Organized by the Spanish Council of Scientific Research and the European Network of Excellence on Marine Biodiversity, the first World Conference on Marine Biodiversity was held from 11-15 November 2008, in Valencia, Spain.

The meeting adopted the Valencia Declaration – a plea for the protection of marine biodiversity. The declaration highlights that the: pace and scale of anthropogenic changes occurring in the oceans and the impact of these changes on marine biodiversity and ecosystems are cause for grave concern; emerging human activities, such as geo-engineering of the oceans to mitigate climate change, may deliver negative impacts to marine ecosystems; and deep sea ecosystems should be approached with an exceptionally high degree of precaution. Participating scientists urge that action be taken related to: integrated ocean management both within and beyond national jurisdiction; development of ecologically coherent networks of marine protected areas; enhancement of research efforts on marine biodiversity; and authorization of deep-sea fisheries only where evidence has been gathered that a stock can be exploited sustainably.
Links to further information
The meeting’s website
The Valencia Declaration
EurekAlert, 10 November 2009