A team of scientists from the USA and UK used artificial intelligence (AI) to map the activities of seafloor invertebrate animals across all oceans of the world. The research, led by Texas A&M University, combined large datasets with machine learning techniques to reveal the critical factors that support and maintain the health of marine ecosystems. Marine sediments cover the majority of the Earth’s surface and small creatures living in the sediments play a crucial role in regulating global carbon, nutrient, and biogeochemical cycles through a process known as ‘bioturbation’.
By stirring up and churning the seafloor, invertebrate animals like worms, clams, and shrimps improve conditions for ocean life, similar to worms turning and enriching soil in a garden. Understanding how these processes operate in different regions of the world gives scientists insights into what drives the health of oceans and how they may respond to climate change. The latest study published in the journal Current Biology provides a way to predict and map the contributions that seafloor creatures make at any point around the world, expanding knowledge in this area.
Dr. Shuang Zhang, lead researcher and assistant professor at the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, emphasized how knowing how bioturbation links to other aspects of the environment equips scientists to better predict how these systems may change in response to climate change. The researchers used existing datasets on sea creature activity sourced from hundreds of test points around the world to train the AI and make accurate predictions about what is happening in sediment on the seafloor globally. Factors such as water depth, temperature, salinity, distance from land, animal abundance, and nutrient availability were found to influence bioturbation, ultimately affecting the health of ocean ecosystems.
Dr. Martin Solan, Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Southampton, highlighted that marine sediments are extremely diverse and play a fundamental role in mediating the health of the ocean. The researchers discovered that a complex combination of environmental conditions influences bioturbation and that this varies around the world. Multiple factors jointly influence seafloor bioturbation and the ecosystem services these animals provide, including factors that directly impact food supply. The team hopes that their study will help in developing strategies to mitigate habitat deterioration and protect marine biodiversity.
Dr. Lidya Tarhan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Yale University, emphasized that the relationships sustaining marine life, both today and in Earth’s past, are complex. The present global network of marine protected areas may not be sufficient to protect important seafloor processes, indicating that protection measures need to be better tailored to promote ecosystem health. By using AI to map the activities of seafloor invertebrate animals and understanding the factors influencing bioturbation globally, the researchers aim to enhance predictions about how ocean ecosystems may respond to environmental changes and help inform conservation strategies.