Joint Exploration of the Twilight Zone Ocean Network (JETZON)

National Oceanography Centre - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK)

All Ocean Basins, Develop a sustainable and equitable ocean economy, Expand the Global Ocean Observing System, Programme, Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity, Sustainably feed the global population, Understand and beat marine pollution, Unlock ocean-based solutions to climate change

JETZON focuses on the ocean region spanning 200m to 1000m depth. This contains the largest and least exploited fish stocks of the world's oceans.

The Twilight Zone also plays a major role in global biogeochemical cycles and the sequestration of carbon dioxide. However, it is poorly understood. This ignorance is dangerous. The Twilight Zone is under multiple stresses, including fishing, deep-sea mining, climate change and proposed CO2 mitigation methods. With the majority of the Twilight Zone outside national boundaries, its size and inaccessibility means that its study is only possible through coordinated international action. This is the aim of JETZON.

Start Date: 01/01/2021
End Date: 31/12/2030

This Programme hosts the following Ocean Decade Projects:

Mesopelagic Ecosystem and Biopump Dynamics and Connectivity in the Pacific (MEBIDyC-P)

Ocean Twilight Zone Project

Enhancing capacity development in the TAC Region

Polar Ecosystems, Global Impacts (BIOPOLE)

Lead Contact: Adrian Martin (adrian.martin@noc.ac.uk)

Download the Ocean Decade Action Factsheet