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The mesopelagic zone, also called the “twilight zone” is usually considered to extend approximately between 200-1000m depth. It is the part of the pelagic environment where light penetration is insufficient for photosynthesis, but still sufficient for vision. This extreme environment and its inhabitants represent a previously overlooked ecosystem which has gained much attention in the recent decade mainly due to the potential for exploitation of its resources. Recent estimates reveal that the global abundance of mesopelagic fish is ~10-30 times higher than previously thought, rendering them the most abundant vertebrate group on earth. Despite their high abundance and their important role in the marine food web, research on mesopelagic fish is still at a relatively early stage and a reconsideration of their ecological role is urgent. The need for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) as well as their potential to contribute to food security, pharmaceutics and cosmetics, have triggered an increased interest in this group of species and in the twilight zone in general.
Carbon exchange associated with mesopelagic fish has important implications for climate regulation. They have an important role in biogeochemical cycles and are thought to substantially contribute to the “biological pump”, i.e., the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to the oceans. On the other hand, climate change itself may pose a threat on mesopelagic fish communities, but its effect is poorly understood. Before starting to exploit this relatively pristine ecosystem, the scientific community raises the need to advance knowledge on its structure and functioning.
TWINKLE project aims to perform research on the ocean’s twilight zone, focusing on the study of: (i) fish and other nekton community composition, (ii) basic biological features of mesopelagic fishes in the Mediterranean Sea, (iii) functional traits, (iv) fish behaviour (v) food web dynamics of the zone and (vi) the effect of global warming on its inhabitants.
