Seamount mining test provides evidence of ecological impacts beyond deposition.

Autor:	Washburn TW; Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan; Research Laboratory on Environmentally-conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan. Electronic address: twwashburn@outlook.com., Simon-Lledó E; National Oceanography Centre, European Way, SO14 3ZH Southampton, UK., Soong GY; Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan., Suzuki A; Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan; Research Laboratory on Environmentally-conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Current biology : CB [Curr Biol] 2023 Jul 24; Vol. 33 (14), pp. 3065-3071.e3. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jul 14.
DOI:	10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.032
Abstrakt:	In July 2020, Japan undertook the first deep-sea mining test of cobalt-rich crusts on the summit of Takuyo-Daigo Seamount within their exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Seabed mining regulations are currently being developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) 1 ; however, a lack of experimental data has so far constrained our understanding of the associated impacts, particularly from the release of sediment plumes. 2 The area of sediment re-deposition from the crust mining test was determined using modeled data and in situ observations. To investigate biological impacts, variations in seabed megafauna (animals > 1 cm) were quantified from seabed imagery collected around the excavation site before, 1 month, and 13 months after the test in areas both inside and outside (adjacent) expected deposition. Observable responses varied across community components: densities of sessile animals were similar between deposition and adjacent areas throughout the study; mobile epifauna were less abundant only in the deposition area following disturbance; and highly mobile swimmers showed reduced densities after the test in both deposition and adjacent areas following disturbance. These results stress that monitoring of highly mobile taxa may be essential to fully assess disturbance extent and magnitude. Fish may avoid areas even outside plume deposition, possibly owing to the creation of suboptimal feeding patches resulting from deposition. Our findings suggest sufficiently large (>300 × 300 m), distant, and representative control areas are essential to optimally map deep-sea mining impacts in ferromanganese crust habitats to ensure impact assessments encompass the full range of functional components in the megabenthic community (including mobile fishes) that typically inhabit seamounts. Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests. (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:	Zobrazit plný text záznamu