Coordinators: TBA
Trait-based ecology offers a powerful functional framework to understand biodiversity by focusing on the ecological and biological characteristics of organisms – including their morphological, physiological, and behavioural traits – that influence their performance, interactions, and roles within ecosystems.
This approach complements traditional taxonomic studies and enables cross-taxa and cross-regional comparisons, supporting broader synthesis across ecosystems and scales. Trait-based methods are increasingly used to explore ecosystem structure, function, and responses to environmental change in the deep sea.
Vision Statement: The Traits Working Group aims to support the consistent, transparent, and comparable use of trait-based approaches in deep-sea research, enabling synthesis across studies and regions while respecting differences in data availability and taxonomic resolution. By fostering collaboration and shared frameworks, the group seeks to strengthen functional perspectives on deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystem processes.
Activities: TBA
Publications: TBA