Drawing on the success of the first edition, this volume aims to further advance research in the field of human impact on marine life with particular reference to the placement of “sub-sea artificial structures” in order to assess systematically: (1) the diversity and dynamics of human uses of the marine environment; (2) the responses of marine species, populations, communities, and ecosystems to sub-sea artificial structures; and, (3) the nature of their collective impacts on wider ecological processes. The question of how life cycle and distribution of different marine species is related to seafloor heterogeneity continues to be increasingly important following:

1. Discovery of abundance and biodiversity hotspots around seafloor features such as cold-water corals, biogenic substrates, natural bedrock, as well as large sub-sea man-made structures including, but not limited to, shipwrecks, offshore energy infrastructure, aquaculture associated facilities, coastal infrastructure, disaster debris;

2. Increasing demand for the placement of coastal and offshore facilities for energy (e.g. oil and gas/wind farms/marine renewables, etc.), aquaculture (e.g. salmon/oysters/mussels/scallops/seaweeds), and civil engineering sectors (e.g. coastal development/bridges/pier pilings/breakwaters, etc.);

3. Evidence of the degradation of seafloor habitat by destructive fishing methods, historically impacting the resilience of exploited marine populations over the wider marine ecosystem;

4. Advances in fishing technology so that reefs, wrecks, and other seafloor features are readily targeted with more effort shifting away from traditional smooth fishing grounds; and,

5. Increasing requirements for ecosystem-based marine-spatial management (EB-MSM) and designation of marine protected areas (MPAs).

Although the installation of subsea infrastructure is often considered to have negative impacts on surrounding marine ecosystems, an increasing number of studies also suggest such structures may in fact have beneficial effects on a range of marine life by acting as “artificial reefs”. Virtually, no area of the ocean is currently unaffected by human influences, and sub-sea artificial structures are becoming ubiquitous globally. Physical presence of artificial features may provide both complex three-dimensional hard substrates and a greater number of ecological niches with a wider range of available resources (e.g. secure attachment, access to currents, shelter, food, etc.); however, sphere of influence, as well as the role of these artificial habitats in biological connectivity and marine ecosystem dynamics at wider spatial scales, is still poorly understood.

Management of marine resources ultimately requires knowledge of the dynamic behaviour of spatially distributed marine populations and their life-cycle-related movements across heterogeneous habitats. This Research Topic therefore seeks to compile articles of inter-disciplinary research which focus on links between marine ecosystem dynamics and anthropogenic structures of various types from regions across the globe. The goal is to better integrate available knowledge and advance our ability to efficiently understand, predict, and manage our marine environments and resources.

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Frontiers in Marine Science

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