The Implications Of Deep-sea Mining For Marine Ecosystems.

Introduction

Deep-sea mining, the process of retrieving mineral resources from the ocean floor, has garnered significant interest due to the increasing demand for metals essential for modern technologies. However, this activity poses substantial risks to marine ecosystems, which are not yet fully understood. This synthesis examines the potential environmental impacts of deep-sea mining on marine ecosystems, drawing from multiple research papers.

Key Insights

Irreversible Environmental Impacts
- Deep-sea mining is expected to cause irreversible damage to marine habitats, species, and ecosystem services, making it challenging to align with sustainable development goals .
Fragmented Governance and Policy Gaps
- Current governance of seabed mining is fragmented and lacks transparency, with a focus on exploitation rather than protection. There is a need for coherent policies to safeguard the marine environment .
Significant Harm to Marine Ecosystems
- Mining activities can cause "serious harm" to marine ecosystems, particularly in areas with manganese nodules, polymetallic sulphides, cobalt-rich crusts, and phosphorites. These ecosystems are highly vulnerable to disturbances .
Impact on Pelagic and Midwater Ecosystems
- Deep-sea mining generates sediment plumes and noise that can affect midwater ecosystems, which are crucial for carbon export, nutrient regeneration, and fish stocks. These impacts are often overlooked in environmental assessments .
Effects on Cetaceans and Other Marine Life
- Noise pollution from mining operations can interfere with cetacean communication, leading to behavioral changes and stress. This is particularly concerning in areas like the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Microbial Ecosystem Services
- The impact of mining on microbial ecosystems is significant, potentially leading to the loss of essential services such as nutrient cycling and biogeochemical functions. These impacts are often neglected in environmental assessments.
Need for Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)
- Current methods for environmental risk assessment are inadequate. There is a need for pressure-specific expert elicitation and integration of ecosystem services in impact assessments .
Potential for Species Extinction and Community Shifts
- Mining activities can lead to species extinctions and shifts in community structure and function, particularly in hydrothermal vent ecosystems.

Conclusion

Deep-sea mining poses significant risks to marine ecosystems, including irreversible damage to habitats, species, and ecosystem services. The current governance framework is inadequate, with a need for more comprehensive and transparent policies. Environmental impact assessments must consider the full spectrum of potential impacts, including those on midwater and microbial ecosystems. Without proper management and mitigation strategies, deep-sea mining could lead to substantial and long-lasting harm to marine biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

The implications of deep-sea mining for marine ecosystems.

Summary

Not a yes or no question

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Seabed Mining and Approaches to Governance of the Deep Seabed

Defining “serious harm” to the marine environment in the context of deep-seabed mining

Assessing the impacts of seabed mineral extraction in the deep sea and coastal marine environments: Current methods and recommendations for environmental risk assessment.

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

Potential effects of deep seabed mining on pelagic and benthopelagic biota

Urgent assessment needed to evaluate potential impacts on cetaceans from deep seabed mining

Challenging the Need for Deep Seabed Mining From the Perspective of Metal Demand, Biodiversity, Ecosystems Services, and Benefit Sharing

Impacts of anthropogenic disturbances at deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems: a review.

Impacts of Deep-Sea Mining on Microbial Ecosystem Services

Deep Seabed Mining: A Note on Some Potentials and Risks to the Sustainable Mineral Extraction from the Oceans

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