The deep sea is amongst the most food‐limited habitats on Earth, as only a small fraction (<
4%) of the surface primary production is exported below 200 m water depth. Here, cold …

Cold-water coral reefs and sponge grounds are deep-sea biological hotspots, equivalent to
shallow-water tropical coral reefs. In tropical ecosystems, biodiversity and productivity are …

Deep-sea sponges create hotspots of biodiversity and biological activity in the otherwise
barren deep-sea. However, it remains elusive how sponge hosts and their microbial …

The extent of marine litter and microplastic occurrence across ocean biomes and species
remains poorly characterised, particularly in remote deep-water ecosystems. The present …

This study presents a novel approach resulting in the first cold-water coral reef biomass
maps, used to assess associated ecosystem functions, such as carbon (C) stock and …

Discovery and understanding of fragile deep-sea habitats like sponge aggregations, are
being outpaced by anthropogenic resource exploitation. Sustainable ocean development in …

Abundant mineral resources in the deep sea are prospected for mining for the global metal
market. Seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are one of …

Deep-sea sponges and their microbial symbionts transform various forms of carbon (C) and
nitrogen (N) via several metabolic pathways, which, for a large part, are poorly quantified …

Cold-water coral reefs (CWC) are known to be biodiversity hotspots, however, the sponge
assemblages found to dwell within these habitats haven not been studied in depth to date in …

Identifying and understanding environmental drivers of deep-sea sponge aggregations is
critical for effective protection and management. Current literature suggests an association …