Addressing Deep Ocean Knowledge Gaps for Earth's Present and Future

The ocean's midwaters below 200 m and above the seafloor, formerly thought to be entirely devoid of life, are now thought to be home to a biomass of animals larger than in the rest of the ocean combined. These organisms, many of which vertically migrate between the twilight or midnight zones and the surface ocean on a daily basis, may provide critical ecosystem services by contributing to climate regulation via the biological carbon pump and in provisioning predatory fishes that are the focus of global fisheries. Burgeoning interests in harvesting this unparalleled biomass and conducting deep-sea mining, as well as predictions for climate-driven declines in midwater fauna, are confronted by glaring knowledge gaps in our understanding of the structure, functioning, and connectivity of these deep ocean ecosystems. Addressing these knowledge gaps is crucial to establishing baselines by which the scientific community can assess the current and future status of deep ocean organisms and ecosystems in a changing climate. Through interdisciplinary work spanning predator ecology, biological oceanography, and social-ecological systems, I aim to generate fundamental knowledge and inform sustainability benefitting both ocean and human health.