Scientists in recent decades have uncovered a previously unknown wealth of life in the dark depths of the ocean. Cold-water corals, sponge fields, seamounts, hydrothermal vents and a multitude of other ecosystems are home to strange and mysterious creatures found nowhere else on Earth.
We are just beginning to discover how these extraordinary ecosystems can offer humankind new scientific avenues and answers about the nature of life itself.
But these fragile places and their remarkable biodiversity are threatened by climate change, deep-sea fishing, deep-sea mining and other human activity.
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) wants robust action to be taken to protect the ocean depths, their remarkable species and the secrets they hold.