Trinbagonian scientists aboard the research vessel Falkor (too) have begun exploring the deep waters of Trinidad and Tobago to establish ecological baselines.
This comes as international leaders negotiate potential deep-sea seabed mining regulations in Kingston, Jamaica.
According to the Schmidt Ocean Institute, roughly 93 percent of Trinidad and Tobago's marine jurisdiction extends past recreational diving depths.
This leaves most regional aquatic ecosystems unmapped and unobserved by researchers.
Scientists caution that commercial extraction projects involving polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich crusts risk damaging uncharted habitats.
These habitats play key roles in carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation.
"There is so much left to discover," said Dr. Diva Amon, Chief Scientist of the Deep Wonders of T&T Expedition.
The month-long research expedition aims to document unknown species and assess localized human impacts across the seabed.
The goal is to help policymakers structure potential future marine protected areas.
"The biggest misconception is that it is empty ... that could not be further from the truth," said Dr. Amon.
Proponents of seabed mining argue that demand for critical battery metals like nickel, copper, and manganese will expand during global transitions away from fossil fuels.
"We are exploring so that we can better steward," said Dr. Amon.
Ocean governance experts highlight that significant scientific knowledge gaps remain regarding how deep-sea exploitation might affect long-term biodiversity.
"By gathering the scientific data ...
we can then use that to inform the decisions that we are making about how we use these parts of the planet," said Dr. Amon.
Environmental assessments on land typically mandate baseline surveys before starting industrial projects. Researchers argue this standard should apply to international ocean floors.
"First of all, documenting what's there," said Dr. La Daana Kanhai, Researcher at The University of the West Indies.
Marine ecosystems provide essential services that directly sustain coastal fisheries and Caribbean economies dependent on marine resources.
"We're also hoping to understand how we as humans are impacting the deep sea," said Dr. Kanhai.
Establishing regulatory protections requires empirical biological data gathered directly from target marine locations.
"If we had to designate protected areas, where do we designate those areas?
That would be based on the science that we collect from this expedition," said Dr. Kanhai.
The Council of the International Seabed Authority continues its meetings in Jamaica to establish rules governing resource exploitation in international waters under UNCLOS guidelines.
"Our global interconnected ocean is really very important in providing us with key services," said Dr. Kanhai.
"If we impact our ocean negatively, then we lose some of those very important services."
