Socio-economic issues

Socio-economic issues - beyond the need for basic marine science, it is critical to improve knowledge transfer to policy makers as well as the public, establish collaborations with the offshore industry, and broaden the awareness of an environmentally friendly use of the ocean and deep underground while making use of its resources at the same time. The DS3F initiative will continue the work started during the Deep Sea Frontiers meeting (Naples, June 2006) and foresight paper (2007; see ec.europa.eu/research/environment/pdf/deepseefrontier.pdf), and in this CSA will provide the knowledge required for the regulation of maritime activities, the comprehensive understanding of the marine environment affected by its direct use and by global climate change, and investigation of the subseafloor processes fuelling ecosystems and forming resources for mankind. The strong ties between the various academic groups enable the policy makers and other stakeholders to put the problems and questions that they are tackling straight to the scientists, who can then orient their research to maintain its relevance.

We will ensure within the DS3F initiative and its various workshops and documents that exchange with the European Commission, NGOs and industry is built into the planning of our future science and will explore best options to further the development of science-policy interfaces for the deep ocean, its subseafloor resources, and ecosystems inhabiting them.