Area-based management tools to protect unique hydrothermal vents from harmful effects from deep-sea mining: A review of ongoing developments

Abstract

The deep seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction, or what is referred to as “the Area,” is the common heritage of humankind, safeguarded by mandating the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to protect the marine environment and to regulate all mining-related activities on the seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction. So far, the ISA has 7 contracts for polymetallic sulfide (PMS) exploration. PMS deposits are located at and near deep-sea hydrothermal vents, one of the most remarkable ecosystems on Earth. Where hot and mineral rich vent fluids escape from the earth's crusts, minerals precipitate and are deposited, and unique biomass rich microbial and animal communities are thriving. Several intergovernmental organizations suggest that active vents classify as areas in need of conservation. The ISA is currently developing regional environmental plans for PMS and has set some first steps to protect active vents from mining impacts. We review the current regulatory and policy framework for deep-sea spatial management, and set it into the environmental context. We conclude that all current management measures of the ISA would not be suited to protect the marine environment from harmful mining impact. We recognize that ISA's area-based management tools are under development, and suggest that improvements can be achieved by studying and recognizing the ecological attributes of ecosystems and their connectivity, as well as governance connectivity, taking into account area-based management tools of different users in the same area.

Defining Strategic Environmental Goals and Objectives for the Management of Deep-sea Mining Operations in the Seabed Beyond National Jurisdiction

“…To manage the seabed minerals-related operations in the Area, ISA is developing a set of rules, regulations, and procedures collectively known as the Mining Code. As part of the Mining Code, ISA has developed a regional environmental management policy based on Area-Based Management Tools (Blanchard and Gollner 2022). In particular, Regulations 44 and 44 bis of Part IV of Draft Exploitation Regulations address Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs) as providers of region-specific tools to ensure the effective protection of marine environments (Levin, Amon, and Lily 2020;Ginzky, Singh, and Markus 2020;Blanchard et al 2023).…”

Highly structured populations of copepods at risk to deep‐sea mining: Integration of genomic data with demogenetic and biophysical modelling

“…The mining of polymetallic seafloor massive sulphides (SMS) poses the most significant threat to hydrothermal vent communities, resulting in short‐ and long‐term damage, including changes in vent fluid strength and chemistry, toxic plumes, habitat removal, fragmentation, and biodiversity loss (Blanchard & Gollner, 2022; Blasiak et al., 2020; Drazen et al., 2020; Gollner et al., 2017, 2020; Levin et al., 2020; Miller et al., 2018; Van Dover et al., 2018). The impacts of this damage may extend beyond the vent realm (Blanchard & Gollner, 2022). Back‐arc basins in the western Pacific contain high‐grade SMS deposits, with historical exploration tenement blocks issued by some island states (Du Preez & Fisher, 2018; Petersen et al., 2016).…”

“…Genetic connectivity is essential in maintaining diversity and promoting the evolution of marine organisms, and depends on factors such as dispersal ability, reproductive traits, seafloor topology, and environmental conditions (Blanchard & Gollner, 2022;Brunner et al, 2023;De Wit et al, 2023;Faria et al, 2021;Ingels et al, 2023;Mouchi et al, 2023;Pereira et al, 2023;Plouviez et al, 2013Plouviez et al, , 2019Portanier et al, 2023;Virtanen et al, 2020;Yahagi et al, 2017).…”

“…Genetic connectivity is essential in maintaining diversity and promoting the evolution of marine organisms, and depends on factors such as dispersal ability, reproductive traits, seafloor topology, and environmental conditions (Blanchard & Gollner, 2022; Brunner et al., 2023; De Wit et al., 2023; Faria et al., 2021; Ingels et al., 2023; Mouchi et al., 2023; Pereira et al., 2023; Plouviez et al., 2013, 2019; Portanier et al., 2023; Virtanen et al., 2020; Yahagi et al., 2017). High dispersal ability promotes gene flow over long distances, while seafloor topology can create physical barriers that impede movement and lead to allopatric speciation (Ingels et al., 2023; Plouviez et al., 2013, 2019; Yahagi et al., 2017).…”

“…However, certain Pacific Island states have imposed a 10‐year moratorium on mining activities to understand the environmental and societal impacts better (Kakee, 2020). Advancing our understanding of population connectivity across species size fractions, incorporating life‐history traits, evolutionary adaptations, larval dispersal modelling, and demographic modelling, can contribute to defining the vent transition zone and determining the size and location of area‐based management tools (ABMTs) (Blanchard & Gollner, 2022).…”