The case for preserving deep-sea biodiversity

Last week, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) molecular ecologist Dr. Annette Govindarajan and Director of Marine Policy Center, Dr. Kilaparti Ramakrishna, participated in a panel at the United Nations 16^th Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cali, Colombia. The panel, “Valuing the treasures of the Twilight Zone,” which took place in the Chilean pavilion and was hosted by WHOI, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and Ocean Conservancy (OC), focused on protecting the natural services such as climate regulation provided by animals and ecosystems found between roughly 200 and 1000 meters (660 and 3,300 feet) below the surface. The event came as WHOI scientists are wrapping up the Ocean Twilight Zone (OTZ) Project. OC and EDF are now using the findings outlined in the project’s “Biodiversity in the Ocean Twilight Zone” report to advocate for measures that protect ocean health at all depths in order to maintain balance in Earth’s biodiversity, climate, and other systems that make the planet livable.

Dr. Govindarajan sat down with Dr. Kalina Grabb, a research associate in WHOI’s Marine Policy Center, at the end of the conference to discuss Dr. Govindarajan’s first experience attending a major UN-led COP.

Can you provide a brief overview of your research?

I study deep mid-water ocean regions to explore the diversity, distribution, and functional roles of the animals that live there. I lead the biodiversity component of WHOI’s Ocean Twilight Zone (OTZ) Project. My research looks at what animal species live in the twilight zone, how they are distributed, and how they interact with each other and the environment. A major goal of my work is to better understand diel vertical migration-- where in the typical scenario, animals migrate to shallow waters to feed at night and spend the day in deeper waters to avoid predators. This phenomenon is the largest migration on our planet and expedites the movement of carbon from the surface to the deep sea.

WHOI Marine Policy Center research associate Kalina Grabb interviews WHOI biologist Annette Govindarajan at COP16 in Colombia. (Photo courtesy of Kalina Grabb, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Why is the mesopelagic so important?

The mesopelagic zone is critical for Earth's climate. The animals that live there are a key component of the biological carbon pump, which moves carbon originating in the atmosphere, where it warms the planet, to the deep sea. Also, there is growing interest in harvesting mesopelagic animals for their use in fishmeal for aquaculture feed and nutraceuticals like fish oil for human consumption. However, we knew relatively little about the animals in the mesopelagic, and certainly not enough to manage them sustainably. So, there is an urgent need to find out more about these animals and what they're doing so we can stay ahead of human activity.

Why is it so difficult to measure life in the twilight zone and what new technologies do you see emerging that can help monitor biodiversity?

The mesopelagic is difficult to access and traditional sampling nets miss many species, like active swimmers that avoid getting caught and fragile gelatinous animals that fall apart. Through the OTZ Project, we developed an “ocean forensics” framework that uses environmental DNA (eDNA)–the genetic traces that animals leave behind as they move through the water–to identify what lives there. We also developed large volume eDNA samplers that can be used for remote and autonomous deep-sea eDNA collection.

How does your research relate to the priorities you’re hearing about at CBD COP16?

They are very well aligned. The OTZ Project intentionally included a policy component led by Dr. Di Jin in WHOI’s Marine Policy Center. Dr. Jin and I co-advise a postdoc, Dr. Nina Yang, and together we recently published a paper in Marine Policy about using eDNA to inform marine policy. It's rewarding to come here to COP and see how our research is aligned with international biodiversity and climate priorities, and to see policy-makers use our research.

You were on a panel about the importance of mesopelagic biodiversity. Tell me how that experience differed from presenting at a science conference to a room full of your peers?

It was a fantastic experience to be the only scientist on a panel with esteemed conservation and policy specialists. There is a complementary link between science and policy, and it was clear that our scientific data is providing information to inform policy action. For example, based on our research, EDF and OC successfully advocated to refence the mesopelagic in the negotiated language of the CBD COP16 agenda and the associated document (Conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity and of island biodiversity). During the panel, there was a strong interest on all sides in each other’s work–and that's the way it should be. I loved seeing how many COP attendees were interested as well–it was standing-room only, and the audience asked many questions.

WHOI biologist Annette Govindarajan speaks on a panel, “Valuing the treasures of the Twilight Zone,” at the 16th Convention on Biological Diversity COP16. (Photo courtesy of Kalina Grabb, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

What are the main messages you delivered at CBD COP?

We still have a lot to learn about the biodiversity of the deep ocean, which plays crucial roles in the Earth’s carbon cycle and climate system. There are still significant knowledge gaps even though we've made important headway. We have new technologies and approaches, like eDNA analyses, that can increase the scale of our datasets, and it’s critical that we do so to inform policies that can protect our planet.

How has your participation at CBD changed the way you look at your research?

It has made me think about the impacts of what I do and how it can make a difference beyond academia. I feel honored and humbled to be able to contribute to something that impacts the way we conserve the ocean–for which we are all stakeholders.

What is some advice you would give fellow scientists who are interested in engaging with the policy world?

Do it! At WHOI we are lucky to have policy specialists that interact with scientists. In general, though, I suggest reaching out, being proactive in contacting people in the policy world, attending relevant meetings, and making the effort to listen as much as talk to learn from others. As scientists, we do academic research. But it can be used for the good of our planet and the people we share it with, which is very rewarding.