International Network for Submarine Canyon Investigation and Scientific Exchange

 

What is INCISE?

The main goal of the INCISE network is to create a platform for the exchange of ideas and research insights regarding submarine canyons. We do this through several initiatives, including through a regular symposium, organised every other year in different part of the world. We also coordinate a series of working groups focussing on specific questions or topics related to submarine canyons, and creating relevant outputs for science and the wider community.

INCISE is a friendly, interdisciplinary group mainly consisting of researchers, yet also reaching out to policy-makers, industry partners, wider stakeholders in the marine environment interested in submarine canyons. While some aspects of submarine canyon science may be highly technical and specialist, the goal is for contributions to INCISE initiatives to be accessible to a wide scientific audience.

 

Submarine canyons

Submarine canyons are important features along the world’s continental margins. They create heterogeneity in the terrain and provide the main pathway for sediment (and pollutant!) transport from the shelf to the deep sea. Although long known, their study has always been a challenge because of their complicated morphology and extreme terrain.

A number of technological advances over the last two decades (e.g. the development of ROVs) have opened up new opportunities for canyon research. This, together with an increased interest in the role of submarine canyons both as potential biodiversity hotspots and as locations for the study of geohazards, has fuelled a new wave of research activities.

Canyon geology, sedimentology, geomorphology, oceanography, ecology, biodiversity and habitat distribution are under investigation all over the world. Time to bring together all these pieces of the jigsaw and start looking at canyons in a holistic way!

INCISE organisation:

Jaime Davies (University of Gibraltar)

Veerle Huvenne (NOC, Southampton)

INCISE Committee:

Rob Hall (University of East Anglia)

Joshu Mountjoy (NIWA)

Pere Puig (ICM-CSIC Barcelona)

Fabio De Leo (Ocean Networks Canada)

Peter Harris (Grid Arendal)

Contact us: submarinecanyons.network@gmail.com