Foresight Workshop on Advances in Ocean Biological Observations: a sustained system for deep-ocean meroplankton

Recent advances in technology have enabled an unprecedented development of underwater research, extending from near shore to the deepest regions of the globe. However, monitoring of biodiversity is not fully implemented in political agendas and biological observations in the deep ocean have been even more limited in space and time. The Foresight Workshop on Advances in Ocean Biological Observations: a sustained system for deep-ocean meroplankton was convened to to foster advances in the knowledge on deep-ocean invertebrate larval distributions and improve our understanding of fundamental deep-ocean ecological processes such as connectivity and resilience of benthic communities to natural and human-induced disturbance. This Meroplankton Observations Workshop had two specific goals: 1) review the state-of-the-art instrumentation available for meroplankton observations; 2) develop a strategy to implement technological innovations for in-situ meroplankton observation. Presentations and discussions are summarised in this report covering: i) key challenges and priorities for advancing the knowledge of deep-sea larval diversity and distribution: ii) recent developments in technology and future needs for plankton observation, iii) data integration and oceanographic modelling; iv) synergies and added value of a sustained observation system for meroplankton; v) steps for developing a sustained observation system for deep-ocean meroplankton and plans to maximise collaborative opportunities.