June 2025 | Oceanography
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INTRODUCTION
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are designated regions set aside
to manage conservation efforts, with the primary aim of pre
serving and protecting marine life. Effective conservation con
siders the overall ecosystem functions, encompassing the physi
cal, geological, and geochemical aspects of the habitat, and their
relationships with biological communities, as well as the func
tional relationship among the ecosystems within the MPA and
the neighboring undesignated marine areas (e.g., Hays et al.,
2020). Preservation efforts also extend to the cultural signifi
cance of the marine area and the sustainable use of its resources
(Gomez et al., 2021).
Managing an MPA involves balancing multiple—often com
peting—concerns, such as habitat protection and sustainable
use. Effective management must be informed by a strong sci
entific understanding of an evolving ecosystem, which requires
continuous collection of key observations. For MPAs situated
in the deep sea, this can be facilitated remotely through sensors
delivering time-series observations and recurrent collection of
physical samples that help to interpret the continuous sensor
data. However, the impacts on the protected area from sensor
deployment and data collection as well as of recurring scientific
and maintenance expeditions also need to be considered in the
MPA management plan (e.g., Cuvelier et al., 2022).
In 1984, the human-occupied vehicle Alvin confirmed the
existence of “unusually large” sulfide structures and biological
communities supported by hydrothermal venting off the west
coast of Canada (Tivey and Delaney, 1986). These structures and
communities were localized to the Endeavour Segment of the
Juan de Fuca Ridge within Canada’s exclusive economic zone.
Upon discovery, and with its fortuitous proximity to coastal
ports, the Endeavour Segment became a mecca for scientific
research, enabling the dissemination of what some describe as
its magical nature and broad recognition in Canadian society of
Endeavour’s unique features and their environmental and socio
economic significance (Tunnicliffe and Thomson, 1999).
Although the size of hydrothermal vent fields is relatively small
globally, their ecological significance is high; and even though
they are generally located in the remote deep sea, they are threat
ened by human disturbance (Van Dover, 2012). The process of
hydrothermal venting concentrates minerals at the discharge
sites, making them ideal candidates for deep-sea mining. The
scientific interest they generate can also raise threats of overzeal
ous sampling and other disturbances (Turner et al., 2019).
As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(1993), Canada resolved to protect 30% of its oceans by 2030.
In 2003, Canada began this process by establishing the 97 km2
Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents (EHV) MPA as Canada’s first
MPA and the world’s first protected hydrothermal vent site
(Figure 1). Established under Canada’s Oceans Act, the primary
conservation objectives were to ensure that human activities in
the area contributed “to the conservation, protection, and under
standing of the natural diversity, productivity, and dynamism of
ABSTRACT. Designating marine protected areas (MPAs) is an increasingly utilized policy instrument for preserving marine eco
systems and biological diversity while also allowing for sustainable use. However, designation is only the first step and cannot
be successful without monitoring mechanisms to drive an effective and adaptive management plan. This article discusses the use
of the NEPTUNE real-time seafloor observatory—originally designed to understand the complex interdisciplinary nature of the
Endeavour mid-ocean ridge spreading center—as a tool to inform MPA management. We describe the ways in which geophysical
and geological forces control biological habitat and water column biogeochemistry, and highlight research enabled by the observa
tory that increased our understanding of Endeavour’s hydrothermal vent ecology and these dynamic processes. Endeavour is natu
rally undergoing change, so an understanding of the multidisciplinary mechanisms and factors controlling its environment provides
key management information.
FIGURE 1. The boundaries (white-lined box) and the five main active vent
clusters (shaded boxes) of the Endeavour Marine Protected Area are
delineated here on a bathymetric map. Coordinate system: WGS 1984
UTM Zone 9N. Image credit: Ocean Networks Canada