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Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

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iii) Basic biology of species – key here is information concerning the feeding<br />

mode of individual species (i.e. how they will be affected by<br />

particulate plumes) and an understanding of their ability to recolonise<br />

a disturbed site (reproductive cycles, recolonization potential).<br />

There is no imminent threat to the entire global vent fauna from<br />

mining or any other human activity. Concentration of mining activities in<br />

areas such as the southwest Pacific back arc spreading centres will, however,<br />

produce local and even regional effects on vent organism abundance, to the<br />

point where the survival of some species could become an issue. The<br />

challenge to regulators, vent biologists and miners will be to use existing<br />

knowledge to develop strategies for managing these effects. A realistic overall<br />

goal for management could be the maintenance of biodiversity throughout the<br />

period of mineral extraction so that exploited sites could be repopulated. This<br />

may require managed protection of breeding populations within colonisable<br />

range of the affected site. Identification of a potential source of colonists for all<br />

affected species in nearby areas unaffected by mining operations would<br />

obviate the need for formal protection.<br />

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada has<br />

supported the author’s vent research since 1983. The <strong>International</strong> <strong>Seabed</strong><br />

<strong>Authority</strong> is thanked for providing the opportunity to participate in this<br />

workshop. Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe provided valuable comments on an earlier<br />

version of this manuscript.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

1. J. Sarrazin and S.K. Juniper (1999), Biological characteristics of a<br />

hydrothermal edifice mosaic community, Marine Ecology Progress Series,<br />

185, 1-19.<br />

INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 293

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