Peer review of the draft Global Open Oceans and Deep Sea-habitats (GOODS) bioregional classification

The draft bioregional classification for global open ocean and deep sea areas has been compiled by an expert group drawn from workshops held over the preceding 18 months in Ottawa, Mexico City and the Azores. It is a draft compiled from the input of many scientists and managers, and has not yet been edited for style or presentation. The current draft is provided here as an ‘exposure draft’ to elicit comment and to ensure the direction taken continues to meet the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The draft has been presented to the attention of all delegates attending the Thirteenth Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to the CBD.

Many governments in several policy fora requested this bioregionalisation to assist their governments in further identifying ways to safeguard marine biodiversity in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and in support of ocean management measures, including marine protected areas. This bioregionalisation, once completed, will provide a planning tool to assimilate multiple layers of information and extrapolation of existing data into large “bioregions” or provinces (assemblages of flora, fauna and the supporting geophysical environment contained within distinct but dynamic spatial boundaries).

The pelagic and benthic bioregional classifications will need to undergo further peer review prior to being finalised in time for the CBD COP-9 in May 2008. New data, both biological and environmental will also be incorporated as it becomes available, and used to further refine bioregion boundaries and validate some of the regions.

For the purpose of the peer-review process, of particular interest are comments related to the proposed pelagic and benthic bioregions, as well as to the availability of additional global datasets that might enable further refinement of bioregions.

Reviewers are kindly requested to submit their comments to Marjo Vierros at vierros@ias.unu.edu by 21 March 2008. The contribution of all reviewers will be acknowledged in the subsequent version of this report made available for the CBD Conference of the Parties in Bonn, May 2008, and after that at other relevant fora.

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	View the Draft Maps