Bentho-pelagic coupling under climate change and other human disturbance*

This presentation will discuss how deep-sea biodiversity underpins the carbon cycle, and the importance of seafloor heterogeneity and forms of pelagic-benthic interactions that are involved. Continental margins play an outsized role in carbon sequestration, and climate change has major consequences for deep ecosystems on margins. Deoxygenation in particular can alter carbon flux to the sea floor. Additionally, human activities on the seabed, such as bottom trawling, energy extraction, seabed mining and ocean—based climate interventions, can act to disrupt the carbon cycle and carbon services provided by biodiversity. Finally, I will discuss how disjunct governance of the water column and seabed creates challenges in management and conservation from a carbon conservation perspective.