In press in “Aquatic Ecosystems: Trends and Global Prospects,” Polunin, N., ed., Cambrige University Press THE NEAR FUTURE OF THE DEEP SEAFLOOR ECOSYSTEMS Craig R.Smith 1* , Lisa A. Levin 2 , Anthony Koslow 3 , Paul A. Tyler 4 , and Adrian G. Glover 5 1 Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Rd., Honolulu HI 96822, USA; email: csmith@soest.hawaii.edu 2 Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA 92093-0218 USA 3 CSIRO Marine Research, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Perth WA 6913, Australia 4 Southampton Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Empress Dock, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK 5 Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd. London SW7 5BD, UK * Corresponding author 1