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  • 1
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    Mind the seafloor (2018)
    AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
    In:  Science, 359 (6371). pp. 34-36.
    Details
    Publication Date: 2021-02-08
    Description: Research and regulations must be integrated to protect seafloor biota from future mining impacts Summary: As human use of rare metals has diversified and risen with global development, metal ore deposits from the deep ocean floor are increasingly seen as an attractive future resource. Japan recently completed the first successful test for zinc extraction from the deep seabed, and the number of seafloor exploration licenses filed at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has tripled in the past 5 years. Seafloor-mining equipment is being tested, and industrial-scale production in national waters could start in a few years. We call for integrated scientific studies of global metal resources, the fluxes and fates of metal uses, and the ecological footprints of mining on land and in the sea, to critically assess the risks of deep-sea mining and the chances for alternative technologies. Given the increasing scientific evidence for long-lasting impacts of mining on the abyssal environment, precautionary regulations for commercial deep-sea mining are essential to protect marine ecosystems and their biodiversity.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed
    Format: text
    DOI: 10.1126/science.aap7301
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    OceanRep: Article in a Scientific Journal - peer-reviewed
  • 2
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    Effects of a deep-sea mining experiment on seafloor microbial communities and functions after 26 years (2020)
    AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
    Details
    Publication Date: 2023-02-08
    Description: Future supplies of rare minerals for global industries with high-tech products may depend on deep-sea mining. However, environmental standards for seafloor integrity and recovery from environmental impacts are missing. We revisited the only midsize deep-sea disturbance and recolonization experiment carried out in 1989 in the Peru Basin nodule field to compare habitat integrity, remineralization rates, and carbon flow with undisturbed sites. Plough tracks were still visible, indicating sites where sediment was either removed or compacted. Locally, microbial activity was reduced up to fourfold in the affected areas. Microbial cell numbers were reduced by ~50% in fresh “tracks” and by 〈30% in the old tracks. Growth estimates suggest that microbially mediated biogeochemical functions need over 50 years to return to undisturbed levels. This study contributes to developing environmental standards for deep-sea mining while addressing limits to maintaining and recovering ecological integrity during large-scale nodule mining.
    Type: Article , PeerReviewed , info:eu-repo/semantics/article
    Format: text
    Format: text
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    OceanRep: Article in a Scientific Journal - peer-reviewed
  • 3
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    Impact of returning scientific cruises and prolonged on-site presence on litter abundance at the deep-sea nodule fields in the Peru Basin (2022)
    PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
    In:  EPIC3Marine Pollution Bulletin, PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 184(114162), ISSN: 0025-326X
    Details
    Publication Date: 2023-06-21
    Description: Marine litter can be found along coasts, continental shelves and slopes, down into the abyss. The absence of light, low temperatures and low energy regimes characterising the deeper habitats ensure the persistence of litter over time. Therefore, manmade items within the deep sea will likely accumulate to increasing quantities. Here we report the litter abundance encountered at the Pacific abyssal nodule fields from the Peru Basin at 4150 m depth. An average density of 2.67 litter items/ha was observed. Litter composed of plastic was the most abundant followed by metal and glass. At least 58 % of the items observed could be linked to the research expeditions conducted in the area and appeared to be mostly accidental disposals from ships. The data gathered was used to address temporal trends in litter abundance as well as the impact of human on-site presence and return cruises in the context of future deep-sea mining efforts.
    Repository Name: EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
    Type: Article , peerRev
    Format: application/pdf
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    PAPER (OA)
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