National research programme Deep sea (PEPR GFM)

The national research programme Deep sea (PEPR GFM) aims to acquire knowledge about the deep ocean floor, broadly defined here as the ocean floor and its substrate throughout the water column, considered as places of energy and matter exchange and as habitats for marine organisms. The interdependence of the three domains (solid earth, water column and biosphere) emerges as the relevant framework for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, both for understanding the diversity and functioning of these environments and for their preservation in the face of anthropogenic impacts.

The PEPR GFM aims to assess the state of the deep sea and understand its dynamics, associated ecosystems, and role in the planet's equilibrium, particularly with regard to biodiversity and climate. It will also examine how our societies perceive the deep sea. Fundamental and transformative research in the humanities and social sciences, conducted in close collaboration with research in the life and earth sciences, will aim to re-examine our knowledge and capacity for action, our rights, duties and responsibilities with regard to these environments.

The research programme aims to stimulate the creation of new interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research consortia (links with society will be sought), bringing together life and earth sciences, humanities and social sciences, and engineering (as technological barriers will need to be overcome) to study the deep sea. This integrated approach will provide a better understanding of these marine socio-ecosystems in order to better preserve them, contribute to strengthening the French ecosystem involved in the blue economy, provide elements for defining an ocean geostrategy, and train a new interdisciplinary generation of researchers and engineers to meet the scientific challenges of the 21st century concerning the deep sea.

The research programme, defined through five challenges, begins with an incubation phase. This period, spanning the first 18 months, is dedicated to consolidating/building the scientific community in the humanities and social sciences and earth and life sciences, but also to including non-academic partners and working towards mutual acculturation in order to formulate research questions for more targeted calls for projects. At the same time, an initiative concerning the fairisation of data and samples in life and earth sciences and humanities and social sciences is being launched and will continue throughout the programme.