Midwater ecosystems must be considered when evaluating environmental risks of deep-sea mining

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011914117
• Publication Date: 2020-07-09T00:02:37Z
• Authors: Jeffrey C. Drazen; Craig R. Smith; Kristina M. Gjerde; Steven H. D. Haddock; Glenn S. Carter; C. Anela Choy; Malcolm R. Clark; Pierre Dutrieux; Erica Goetze; Chris Hauton; Mariko Hatta; J. Anthony Koslow; Astrid B. Leitner; Aude Pacini; Jessica N. Perelman; Thomas Peacock; Tracey T. Sutton; Les Watling; Hiroyuki Yamamoto
• Keywords: Marine ecosystem

Despite rapidly growing interest in deep-sea mineral exploitation, environmental research and management have focused on impacts to seafloor environments, paying little attention pelagic ecosystems. Nonetheless, indicates that mining will generate sediment plumes noise at the seabed water column may extensive ecological effects deep midwaters (1), which can extend from an approximate depth of 200 meters 5 kilometers. Deep midwater ecosystems represent more than 90% biosphere (2), contain fish biomass 100 times greater global annual catch (3), connect shallow ecosystems, play key roles carbon export (4), nutrient regeneration, provisioning harvestable stocks (5). These ecosystem services, as well biodiversity, could be negatively affected by mining. Here we argue poses significant risks suggest how these evaluated comprehensively enable resource managers society large decide whether should proceed.

Midwater animal biodiversity: Squid, fish, shrimp, copepods, medusa, filter-feeding jellies, marine worms are among creatures sea Photos E. Goetze, K. Peijnenburg, D. Perrine, Hawaii Seafood Council (B. Takenaka, J. Kaneko), S. Haddock, Drazen, B. Robison, DEEPEND (Dante Fenolio), MBARI.

Interest for sulfide deposits near hydrothermal vents, polymetallic nodules abyssal seafloor, cobalt-rich crusts seamounts (6) has grown substantially last decade. Equipment system development already occurring. The International Seabed Authority (ISA), international organization created under United Nations Convention Law Sea (UNCLOS) manage beyond national jurisdiction, is developing exploitation regulations, Mining Code. Currently, 30 ISA exploration contracts cover over 1.5 million …

[↵][1]1To whom correspondence addressed. Email: jdrazen{at}hawaii.edu.

[1]: #xref-corresp-1-1