Professor Moriaki Yasuhara Serves as UN Coordinating Author for Global Deep-Sea Assessment in WOA III
Following its official launch by the United Nations on World Oceans Day on 8 June 2026, the highly anticipated third World Ocean Assessment (WOA III) has been released globally. The report features significant research leadership from Professor Moriaki Yasuhara of the School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK).
Prof. Yasuhara, who is also a member of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health (SKLMEH) at CityUHK, served as the Coordinating Author for Section 4, Chapter 5, Subchapter 5m: Abyssal plains. In this role, he led an international team of experts in contributing critical deep-sea data to what marine scientists have described as "possibly the most important book about the ocean ever written".
Assessing the Earth's Deepest Frontiers
The abyssal plains cover vast areas of the deep ocean floor, representing one of the largest yet least understood ecosystems on Earth. In collaboration with leading deep-sea biologists worldwide, Prof. Yasuhara conducted a comprehensive global assessment of abyssal plain ecosystems, highlighting a significant lack of scientific data on this unique and biodiverse environment.
The chapter highlights that despite its remote location, the abyssal plain faces accelerating threats from ongoing and future climate change. More directly, the assessment warns of impending pressures in the future from Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) and polymetallic nodule mining, of which large-scale implementations are planned in the abyssal plain.
An Urgent Call for Scientific Data to Preserve Pristine Oceans
"More knowledge and data are urgently needed on the abyssal plain ecosystem and biodiversity to conserve their near-pristine situation," emphasizes Prof. Yasuhara. He stresses that filling this data gap is vital in order to protect the ecosystem before it is impacted by climate change and future deep-sea industrial activities.
Prof. Yasuhara’s leadership in this landmark United Nations assessment underscores the premier global standing of CityUHK's SEE faculty in driving marine sustainability, climate change research, and international environmental stewardship.
About the third World Ocean Assessment (WOAIII)
Produced under the UN Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, the World Ocean Assessment provides comprehensive, peer-reviewed scientific data to support sustainable ocean management and inform policy decisions worldwide.
To read the chapter led by Prof. Yasuhara, please visit:
https://woa.un.org/third-world-ocean-assessment/changes-second-world-ocean-assessment/habitats/chapter-5-subchapter-5m-abyssal-plains
The full report is available on the United Nations portal:
https://woa.un.org/.