Roberto Danovaro is a Professor of Marine Ecology at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy. He is a Member of the EU Academy of Science and of the Academia Europaea (London). Editor in Chief of Marine Ecology (Wiley) and Chemistry & Ecology (T&F). Coordinator of several EU and international projects. Author of >500 scientific articles and 3 books, his research interests are focused on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and on the impact of climate change on deep-sea ecosystems. According to ExpertScape he has been the most influential World Scientist in the Category “Ocean and Seas” for the decade 2010-2020. Paul Snelgrove is a Professor of Ocean Sciences and Biology at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. From 2008-2021 he led the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, a national research network that supported sustainable oceans. He currently plays the role of Associate Scientific Director of The Ocean Frontier Institute, which gathers researchers in Atlantic Canada and beyond to advance safe and sustainable ocean objectives. He has published >150 papers and book chapters as well as one book. His research focuses on biodiversity, functioning, and conservation of seafloor ecosystems.