COMARGE: News

The workshop held at the Institut Oceanographique in Paris was intented to:

Bring together deep-sea scientists from all continents, who had positively answered a call for contribution to COMARGE sent in February 2006 (CoML/COMARGE: Towards a globalization of the project);
Identify key questions, existing and planned studies, and data available on continental margins worldwide, which could contribute, on a collaborative basis, to the synthesis on benthic diversity patterns and processes aimed by COMARGE;
Further develop the questions addressed by the project,
Propose concrete plans on how to solve those questions within the Census of Marine Life time frame 2006-2010.

During two days, 36 participants, coming from 18 countries, discussed such margin issues as large scale biodiversity patterns and processes, scales and consequences of habitat heterogeneity and human impacts. The workshop concluded with a definition of four scientific themes that should be adressed by COMARGE in the future:

Themes	Leaders	Purpose
A. Large scale biodiversity patterns and processes	Dr G. Poore Dr A. Gooday Dr A. Vanreusel	Determine depth ranges of species and communities of species over large segments of continental margin. Test the hypothesis of a maximum in alpha and beta diversity at mid-lower slope depth along large segments of the margin ecosystem Used observed patterns to develop predictive models based on faunal control by non-biological habitat factors
B. Landscape-scale classification, habitat mapping	Dr Alan Hughes E. Le Guilloux Dr A. Grehan	Define and map habitats on continental margins, including the border of the shelf, in order to: a) quantify and compare habitat heterogeneity on continental margins b) refer to a common framework for habitat description
C. Habitat heterogeneity in relation to regional diversity - Corals - Canyons - Oxygen Minimum Zone - Cold seeps - Wood and food falls - Slides - Small scale heterogeneities	Dr K. Olu Dr T. Schlacher Dr J. Sellanes Dr L. Levin Dr C. Smith Dr A. Gooday Dr M. Klages	Assess the effects of habitat heterogeneities on biodiversity patterns and processes of benthic communities at several spatial scales.
D. Anthropogenic impacts on margins	Dr B. Ingole	Identify the types of anthropogenic impacts on continental margins, map their occurrence and intensities and finally provide an assessment of their impacts, including their unique effects on continental margins.

In a constant effort of globalization and wider synthesis, all new contributors to the COMARGE project will be welcomed to participate in coming workshops and futur actions.

Workshop Report