The deep sea within national jurisdiction is often poorly understood but can represent a vast, under protected frontier for biodiversity conservation with increasing pressures and opportunities for sustainable development. This side event showcases how cutting-edge ocean science, data and autonomous technology can directly support countries in meeting their 30x30 commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a focus on deep-sea Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). 

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) will lead a panel discussion that presents science-led approaches to MPA designation, assessment and monitoring in deeper national waters, drawing on perspectives and applied case studies from UK and international programmes. We focus on scalable and cost-effective approaches to deep-water assessment that use remote sensing-derived indicators to characterise and monitor priority biodiversity and habitats. 

With COP17 marking the first global stocktake of GBF implementation, this event will address a practical challenge facing many Parties: how to extend area-based conservation beyond shallow coastal waters into the deeper seabed environments that often make up the majority of national exclusive economic zone. Discussion will highlight how science can support evidence-based identification of priority areas for MPA designation and provide the monitoring frameworks needed to demonstrate condition and status. 

The side event will be in the form of a panel discussion that features speakers from the science, national (UK) and international policy perspectives, grounding the scientific approaches in real-world governance and implementation contexts relevant to other nations. The panel will also highlight the importance of international collaboration & partnerships and aims to bring together an audience and panel of diverse stakeholders from across the international science and policy space.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the tools, datasets and methodologies available to support deep-sea 30x30 delivery, and stimulate discussions on opportunities for international collaboration to help deliver the GBF goals.