The Biodiversity in the Blue Ocean (BBO) Cluster is a research initiative that brings together several complementary projects to better understand and protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) where governance is particularly challenging. It spans topics from tiny plankton communities to fish and seafloor ecosystems and wants to support the effective implementation of the Biodiversity in areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty that recently entered into force.
Within the cluster, scientists work closely with policy-makers and other stakeholders to co-design research questions, share knowledge, and translate scientific results into practical tools and recommendations for marine conservation and sustainable ocean use. The overarching aim is to deliver robust predictions of how species are distributed and how they respond to climate change and human pressures, and to feed this knowledge into recommendations for future management strategies, including marine protected areas and other area-based measures.