{"id":40077068,"date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-03T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/china-dialogue-ocean-staging.darkbluehq.com\/uncategorized\/6858-explore-deep-ocean-mining\/"},"modified":"2022-02-10T23:00:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T17:30:52","slug":"6858-explore-deep-ocean-mining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/ocean\/6858-explore-deep-ocean-mining\/","title":{"rendered":"We need to better understand the deep ocean if mining is to go ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

Human activity is transforming the planet and the deep ocean is no exception. As the demand for metals increases humans are seeking them in ever more remote places. The next frontier may be the deep seabed.<\/p>\n

Valuable metallic ores laden with cobalt, copper, nickel, gold and other rare metals are found in polymetallic sulphides at hydrothermal vents, polymetallic nodules on abyssal plains and ferromanganese crusts on seamounts. As many of these habitats are found in international waters, they fall under the mandate of the International Seabed Authority<\/a> (ISA), which has allocated 29 mining exploration contract areas globally, some of which are up to 75,000 square kilometres, or roughly the size of Panama.<\/p>\n

The deep sea regulates our climate by removing heat and carbon dioxide<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let\u2019s be honest, deep sea mining is going to do some damage. The removal of nodules, vents and crusts will result in the loss of biodiversity whilst leaving no possibility for their re-establishment given that some of these resources form at rates of a few millimetres per million years. Mining will also create plumes of sediment, which may travel for kilometres before depositing. Further entombment of the seafloor will occur when tailings from the mining are discharged into the water column.<\/p>\n

Other possible impacts include light and noise pollution from machinery, and major changes to the geochemistry of the sediment, food webs and carbon sequestration pathways. The cumulative impacts of these operations aren\u2019t yet understood but will likely be long-standing and ocean-wide.<\/p>\n

Despite this looming threat, most of the deep ocean is critically under-explored. It is the largest ecosystem on the planet, providing more than 95% of all habitable space and yet less than 5% of it has been explored.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The
The remotely-operated Hercules searches for deep sea fauna. (Image: NOAA<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

It is also the largest reservoir of novel biodiversity, with new species discovered on nearly every expedition. It provides ecosystem services that keep our planet healthy and keep humans alive. Its great size means that it regulates our climate by removing heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It cycles nutrients and chemicals and detoxifies our oceans.<\/p>\n

However, major knowledge gaps threaten our ability to ensure the deep sea is governed for the benefit of humankind, today and tomorrow. As we can\u2019t even answer the most basic question \u2013 \u201cWhat lives there?\u201d \u2013 for most of our deep ocean, how are we to understand the ecological consequences of human disturbance in this remote and unique ecosystem?<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t effectively manage what we don\u2019t understand or protect what we don\u2019t know. We must continue to explore the deep ocean in order to understand it better. Holistic management based in sound science is urgently needed to prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in this area of rapidly expanding human activity.<\/p>\n

Not only do the deep ocean and its inhabitants amaze and inspire us, but they also have the potential to provide solutions to some of the world\u2019s greatest challenges. If we don’t balance the needs of both society and nature, there is a very real chance that we could change our oceans irreparably before we fully understand them. That would be a catastrophic loss for humanity.<\/p>\n

This article is part of our deep-sea mining series. Read more here:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The future of deep seabed mining<\/a><\/p>\n

Can a \u2018mining code\u2019 make deep seabed extraction sustainable?<\/a><\/p>\n

Deep seabed mining: key questions<\/a><\/p>\n

Species threatened by deep-sea mining<\/a><\/p>\n

Is China ready to mine the deep sea?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a strong chance we will change the seabed irreparably before we fully understand what\u2019s down there<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":40066918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50039901],"tags":[511,40027800,537,40027778],"hashtags":[],"country":[],"class_list":["post-40077068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ocean","tag-biodiversity","tag-deep-sea-mining","tag-ecosystems","tag-marine-protection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWe need to better understand the deep ocean if mining is to go ahead | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is a strong chance mining the deep seabed will change it irreparably before we fully understand what\u2019s down in the depths of the ocean.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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