User:Seacucumberqueue/draft article on CeDAMar

The Census of Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life (CeDAMar) documents the species diversity of one of the largest and most inaccesible environments on our planets, the abyssal plain. As a field project of the Census of Marine Life, CeDAMar findings will contribute to the estimation of global species diversity and provide a better understanding of the history of deep-sea fauna, including its present diversity and dependence on environmental parameters. CeDAMar initiatives will also identify centers of high biodiversity useful for planning both commercial and conservation efforts. Moreover, The information from CeDAMar findings will serve as an important resource on which future studies, concerning the effects of climate change in the deep-sea can rely.

As of May 2009, participation by upwards of 56 institutions in 17 countries has resulted in the publication of nearly 300 papers. Results of CeDAMar-related research were also published in a 2010 textbook on deep-sea biodiversity by Michael Rex and Ron Etter, members of CeDAMar's Scientific Steering Committee.

CeDAMar is led by Dr. Pedro Martinez Arbizu of Germany and Dr. Craig Smith, USA.