SEAMOUNTS main objective was to tackle the challenge of illuminating the 3-dimensional distribution of vertebrate species diversity and abundance across 12 seamounts and 4 coastal reefs of the New-Caledonian archipelago to ultimately 1) better understand the influence of their human, environmental, geomorphological and ecological drivers, 2) test hypotheses about the role of seamounts as oases of biodiversity, refuges for endangered species and stepping stone habitats, and 3) inform decision makers about their conservation priority, if any. More precisely the project aimed at:

• Quantify the effect of benthic-pelagic coupling on vertebrate biodiversity around seamounts;
• Assess the vertical distribution of marine vertebrates along a gradient of human impact;
• Quantify the missing and unseen (dark) diversity of vertebrates on reefs along a gradient of depth and human impact;
• Assess the connectivity patterns between seamounts and between seamounts and shallow reef areas.

SEAMOUNTS also aimed at developing spatially explicit models linking the influence of human, environmental, geomorphological and ecological drivers on vertebrate species diversity and abundance across reef, deep and pelagic ecosystems.