The purpose of this science plan is to outline a general strategy for the execution and completion of the most important research activities conducted under the Alaska Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Initiative (AKCSI). The plan outlines the general approach and proposed research. Research projects supported by the 2020-2023 AKCSI will consist of the following:

• Research expeditions that survey, sample, and map DSCS ecosystems throughout the Alaska
  region.
• Research projects focused on deep-sea coral and sponge data and analyses of survey samples.
• Deliverables that support the goals of AKCSI and the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program.