Introduction to ANDEEP, summary and outlook

Abstract

The multidisciplinary international project ANDEEP (Antarctic deep-sea benthic biodiversity: colonisation history and recent community patterns) involved a two-leg expedition to the Weddelland Scotia seas in 2002 and a third expedition in 2005 to the Cape and Agulhas basins, Weddell Sea, Bellingshausen Sea and Drake Passage (Fig. 1). In 2004, we published the first results, based on the material collected during ANDEEP I/II (Brandt and Hilbig, 2004). This second volume concerns work done since 2004, including results based on material obtained during ANDEEP III. These three expeditions yielded a very rich and unique collection of material and data. Much work remains to be done and publications will continue to appear in the literature for many years to come. However, the end of the directly funded phase of the project provides a good opportunity to revisit the original questions that we had hoped to answer, to determine our success in doing so, and to define remaining gaps in our knowledge of the deep Southern Ocean faunas. Generally, the goals that were set for ANDEEP have been reached. In particular, there has been an increase in our knowledge of the scale and patterns of species diversity in the deep ocean and an improved understanding of the origins of the abyssal fauna of the Southern Ocean. Many of the remaining gaps have emerged from the knowledge we gained and thus are part of the success of the project rather than an indication of failure.