Newsletter One
WELCOME TO DOSI!
You are receiving this first newsletter because you have signed on to the DOSI mailing list or otherwise expressed
interest. We will try to provide periodic information updates on DOSI activities in this format. BUT… to make DOSI
a reality we need those of you who want to engage to sign on to the working groups as indicated below.
FORMATION OF DOSI:
Twenty-eight invited participants from 14 countries met from April 15-17, 2013 in Mexico City to discuss research,
management and decision-making needs required to maintain the integrity, functions and services of the deep
ocean for future generations. The meeting was co-hosted by the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia (ICML)
from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and the Center for Marine Biodiversity and
Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, with support from the Kaplan Fund, INDEEP (Fondation Total),
the National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO, Mexico) and La Comisión Nacional de
Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP, Mexico). The workshop report can be found on the DOSI webpage.
The group agreed that expanding human activity in the deep ocean has created an urgent need to engage experts in
biology, law, policy, economics, business, regulation and conservation in stewardship issues. Three days of
deliberations produced an initial core set of themes and action items to launch a Deep-Ocean Stewardship
Initiative (DOSI). DOSI is envisioned as gathering expertise across disciplines, jurisdictions and sectors to foster
discussion, provide guidance and facilitate communication for a series of priority themes. DOSI intends to expand
and form linkages with many other groups engaged in deep-sea stewardship. DOSI activities and future fundraising
will be guided by a steering committee and theme-based working groups.
DOSI Mission Statement
DOSI seeks to integrate science, technology, policy, law and economics to advise on ecosystem-based management
of resource use in the deep ocean and strategies to maintain the integrity of deep-ocean ecosystems within and
beyond national jurisdiction.
WORKING GROUP ACTIVITIES and SIGNING ON: If you are not already engaged in a working group and want to be
an active participant, please contact the working group leader. If you would like to suggest an additional theme and
are willing to lead a working group on this topic please let us know.
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Working Group 1: Ecosystem-based management in the deep sea
Seabed Mining Lead: TBD
Completed Activities
•
Submitted a brief to the Global Ocean Commission outlining priority issues for the deep sea (Led by Cindy
Van Dover)
•
Submitted a brief to the International Seabed Authority Legal and Technical Commission requesting support
for a multi-disciplinary workshop to develop an environmental management strategy for The Area (Led by
Cindy Van Dover)
Ongoing and Planned Activities
•
Produce a policy paper that identifies special features and associated management needs of the deep sea
(Lead: Kathryn Mangerink - kmengerink@ucsd.edu)
•
Student projects that examine existing management practices, marine spatial planning tools, cost-benefit
analyses, technology needs and consumer behavior relevant to the deep sea (Lead: Student Committee)
•
Conduct a workshop to provide guidance on environmental impact assessment development, with attention
to defining significant impact and performing cumulative impact assessment.
•
Development of a research and development plan to support improved deep-sea management in
collaboration between industry and research communities.
•
Convene an international workshop focused on developing a decadal vision for ecosystem-based
management in The Area. (Lead: Cindy Van Dover)
•
Contribute to regional-scale environmental management workshops and tools for the South Pacific,
Benguela Current, mid Atlantic, South Atlantic, and other regions (Bronwen Currie currie32@gmail.com)
•
Prepare and publish a legal analysis of competence of ISA for protection of the environment (Lead: Frida
Armas)
•
Perform a GIS inventory of current deep-sea mining proposals within and beyond areas of national
jurisdiction.
•
Hold a workshop on economic tools and benefit-cost analyses for environmental management of deepseabed mining (Lead: Dale Squires)
Working Group 2: Knowledge Gaps and Global Ocean Assessments
(Tony Koslow- jkoslow@ucsd.edu & Maria Baker- mb11@noc.soton.ac.uk)
Ongoing and Planned Activities:
•
Identify major ocean assessments, their scope, how the deep-sea is included, and the active contributors.
Begin with World Ocean Assessment
•
Evaluate the adequacy of deep-sea representation based on a DOSI survey.
•
Through a workshop and brief, organize deep-sea inputs to assessments, conduct a gap analysis and develop
recommendations to rectify gaps.
Working Group 3. Transparency, compliance and industry engagement
(Jeff Ardron -jeff.ardron@iass-potsdam.de & Paul Holthus- paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org)
Ongoing and Planned Activities:
•
Perform a survey focused on evaluating effects of industries with the aim of engaging industry (e.g. through
World Ocean Council and regulatory institutions) to help increase ocean observations and data sharing.
•
Host joint seminars with industry, policy makers and scientists on cross-cutting issues.
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Working Group 4. Raise awareness and build capacity in developing nations
(Paul Tyler- pat8@noc.soton.ac.uk & Christian Neumann -Christian.Neumann@grida.no)
Completed Activities:
Create a DOSI poster for presentation at meetings
Ongoing and Planned Activities:
•
Develop web-based courses on the fundamentals of deep-sea ecology and short courses that examine deepsea stewardship issues
•
Develop an online video library of deep-sea settings and organisms
•
Write ‘Deep-ocean for Beginners’
•
Compile a deep-sea bibliography
•
Enhance and develop new deep-sea Apps for outreach
•
Establish schools of excellence for deep-ocean science and stewardship
Working Group 5. Explore and identify options for conserving and sustainably utilizing deep-sea genetic resources,
including questions related to access and benefit sharing of marine genetic resources beyond national
jurisdiction. .
(Elva Escobar -escobri@cmarl.unam.mx & Kristina Gjerde -kristina.gjerde@eip.com.pl)
Planned activities:
•
Briefings on new uses of deep sea living resources, and options for their conservation and sustainable use
•
Roundtables with research community, government representatives, industry and other experts to identify
obstacles to access and potential modalities for sharing benefits of deep sea genetic resources
(participants welcome to suggest additional activities)
Working Group 6. Facilitate communication and networking
(Maria Baker -mb11@noc.soton.ac.uk & Lisa Levin llevin@ucsd.edu)
Completed Activities:
•
Create a DOSI webpage (currently embedded in the INDEEP website as DOSI has strong links with the
INDEEP programme) to give background information and details of all current DOSI activities. www.indeepproject.org/deep-ocean-stewardship-initiative
•
Create a working list of organizations and agencies (and contacts) with an interest in issues relevant to deepsea stewardship. The latest version can be accessed via the DOSI webpage.
•
Proposed SCOR Working Group Science and Technology Imperatives Created by Deep-Ocean Industrialization
•
Proposed Meeting Sessions:
• AAAS 2014: Deep-Ocean Industrialization: A New Stewardship Frontier
• International Marine Protected Areas Conference 2013:
• High Seas Biodiversity Protection: Drama Boredom and Hope
• Oceans 2013: Research and Technology Needs for Stewardship of the Deep Sea (Panel)
Ongoing activities:
•
Provide a centralized location for information about ongoing deep-sea stewardship activities across multiple
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•
sectors, jurisdictions and disciplines
Hold multidisciplinary sessions on DOSI themes at national and international meetings
Working Group 7: Promote Responsible and Sustainable Deep-Sea Fisheries
(Les Watling – watling@hawaii.edu, Claire Nouvian – Clainenouvian@bloomassociation.org & Matthew Gianni –
matthewgianni@gmail.com)
Ongoing and Planned Activities:
•
Promote the development of impact assessments for all future fisheries in the deep sea
•
Prepare database of deep-sea bottom trawling impact studies
•
Review the environmental impact assessments for deep-sea bottom fisheries on the high seas
•
Draft a ‘field guide’ for conducting impact assessments for deep-sea fisheries
•
Work to support passage of a bill in the European Parliament to phase out bottom trawling in the deep NE
Atlantic
•
Prepare history of deep-sea fishing for publication
•
Work with responsible parties to refine definitions and understand distributions of vulnerable marine
ecosystems
DOSI LEADERSHIP
Lisa Levin (Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA)
Elva Escobar (Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
Maria Baker (INDEEP, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, UK)
Kristina Gjerde (International Union for Conservation of Nature, POLAND)
DOSI Steering Committee:
Jeff Ardron (Institute for Advanced Studies in Sustainability, Potsdam, GERMANY)
Tony Koslow (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA)
Kathryn Mengerink (Environmental Law Institute, USA)
Lenaick Menot (IFREMER, FRANCE)
Christian Neumann (GRID- ARENDAL, NORWAY)
Linwood Pendleton (Duke University, USA)
Eva Ramirez Llodra (Institut de Ciències del Mar,CSIC, SPAIN)
Craig Smith (University of Hawaii, USA)
Tracey Sutton (Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, USA)
Andrew Sweetman (International Research Institution of Stavanger, NORWAY)
Cindy Van Dover (Duke University, USA)
Ursula Witte (University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK)
Hiroyuki Yamamoto (JAMSTEC, JAPAN)
Student Project Committee:
Jeff Ardron, Cindy Van Dover, Elva Escobar, Tracey Sutton, Kathryn Mengerink, Paul Tyler (University of
Southampton, UK)
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