Interconnected robotic platforms inform deep-sea ecological restoration trends

Abstract

The implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has increased in the last few decades, creating a deep impact on ocean governance and local fishery communities. Despite their effectiveness being actively debated, initial results show that this spatial management could promote the recovery of depleted marine communities and species, and ecosystem services such as increased fishing profits, especially in nearby areas. This could potentially maintain the economic levels of local and regional under-pressure economies while improving the overall marine biodiversity. However, the lack of ecological monitoring systems for long-lasting, non-invasive, and multiparametric measurements in near-real-time is a roadblock to national-level monitoring programs in those areas. Here we present a set of technological solutions, including robotics, biologging, and machine learning approaches to monitor MPAs, developed and validated in different deep-sea field experiments. The outcomes of these trials have yielded insights into the fine-scale behavioral ecology of different deep-sea species and the recovery dynamics of overexploited seafloors. With these tools, it is possible to monitor restored areas via ecological indicators, that are key to informing and empowering policymakers, conservation biologists, and fishery ecology experts, propelling an effective approach to the conservation and governance of marine ecosystems.