What Happens Next

The decisions made in the next decade will shape the future of the deep ocean. Here is what is at stake:

• Mining regulations — the International Seabed Authority is finalizing rules that will either protect the abyss or open it to industrial extraction
• Marine protected areas — only about 8% of the ocean has any protection, and deep-sea coverage is far less
• New technology — cheaper autonomous vehicles and better sensors could finally map the vast areas of seafloor that remain uncharted
• Bioprospecting — deep-sea organisms produce unique enzymes and compounds already being tested for medicine and industry