1. SYNDEEP KEY PLAYERS & PROJECTS Eva Ramírez-Llodra (lead) – ChEss. NOCS, UK & ICM-CSIC, ES Paul Tyler – ChEss. NOCS, UK Erik Cordes – ChEss. Temple Uni, USA Anna Metaxas – ChEss. Dalhousie Uni., CA Ashley Rowden – CenSeam/ChEss. NIWA, NZ Malcolm Clark – CenSeam. NIWA, NZ Alan Williams – CenSeam. CSIRO, AU Karen Stocks – CenSeam. UCSD, USA Thomas Schlacher – CenSeam. USC, AU Myriam Sibuet – COMARGE. Inst. Océanographique, FR Lenaick Menot – COMARGE. IFREMER, FR Lisa Levin – COMARGE/ChEss. SIO, USA David Billett – COMARGE. NOCS, UK Bob Carney – COMARGE. LSU, USA Pedro Martinez – CeDAMar. SNG, DE Stefanie Keller – CeDAMar. SNG, DE Craig Smith – CeDAMar/ChEss. Uni. Hawaii, USA Angelika Brandt – CeDAMar. Uni. Hamburg, DE Odd Aksel Bergstad – MAR-ECO. IMR, NO Monty Priede – MAR-ECO. Uni. Aberdeen, UK Michael Vecchione – MAR-ECO. NMFS, USA Derek Tittensor – FMAP. Dalhousie Uni., CA Bhavani Narayansaswamy – EuroCoML. SAMS, UK Paul Snelgrove – Synthesis Group. Memorial Uni. Newfoundland, CA Fred Grassle – CoML SSC, Rutgers Uni. USA Pierre Forman – Fondation Total, FR MAIN CONTACT: Eva Ramirez-Llodra, ezr@icm.csic.esezr@icm.csic.es

2. Aim: Global synthesis of current knowledge on deep-sea biodiversity & identify gaps in knowledge that will lead to future research Key approaches Integration of global data sets - analyses by post-doc with support from advisory panel Literature research and expert advice Links with FMAP analyses Scientific questions addressed 1. Patterns of diversity in the deep-sea scale predictably with changes in area across habitats (diversity – area hypothesis) 2. Patterns of diversity in the deep-sea can be predicted from food availability (diversity – productivity hypothesis) 3. The deep-sea has characteristics that make it unlike any other marine environment (the deep-sea is different ) Scope: if possible - global, multiple taxa, meiofauna - megafauna

3. Planned timelines Meetings SYNDEEP1: 13-15 Sept. 08, Scripps. Main workshop were scientific questions, approach, responsibilities and products were decided. Report available SYNDEEP2: 11 Nov. 08, Valencia. Update meeting. Report available SYNDEEP3: 3 Feb. 09, Long Beach SYNDEEP4: June/July 09, Okinawa (after/before Chemosynthetic Ecosystems meeting). Opportunistic meeting of post-doc/data manger to meet some key players SYNDEEP5: (TBC) Meeting of core group for finalising drafts Drafts & submissions 1 Apr. 09: first results for Digest Book 15 Aug. 09: first drafts to SG. Sept. 09: drafts of papers Dec. 09: submission of all papers

4. Planned Outputs Analytical products “Global patterns of species turnover by area in the deep-sea” “Global patterns of deep-sea biodiversity and food availability” Conceptual products “Why is the deep sea special?” includes – expert assessment of human Impact on deep-sea ecosystems, and analysis of discovery rate for new species, proportion of un-described sp. (collaboration with FMAP project), comparisons between deep-sea and shallow water ecosystems All papers aimed at high impact journals such as Nature, Science and TREE. PLoS ONE will also be considered.