▁A ▁number ▁of ▁countries ▁have ▁committed ▁their ▁best ▁research ▁vessels , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 - 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 - 2 0 1 0 ▁field ▁phases ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁research ▁cru ise ▁were ▁conducted . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁a ▁two - month ▁major ▁international ▁expedition ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁Norwegian ▁vessel ▁R V ▁G . O . ▁S ars , ▁but ▁vessels ▁from ▁I cel and , ▁Russia , ▁Germany , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁USA , ▁and ▁Portugal ▁have ▁also ▁made ▁major ▁contributions . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁a ▁Russian - US ▁cru ise ▁using ▁the ▁man ned ▁subm ers ibles ▁M IR - 1 ▁and ▁- 2 ▁took ▁scient ists ▁to ▁areas ▁never ▁before ▁visited ▁by ▁humans ▁at ▁ 4 5 0 0 m ▁below ▁the ▁surface . ▁Cont rib uting ▁to ▁sust ain able ▁development ▁ ▁MAR - E CO ▁shall ▁enh ance ▁the ▁basic ▁knowledge ▁of ▁ocean ▁life ▁and ▁thereby ▁contribute ▁to ▁a ▁sust ain able ▁international ▁management ▁of ▁marine ▁resources ▁and ▁the ▁pr ic eless ▁b iod iversity ▁of ▁the ▁marine ▁environment . ▁Know ledge ▁obtained ▁by ▁a ▁un ified ▁international ▁effort ▁car ries ▁greater ▁weight ▁in ▁the ▁policy - making ▁processes ▁than ▁information ▁gathered ▁by ▁isolated ▁national ▁research . ▁Good ▁science ▁may ▁hopefully ▁lead ▁to ▁international ▁cons ensus ▁on ▁appropriate ▁action . ▁ ▁MAR - E CO ▁and ▁the ▁Census ▁of ▁Marine ▁Life ▁emphas ises ▁public ▁out