03/09/2026
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, will convene the 7th ISA Deep-Sea Taxonomic Standardization Workshop from 7–11 September 2026 in Kochi, India.
The five-day workshop will strengthen the capacity of developing coastal States of the Indian Ocean in biodiversity assessment, species identification, sample curation and biodiversity data management.
Participants will benefit from expert-led lectures and hands-on practical sessions covering key areas of deep-sea biodiversity research, including deep-sea macrofauna sampling and processing, taxonomic identification and species description, DNA barcoding and microscopy, biodiversity analysis and functional traits, as well as sample preservation, curation and data sharing.
The workshop, held under the framework of ISA’s Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative (SSKI), will promote regional scientific collaboration, strengthen networks of deep-sea biodiversity experts and contribute to improved knowledge for sustainable ocean governance and conservation of marine biodiversity.
