Publication Date:
2020-09-14
Description:
Exploitation of mineral ores from the deep sea will impact the abyssal environment by removing the mineral deposits and sediments from the seafloor surface, where most deep-sea benthic life is found. Additional effects are expected from the blanketing of the mined area and the pristine surrounding seabed with sediments and/or mineral debris. As a consequence, seafloor integrity is lost in the impacted area, species densities and biodiversity are reduced, and ecosystem functions are negatively affected. Although a lot of open questions remain regarding, for example, indicator species, disturbance thresholds, and renaturation options, it is becoming increasingly clear that the induced environmental impacts last for at least many decades to centuries and affect all ecosystem compartments.
Type:
Book chapter
,
NonPeerReviewed
Format:
text
DOI:
10.1163/9789004437753_018
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