Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
y mining, which is expected to be very localised. On the other hand, sites containing species with restricted distribution will require more careful management to assure maintenance of biodiversity. iv) Dose-response characteristics of plume fallout – many vent species are sessile or capable of little locomotion. Some feed by filtering particles from surrounding seawater. In both cases, the presence of particulate plumes or sediment fallout from adjacent mining could have adverse affects on their survival even if they are not directly disturbed by mineral extraction machinery. There is no published information on dose-response characteristics of vent organisms in relation to particulate plumes. Test or pilot mining operations would provide opportunities to conduct this type of study prior to full-scale mining operations. Such studies need not be site specific since much useful general information can be derived from monitoring burial of vent organisms or their food supply and particulate fouling of suspension feeders. Development of management plans for individual mining sites will require baseline information on their biological characteristics. These include: i) Distribution of habitat within the affected area – Hydrothermal emissions are often correlated with seafloor relief features. Sidescan or pencilbeam sonars provide detailed topographic information that can be used to develop a base map. Submersible video surveys or digital photography can then be used for “ground truthing” sonar maps to relate relief and textural information to hydrothermal activity, occurrence of mineral deposits and presence/absence of visually distinct faunal assemblages. ii) Species composition and community structure – complete information on species composition can only come from sampling. This information is vital to questions regarding the geographic range of the affected species. Since extensive sampling is costly and time-consuming, an approach that combines synoptic habitat mapping (see above) with targeted sampling will likely be the best strategy. INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 292
iii) Basic biology of species – key here is information concerning the feeding mode of individual species (i.e. how they will be affected by particulate plumes) and an understanding of their ability to recolonise a disturbed site (reproductive cycles, recolonization potential). There is no imminent threat to the entire global vent fauna from mining or any other human activity. Concentration of mining activities in areas such as the southwest Pacific back arc spreading centres will, however, produce local and even regional effects on vent organism abundance, to the point where the survival of some species could become an issue. The challenge to regulators, vent biologists and miners will be to use existing knowledge to develop strategies for managing these effects. A realistic overall goal for management could be the maintenance of biodiversity throughout the period of mineral extraction so that exploited sites could be repopulated. This may require managed protection of breeding populations within colonisable range of the affected site. Identification of a potential source of colonists for all affected species in nearby areas unaffected by mining operations would obviate the need for formal protection. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada has supported the author’s vent research since 1983. The International Seabed Authority is thanked for providing the opportunity to participate in this workshop. Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe provided valuable comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. REFERENCES 1. J. Sarrazin and S.K. Juniper (1999), Biological characteristics of a hydrothermal edifice mosaic community, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 185, 1-19. INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 293
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y mining, which is expected to be very localised. On the other hand,<br />
sites containing species with restricted distribution will require more<br />
careful management to assure maintenance of biodiversity.<br />
iv) Dose-response characteristics of plume fallout – many vent species are<br />
sessile or capable of little locomotion. Some feed by filtering particles<br />
from surrounding seawater. In both cases, the presence of particulate<br />
plumes or sediment fallout from adjacent mining could have adverse<br />
affects on their survival even if they are not directly disturbed by<br />
mineral extraction machinery. There is no published information on<br />
dose-response characteristics of vent organisms in relation to<br />
particulate plumes. Test or pilot mining operations would provide<br />
opportunities to conduct this type of study prior to full-scale mining<br />
operations. Such studies need not be site specific since much useful<br />
general information can be derived from monitoring burial of vent<br />
organisms or their food supply and particulate fouling of suspension<br />
feeders.<br />
Development of management plans for individual mining sites will<br />
require baseline information on their biological characteristics. These include:<br />
i) Distribution of habitat within the affected area – Hydrothermal emissions<br />
are often correlated with seafloor relief features. Sidescan or pencilbeam<br />
sonars provide detailed topographic information that can be<br />
used to develop a base map. Submersible video surveys or digital<br />
photography can then be used for “ground truthing” sonar maps to<br />
relate relief and textural information to hydrothermal activity,<br />
occurrence of mineral deposits and presence/absence of visually<br />
distinct faunal assemblages.<br />
ii) Species composition and community structure – complete information on<br />
species composition can only come from sampling. This information is<br />
vital to questions regarding the geographic range of the affected<br />
species. Since extensive sampling is costly and time-consuming, an<br />
approach that combines synoptic habitat mapping (see above) with<br />
targeted sampling will likely be the best strategy.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 292
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