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Mining deep-ocean mineral deposits: What are the ecological risks?

Mining deep-ocean mineral deposits: What are the ecological risks?
Mining deep-ocean mineral deposits: What are the ecological risks?
A key question for the future management of the oceans is whether mineral deposits that exist on the seafloor of the deep ocean can be extracted without significant adverse effects to environmental sustainability and marine life. The potential impacts of mining are wide-ranging and will vary depending on the type of metal-rich mineral deposit being mined. There is, currently, a significant lack of information about deep-ocean ecosystems and about potential mining technologies: thus, there could be many unforeseen impacts. Here, we discuss the potential ecological impacts of deep-ocean mining and identify the key knowledge gaps to be addressed. Baseline studies must be undertaken, as well as regular monitoring of a mine area, before, during, and after mineral extraction.
1811-5209
325-330
Jones, Daniel O.B.
44fc07b3-5fb7-4bf5-9cec-78c78022613a
Amon, Diva J.
bcd41379-a74d-422a-be67-1c2ad974fef0
Chapman, Abbie S.A.
5e63f909-bd6c-4bdd-a9e3-f81af0978a42
Jones, Daniel O.B.
44fc07b3-5fb7-4bf5-9cec-78c78022613a
Amon, Diva J.
bcd41379-a74d-422a-be67-1c2ad974fef0
Chapman, Abbie S.A.
5e63f909-bd6c-4bdd-a9e3-f81af0978a42

Jones, Daniel O.B., Amon, Diva J. and Chapman, Abbie S.A. (2018) Mining deep-ocean mineral deposits: What are the ecological risks? Elements, 14 (5), 325-330. (doi:10.2138/gselements.14.5.325).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A key question for the future management of the oceans is whether mineral deposits that exist on the seafloor of the deep ocean can be extracted without significant adverse effects to environmental sustainability and marine life. The potential impacts of mining are wide-ranging and will vary depending on the type of metal-rich mineral deposit being mined. There is, currently, a significant lack of information about deep-ocean ecosystems and about potential mining technologies: thus, there could be many unforeseen impacts. Here, we discuss the potential ecological impacts of deep-ocean mining and identify the key knowledge gaps to be addressed. Baseline studies must be undertaken, as well as regular monitoring of a mine area, before, during, and after mineral extraction.

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Accepted/In Press date: 2018
Published date: 1 October 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 425515
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/425515
ISSN: 1811-5209
PURE UUID: 4d819d33-f1b7-49db-8151-66a5cc24b0f4
ORCID for Abbie S.A. Chapman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7812-2046

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Date deposited: 22 Oct 2018 16:30
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 21:53

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Contributors

Author: Daniel O.B. Jones
Author: Diva J. Amon
Author: Abbie S.A. Chapman ORCID iD

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