Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems: Biodiversity, functioning and vulnerability

Abstract

The deep sea is the portion of the ocean that stands below 200 m depth, both in the water column and in the benthos (Gage & Tyler 1991). It is the largest biome of planet Earth, with about 90% of the ocean area being deep sea (Ramírez-Llodra et al. 2010a). In the past decades, researchers have loved to refrain that “we know more about the surface of the Moon than about our deep oceans”. To date, this still holds true. The deep sea is considered impenetrable, difficult and expensive to reach and observe. [...]