DEEPWATCH Deep-water Ecosystem and Environmental Platform for Water Framework Directive Assessment using Technologies for Community and Habitat

This project will establish a cost-effective, autonomous framework for monitoring biodiversity in deep waters covered by the EU Water Framework Directive, reducing reliance on expensive research-vessel-based trawling and other traditional survey methods. The approach combines Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) equipped with high-resolution cameras, environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers, and plankton imaging systems, alongside baited time-lapse cameras deployed on benthic landers and pelagic moorings. Together, these platforms will provide continuous observations of benthic, demersal, mesopelagic, and planktonic communities, delivering far greater spatial and temporal coverage than conventional surveys while significantly lowering operational costs and environmental impacts. 

A key demonstration site will be Madeira, where the WFD coastal-water zone extends into exceptionally deep oceanic waters reaching approximately 2,700 m depth, highlighting the need for monitoring approaches that are effective in true deep-sea environments. The methodology will also be applied to other deep WFD water bodies, including glacial fjords and deep lakes, where conventional monitoring is often logistically challenging and prohibitively expensive. By integrating visual observations, molecular biodiversity data, and persistent autonomous monitoring, the project will create a scalable and economically sustainable system for assessing ecosystem status across some of Europe's deepest coastal and inland waters.