Submarine canyons are dynamic features with a pivotal role in regulating ocean ecosystems and promoting geo-hazard. These topographic incisions are massive engines of global geochemical cycling, acting as main conduits for organic matter, water masses, sediment and pollutants to the deep-sea. Besides being primary gateways for deep-sea transport, canyons are often sites of enhanced productivity, act as biodiversity hotspots and represent an important source of ecosystem functions and services. On the other hand, active canyon erosion and transport represents a serious threat for ocean and coastal infrastructures.
There are more than 10000 submarine canyons in the Global Ocean but less than 1% have been currently explored. Recent advances in marine robotics and ocean exploration are increasingly revealing complex interactive dynamics within canyons, supporting exceptionally rich ecosystems, along with providing evidence of human footprint, linked to the growing deep-sea resource extraction and pollution.