Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining
Mining impacts will affect local populations to different degrees. Impacts range from removal of habitats and possible energy sources to pollution and smaller-scale alterations in local habitats that, depending on the degree of disturbance, can lead to extinction of local communities. While there is...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-12-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00467/full |
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Article |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Daphne Cuvelier Daphne Cuvelier Sabine Gollner Daniel O. B. Jones Stefanie Kaiser Stefanie Kaiser Pedro Martínez Arbizu Lena Menzel Nélia C. Mestre Telmo Morato Telmo Morato Christopher Pham Christopher Pham Florence Pradillon Autun Purser Uwe Raschka Jozée Sarrazin Erik Simon-Lledó Ian M. Stewart Heiko Stuckas Andrew K. Sweetman Ana Colaço Ana Colaço |
spellingShingle |
Daphne Cuvelier Daphne Cuvelier Sabine Gollner Daniel O. B. Jones Stefanie Kaiser Stefanie Kaiser Pedro Martínez Arbizu Lena Menzel Nélia C. Mestre Telmo Morato Telmo Morato Christopher Pham Christopher Pham Florence Pradillon Autun Purser Uwe Raschka Jozée Sarrazin Erik Simon-Lledó Ian M. Stewart Heiko Stuckas Andrew K. Sweetman Ana Colaço Ana Colaço Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining Frontiers in Marine Science deep sea mining restoration mitigation impacts assisted recovery |
author_facet |
Daphne Cuvelier Daphne Cuvelier Sabine Gollner Daniel O. B. Jones Stefanie Kaiser Stefanie Kaiser Pedro Martínez Arbizu Lena Menzel Nélia C. Mestre Telmo Morato Telmo Morato Christopher Pham Christopher Pham Florence Pradillon Autun Purser Uwe Raschka Jozée Sarrazin Erik Simon-Lledó Ian M. Stewart Heiko Stuckas Andrew K. Sweetman Ana Colaço Ana Colaço |
author_sort |
Daphne Cuvelier |
title |
Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining |
title_short |
Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining |
title_full |
Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining |
title_fullStr |
Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining |
title_full_unstemmed |
Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed Mining |
title_sort |
potential mitigation and restoration actions in ecosystems impacted by seabed mining |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
issn |
2296-7745 |
publishDate |
2018-12-01 |
description |
Mining impacts will affect local populations to different degrees. Impacts range from removal of habitats and possible energy sources to pollution and smaller-scale alterations in local habitats that, depending on the degree of disturbance, can lead to extinction of local communities. While there is a shortage or even lack of studies investigating impacts that resemble those caused by actual mining activity, the information available on the potential long-lasting impacts of seabed mining emphasise the need for effective environmental management plans. These plans should include efforts to mitigate deep-sea mining impact such as avoidance, minimisation and potentially restoration actions, to maintain or encourage reinstatement of a resilient ecosystem. A wide range of mitigation and restoration actions for deep-sea ecosystems at risk were addressed. From an ecological point of view, the designation of set-aside areas (refuges) is of utmost importance as it appears to be the most comprehensive and precautionary approach, both for well-known and lesser studied areas. Other actions range from the deployment of artificial substrates to enhance faunal colonisation and survival to habitat recreation, artificial eutrophication, but also spatial and temporal management of mining operations, as well as optimising mining machine construction to minimise plume size on the sea floor, toxicity of the return plume and sediment compression. No single action will suffice to allow an ecosystem to recover, instead combined mitigation/restoration actions need to be considered, which will depend on the specific characteristics of the different mining habitats and the resources hosted (polymetallic sulphides, polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts). However, there is a lack of practical experience regarding mitigation and restoration actions following mining impacts, which severely hamper their predictability and estimation of their possible effect and success. We propose an extensive list of actions that could be considered as recommendations for best environmental practice. The list is not restricted and, depending on the characteristics of the site, additional actions can be considered. For all actions presented here, further research is necessary to fully encompass their potential and contribution to possible mitigation or restoration of the ecosystem. |
topic |
deep sea mining restoration mitigation impacts assisted recovery |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00467/full |
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doaj-08df13cadd944ba5ba562bc2e85a9da42020-11-25T00:20:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452018-12-01510.3389/fmars.2018.00467396723Potential Mitigation and Restoration Actions in Ecosystems Impacted by Seabed MiningDaphne Cuvelier0Daphne Cuvelier1Sabine Gollner2Daniel O. B. Jones3Stefanie Kaiser4Stefanie Kaiser5Pedro Martínez Arbizu6Lena Menzel7Nélia C. Mestre8Telmo Morato9Telmo Morato10Christopher Pham11Christopher Pham12Florence Pradillon13Autun Purser14Uwe Raschka15Jozée Sarrazin16Erik Simon-Lledó17Ian M. Stewart18Heiko Stuckas19Andrew K. Sweetman20Ana Colaço21Ana Colaço22Instituto do MAR, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Horta, PortugalDepartment of Ocean Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Den Burg, NetherlandsNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United KingdomSenckenberg am Meer, Department of German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, GermanyCenter of Natural History (CeNak), Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanySenckenberg am Meer, Department of German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, GermanySenckenberg am Meer, Department of German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, GermanyCentre for Marine and Environmental Research, University of Algarve, Faro, PortugalInstituto do MAR, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Horta, PortugalInstituto do MAR, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Horta, PortugalIfremer, REM/EEP, Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Plouzané, FranceAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, GermanySenckenberg am Meer, Department of German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, GermanyIfremer, REM/EEP, Laboratoire Environnement Profond, Plouzané, FranceNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom0Fugro, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United KingdomSenckenberg am Meer, Department of German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany1Marine Benthic Ecology, Biogeochemistry and In-situ Technology Research Group, The Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United KingdomInstituto do MAR, Horta, PortugalMarine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Horta, PortugalMining impacts will affect local populations to different degrees. Impacts range from removal of habitats and possible energy sources to pollution and smaller-scale alterations in local habitats that, depending on the degree of disturbance, can lead to extinction of local communities. While there is a shortage or even lack of studies investigating impacts that resemble those caused by actual mining activity, the information available on the potential long-lasting impacts of seabed mining emphasise the need for effective environmental management plans. These plans should include efforts to mitigate deep-sea mining impact such as avoidance, minimisation and potentially restoration actions, to maintain or encourage reinstatement of a resilient ecosystem. A wide range of mitigation and restoration actions for deep-sea ecosystems at risk were addressed. From an ecological point of view, the designation of set-aside areas (refuges) is of utmost importance as it appears to be the most comprehensive and precautionary approach, both for well-known and lesser studied areas. Other actions range from the deployment of artificial substrates to enhance faunal colonisation and survival to habitat recreation, artificial eutrophication, but also spatial and temporal management of mining operations, as well as optimising mining machine construction to minimise plume size on the sea floor, toxicity of the return plume and sediment compression. No single action will suffice to allow an ecosystem to recover, instead combined mitigation/restoration actions need to be considered, which will depend on the specific characteristics of the different mining habitats and the resources hosted (polymetallic sulphides, polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts). However, there is a lack of practical experience regarding mitigation and restoration actions following mining impacts, which severely hamper their predictability and estimation of their possible effect and success. We propose an extensive list of actions that could be considered as recommendations for best environmental practice. The list is not restricted and, depending on the characteristics of the site, additional actions can be considered. For all actions presented here, further research is necessary to fully encompass their potential and contribution to possible mitigation or restoration of the ecosystem.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2018.00467/fulldeep seaminingrestorationmitigationimpactsassisted recovery |