea-Search Research Cruises Currently, the Cruise Summary Reports (CSRs--the usual means for reporting on field experiments conducted at sea) database covers cruises from 1873 to today from 30 coastal states in Europe - a total of more than 37 000 cruises - in all European waters and global oceans. This also includes historic CSRs from European countries that have been loaded from the ICES database from 1960 onwards.
UNESCO Ocean Portal The Ocean Portal is a high-level directory of Web sites providing ocean-related data and information.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Research Cruises Databases This database covers WHOI research cruises from 1931 to 1998. Information includes: cruise dates, chief scientist, ship, sponsor and subjects studied.
Options for Preventing and Mitigating the Impacts of Some Activities to Selected Seabed Habitats
Also in decision VIII/21 (paragraph 7), the COP requested the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), and other relevant international organizations, to further analyse and explore options for preventing and mitigating the impacts of some activities to selected seabed habitats and report the findings to future meetings of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.
In response, the SCBD, in collaboration with DOALOS, prepared an information document called
Options for Preventing and Mitigating the Impacts of Some Activities to Selected Seabed Habitats (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/13/INF/13). The document describes a number of options for preventing and mitigating the impacts of some activities on selected seabed habitats, particularly hydrothermal vent, cold-seep, seamount, cold-water coral and sponge-reef ecosystems, each of which contains high levels of endemism and diversity, and is a potential source of new genetic resources with potential commercial applications. These options include (i) the use of codes of conduct, guidelines and principles; (ii) permits and environmental impact assessments; (iii) area-based management of uses, including through establishment of marine protected areas; and (iv) ecosystem-based and integrated management approach.
