Towards Global Ecosystem-Based Management for Benthic Seamount Ecosystems

Seamounts are prominent underwater mountains rising from the seafloor in ocean basins worldwide. These structures are often recognised in the deep-sea as benthic biodiversity hotspots, offering diverse habitats across depth gradients that support a wide variety of marine species. Seamounts are ecologically significant, and since 2006 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has called for their protection as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), together with cold-water coral gardens and hydrothermal vents. Despite this, seamounts face escalating threats from human activities, such as destructive fishing practices, the effects of climate change, and the potential impacts of deep-sea mining. These pressures underscore the need for enhanced conservation and management strategies.

The Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) is a global network of thousands of experts from over 115 countries, which integrates science, technology, policy, law and economics to advise on ecosystem-based management of resource use in the deep ocean. In October 2024, the DOSI Fisheries Working Group with support from the UN Ocean Decade program Challenger 150, hosted the Seamount Science Summit workshop at the University of Hawai‘i, the first major gathering focused on seamount ecology and conservation in over a decade.

The summit convened 26 global seamount experts to assess current ecological knowledge, review management practices, and develop strategies to improve resilience in seamount ecosystems amid ongoing anthropogenic pressures. Through presentations, plenary sessions and subgroup discussions, the expert group identified several frameworks to improve management of seamount ecosystems. Here, we present key outputs from the workshop including recommendations for Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) to manage seamounts as VMEs in order to prevent Significant Adverse Impacts (SAIs). We present frameworks to enhance data collection on seamounts fostering industry contributions towards scientific processes within RFMOs and enabling data-informed management of seamount ecosystems. Additionally, the expert group emphasises integrating cumulative impacts, including historical fishing pressures and current and projected climate change effects, to reduce bottom fishing impacts and enhance seamount ecosystem resilience. We also present science priorities and discuss pathways to overcome knowledge gaps in seamount research.