Ocean animals vacate areas both around and outside deep-sea mining
operations

Date:
July 14, 2023
Source:
Cell Press
Summary:
In 2020, Japan performed the first successful test extracting
cobalt crusts from the top of deep-sea mountains to mine cobalt --
a mineral used in electric vehicle batteries. Not only do directly
mined areas become less habitable for ocean animals, but mining
also creates a plume of sediment that can spread through the
surrounding water. An investigation on the environmental impact
of this first test reports a decrease in ocean animals both in
and around the mining zone.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In 2020, Japan performed the first successful test extracting cobalt
crusts from the top of deep-sea mountains to mine cobalt -- a mineral
used in electric vehicle batteries. Not only do directly mined areas
become less habitable for ocean animals, but mining also creates a
plume of sediment that can spread through the surrounding water. An investigation on the environmental impact of this first test, published
July 14th in the journal Current Biology, reports a decrease in ocean
animals both in and around the mining zone.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which has authority over
seafloor resources outside a given country's jurisdiction, has yet to
finalize a set of deep-sea mining regulations. However, for companies
looking to mine the ocean's floor for minerals such as cobalt, copper,
and manganese, the ISA is required to either adopt a set of exploitation regulations or consider mining exploitation under existing international
laws starting July 9.

"These data are really important to get out," says first author Travis Washburn, a benthic ecologist who works closely with the Geological Survey
of Japan. "A set of regulations is supposed to be finalized soon, so a
lot of these decisions are happening now." The team analyzed data from
three of Japan's visits to the Takuyo-Daigo seamount: one month before
the mining test, one month after, and one year after. After taking a
seven-day boat trip from port, a remotely operated vehicle went to the
seafloor and collected video of the impacted areas. One year after the
mining test, researchers observed a 43% drop in fish and shrimp density
in the areas directly impacted by sediment pollution. However, they also
noted a 56% drop in the fish and shrimp density of surrounding areas.

While there are several possible explanations for this decrease in
fish populations, the team thinks it may be due to the mining test contaminating fish food sources.

The study did not observe a major change in less mobile ocean animals,
like coral and sponges. However, the researchers note that this was only
after a two-hour test, and coral or sponges could still be impacted by long-term mining operations.

"I had assumed we wouldn't see any changes because the mining test was
so small. They drove the machine for two hours, and the sediment plume
only traveled a few hundred meters," says Washburn. "But it was actually
enough to shift things." The researchers note that they will need to
repeat this study several times to gain a more accurate understanding
of how deep-sea mining impacts the ocean floor. Ideally, multiple years
of data should be collected before a mining test occurs to account for
any natural variation in ocean animal communities.

"We're going to need more data regardless, but this study highlights
one area that needs more focus," says Washburn. "We'll have to look at
this issue on a wider scale, because these results suggest the impact
of deep-sea mining could be even bigger than we think."
* RELATED_TOPICS
o Plants_&_Animals
# Marine_Biology # Fish # Sea_Life
o Matter_&_Energy
# Energy_and_Resources # Energy_Policy #
Consumer_Electronics
o Earth_&_Climate
# Mining # Oceanography # Geography
* RELATED_TERMS
o Deep_sea_fish o Ocean_current o Cobalt o Mirror_test o Coal
o Coast o Ocean o Sea_water

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Story Source: Materials provided by Cell_Press. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Travis W. Washburn, Erik Simon-Lledo', Giun Yee Soong, Atsushi
Suzuki.

Seamount mining test provides evidence of ecological impacts beyond
deposition. Current Biology, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.032 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230714113452.htm

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