Explore, Manage and Protect My Deep-Sea Backyard

Discovering the hidden depths of Trinidad and Tobago to inform
ocean conservation and stewardship.

About the Project

The importance of the deep ocean is often underestimated in Trinidad and Tobago. Limited local research capacity has constrained exploration, leaving deep-sea ecosystems poorly understood and their ecological importance and benefits largely unknown. This knowledge gap also presents challenges for evidence-based decisions about increasing ocean exploitation and the protection of deep-sea areas.

Supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, Explore, Manage and Protect My Deep-Sea Backyard is a locally led initiative focused on gathering and communicating baseline scientific data to strengthen the stewardship of Trinidad and Tobago’s mesophotic and deep-sea environments.

The project takes a holistic approach, bringing together scientific research, policy engagement and communication. By using innovative, accessible and low-cost technology, it aims to improve understanding of these fragile ecosystems, inform conservation planning and build the local capacity needed to continue exploring and protecting the ocean.

Harriotta raleighana, a long-nosed chimaera.
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2017

Project Goals

1. Advance science to identify deep-sea areas for protection

Use easily deployed, low-cost technology to explore poorly understood mesophotic and deep-sea ecosystems, generate baseline data and contribute to identifying areas that could benefit from protection.

2. Translate scientific findings into policy recommendations

Communicate scientific findings and governance recommendations to decision-makers and relevant ocean users, supporting the use of robust evidence in conservation planning and the development and implementation of ocean stewardship measures.

3. Strengthen local science capacity and ocean literacy

Build Trinidad and Tobago’s capacity for future deep-sea research through training, mentoring and knowledge-sharing. Use imagery, research experiences and scientific findings to raise awareness of the deeper ocean, its biodiversity and its importance, helping foster a lasting culture of ocean stewardship.

ROV Deep Discoverer images a newly discovered hydrothermal vent field at Chammoro Seamount.
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas.

Impact and Key Numbers

2023–2026: Project period
Less than 0.01%: Reported proportion of Trinidad and Tobago’s deep ocean explored at the time the project description was developed. This figure should be verified before publication.
Three connected areas of work: Scientific research, policy engagement and communication
A lasting local legacy: Stronger research capacity, greater ocean literacy and improved access to scientific knowledge to support conservation and future exploration.