World Ocean Assessment III, Section 4, Chapter 4, Subchapter 4c: Marine benthic invertebrates

Key points
Seafloor hotspots and 7,252 new benthic invertebrates have been described since the publication of the second World Ocean Assessment, and there has been a five-fold increase in critically endangered species and a doubling of endangered species.
Marine benthic invertebrates are vital for ocean health but are increasingly impacted by human activities.
There is often limited understanding of the implications of these impacts and inadequate provisions to contain them.
Research and cooperation are still unbalanced among regions.
Marine invertebrates are still poorly documented, particularly in the deep ocean and in the territorial waters of developing States and island States, which potentially host a high number of endemic taxa.
Consistent funding for biodiversity monitoring is needed to prevent knowledge gaps from widening.
Meaningful and ethical use of Indigenous knowledge and representation of early career professionals are required.
Seabed mining raises concerns about negative impacts, calling for coordination and cooperation between the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and the International Seabed Authority (ISA).