Scientific rationale and international obligations for protection of active hydrothermal vent ecosystems from deep-sea mining

Van Dover, C.L.; Arnaud-Haond, S.; Gianni, M.; Helmreich, S.; Huber, J.A.; Jaecke, A.L.; Metaxas, A.; Pendleton, L.H.; Petersen, S.; Ramirez-Llodra, E.; Steinberg, P.E.; Tunnicliffe, V.; Yamamoto, H.

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2018.01.020

Scientific rationale and international obligations for protection of active hydrothermal vent ecosystems from deep-sea mining

Van Dover, C.L.; Arnaud-Haond, S.; Gianni, M.; Helmreich, S.; Huber, J.A.; Jaecke, A.L.; Metaxas, A.; Pendleton, L.H.; Petersen, S.; Ramirez-Llodra, E.; Steinberg, P.E.; Tunnicliffe, V.; Yamamoto, H.

Authors

C.L. Van Dover

S. Arnaud-Haond

M. Gianni

S. Helmreich

J.A. Huber

A.L. Jaecke

A. Metaxas

L.H. Pendleton

S. Petersen

E. Ramirez-Llodra

Professor Philip Steinberg philip.steinberg@durham.ac.uk
Professor

V. Tunnicliffe

H. Yamamoto

Abstract

There is increasing interest in mining minerals on the seabed, including seafloor massive sulfide deposits that form at hydrothermal vents. The International Seabed Authority is currently drafting a Mining Code, including environmental regulations, for polymetallic sulfides and other mineral exploitation on the seabed in the area beyond national jurisdictions. This paper summarizes 1) the ecological vulnerability of active vent ecosystems and aspects of this vulnerability that remain subject to conjecture, 2) evidence for limited mineral resource opportunity at active vents, 3) non-extractive values of active vent ecosystems, 4) precedents and international obligations for protection of hydrothermal vents, and 5) obligations of the International Seabed Authority under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea for protection of the marine environment from the impacts of mining. Heterogeneity of active vent ecosystems makes it extremely challenging to identify “representative” systems for any regional, area-based management approach to conservation. Protection of active vent ecosystems from mining impacts (direct and indirect) would set aside only a small fraction of the international seabed and its mineral resources, would contribute to international obligations for marine conservation, would have non-extractive benefits, and would be a precautionary approach.

Citation

Van Dover, C., Arnaud-Haond, S., Gianni, M., Helmreich, S., Huber, J., Jaecke, A., …Yamamoto, H. (2018). Scientific rationale and international obligations for protection of active hydrothermal vent ecosystems from deep-sea mining. Marine Policy, 90, 20-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.01.020

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Jan 19, 2018
Online Publication Date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication Date	Apr 1, 2018
Deposit Date	Jan 26, 2018
Publicly Available Date	Jan 26, 2018
Journal	Marine Policy
Print ISSN	0308-597X
Publisher	Elsevier
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	90
Pages	20-28
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.01.020